Introduction to Psychology
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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New Jersey group teacher requirements: the 6 + 9 credit route
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
A New Jersey group teacher needs one year of experience with children under six and a credential. Option B is 15 college credits: 6 in early childhood education or child development and 9 in education, psychology, health care, nursing or another field related to child growth or development, as N.J.A.C. 3A:52-4.6 sets out.
Who sets the rule
New Jersey licenses child care centers through the Department of Children and Families, Office of Licensing. Its rules sit in the Manual of Requirements for Child Care Centers, chapter 3A:52 of the New Jersey Administrative Code. The current manual took effect on 20 December 2023 and runs until 20 December 2030 unless the state amends it first.
Section 3A:52-4.6 covers staff qualifications. It names the options for a director, a head teacher and a group teacher in early childhood programs, and a program supervisor in school-age programs. The center must keep a staff records checklist showing that each person meets one option, so the proof lives in the center's files and is checked by licensing inspectors.
The experience half
Every group teacher needs one year of teaching experience in a group program for children under six years of age. The rule says this may include supervised practice teaching or student teaching. Many people earn the year as an assistant teacher while they build credits, which is why the credits question usually comes up after someone has already started work.
Recreation-type centers run by a county or town recreation department have a small exception: one year of recreation experience can stand in for the year with young children, and an NRPA Recreation Technician certification can stand in for the credential.
The six credential options
The rule gives six ways to meet the education half. Only Option B is built from separate college credits, and that is the option most people mean when they talk about the 6 + 9 route.
| Option | Credential |
|---|---|
| A | Associate degree in early childhood education or child development |
| B | 6 credits in ECE or child development + 9 credits in education, psychology, health care, nursing or a related field |
| C | Child Development Associate (CDA) credential |
| D | Certified Child Care Professional (CCP) certificate |
| E | Group teacher endorsement, New Jersey Registry for Childhood Professionals |
| F | New Jersey Infant/Toddler Credential |
Reading the 6 + 9 split
The two halves of Option B are not equal. The 6 credits must be in early childhood education or child development. Those are usually two named courses at a county college, such as an introduction to early childhood education and a child growth and development course.
The 9 credits are wider. The rule lists education, psychology, health care and nursing, then adds any other field related to child growth or development. Three 3-credit courses fill this half. Introduction to Psychology, Educational Psychology and Psychology of Diversity are common choices, because each one deals with how people learn, grow and behave.
A course that sits in both groups, such as a child development course taught in a psychology department, can be read either way. Ask DCF how it would count before you plan on it.
- 6 credits: early childhood education or child development only.
- 9 credits: education, psychology, health care, nursing, or a related field.
- Proof: an official college transcript in the center's files.
Conditional approval
Section 4.6(c)5 lets a center use a group teacher who is close but not finished. Option A of that chart needs 12 related credits and one year of experience, and gives nine months to finish the last 3 credits. Option B of that chart needs 6 ECE or child development credits and three years of experience, and gives two years to finish the remaining 9.
The center must keep proof that the remaining credits were earned in the areas Option B names, inside the time limit. A self-paced course can help meet a deadline, but only if the Office of Licensing and the college that posts the credit agree in advance.
What to ask before you enrol
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. Our psychology courses carry ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations, and a college decides whether to post that credit on its transcript. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. Ask the college how it would post each course, and ask the DCF Office of Licensing in writing whether credit posted that way would count toward the 9 related credits.
- Which of my planned courses count toward the 9 related credits?
- Does the credit need to be on a college transcript, and from which kind of college?
- If I am working under conditional approval, what proof does the center need, and by when?
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the DCF Office of Licensing in writing, before you enrol, whether the 9 credits you plan to take would count toward Option B once they are on a college transcript, and keep the reply with your staff records.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
How many credits does a New Jersey group teacher need?
Under Option B, 15 college credits: 6 in early childhood education or child development and 9 in education, psychology, health care, nursing or another field related to child growth or development. Other options, such as a CDA or an associate degree in ECE, meet the rule without counting separate credits.
Does student teaching count as experience?
Yes. The rule says the one year of teaching experience in a group program for children under six may include supervised practice teaching or student teaching. Keep proof of the hours and the setting, because the center records your experience on its staff records checklist for licensing inspections.
Can I work as a group teacher while I finish?
Possibly, under conditional approval. With 12 related credits and one year of experience you have nine months to finish 3 more credits; with 6 ECE credits and three years you have two years to finish 9 more. The center keeps proof of completion, and DCF has the final word.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Educational Psychology
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Psychology of Diversity
Self-paced online Psychology of Diversity course (Psychology 112). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Get DCF's answer in writing first, then take your psychology courses at your own pace and have a college post the credit.
Sources
- NJ DCF: Manual of Requirements for Child Care Centers (N.J.A.C. 3A:52) (official)3A:52-4.6(c)3: group teacher needs one year of teaching experience in a group program for children under six and one of Options A to F (associate degree in ECE or CD; 6 ECE/CD credits + 9 credits in Education, Psychology, Health Care, Nursing or a related field; CDA; CCP; Registry group teacher endorsement; NJ Infant/Toddler Credential). 4.6(c)5: conditional approval with 12 credits + 1 year (3 credits left, 9 months) or 6 ECE/CD credits + 3 years (9 credits left, 2 years). Head teacher Options A to G; director options. 3A:52-4.7: 20 hours of staff development a year for directors, head and group teachers. Manual effective 20 Dec 2023, expires 20 Dec 2030. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Cornell LII: N.J.A.C. 3A:52-4.6 Staff qualificationsSame text of 3A:52-4.6, group teacher Options A to F and conditional approval chart. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.