Educational Psychology
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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Does a psychology course count as 'child development' for New York licensing? Ask your licensor first
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Maybe. New York's rule asks for credits in early childhood, child development or 'a related field', and some psychology courses may fit that phrase. OCFS, not the college, decides for each staff member. Send the course title and description to your OCFS regional office and get its answer in writing before you take the course for that purpose.
What the rule actually says
18 NYCRR 418-1.13 uses the same phrase for directors and group teachers: credits in early childhood, child development 'or a related field'. The rule does not list which subjects are related. That leaves the call to OCFS when it reviews a staff member's file.
Why the answer differs from course to course
A developmental psychology course that covers childhood is close to child development. A general introduction to psychology covers development as one unit among many. Abnormal psychology is further away. Educational psychology, about how people learn, sits somewhere in between. OCFS may look at the course description, not just the title, so the same title can get different answers.
- Closer: developmental, child or educational psychology
- Further: general introductions with one development unit
- Furthest: subjects with no child or learning focus
How to ask OCFS
Write to your regional office with a short list. For each course give the title, the college, the credits and the official description. Say which route you are on, director or group teacher, and how many of the 12 or 9 credits you are trying to cover. Ask which courses OCFS will count and keep the reply with your plan of study.
- Your name, centre and role
- The route you are using
- Each course: title, credits, description
- The question: which of these count as a related field?
If the answer is no
A psychology course OCFS does not count as related can still help. It can fill a general-education or elective slot in your associate or bachelor's degree, and finishing the degree is itself a route. The early childhood credits then come from your college's own early childhood courses.
Ask OCFS what it would count instead. A short reply naming the kinds of courses it treats as related, such as child growth and development or family studies, tells you exactly what to take at your college next, and saves a second round of questions.
Where UPI Study fits, and where it does not
UPI Study has psychology and sociology courses with ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations, and no early childhood or child development course. Those courses reach OCFS only via a college transcript, after a college agrees to post them. Whether OCFS treats any of them as a related field is its decision. Ask first, in writing.
A practical way to use them: pick courses that count toward your degree whatever OCFS says, such as introductory psychology or sociology as general education. If OCFS also treats one as a related field, that is a bonus toward the 12 or 9 credits. If it does not, the course still moves your degree and your plan of study forward, so the time and money are not lost.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask your OCFS regional office in writing which courses it will count toward the 12 or 9 credits, and ask your college in writing which courses it will post, before you enrol.
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
Will OCFS give me an answer before I enrol?
Ask your regional office in writing with the course descriptions. Many offices will say which subjects they treat as related, but if the answer is unclear, choose courses that also count toward your degree so the time is not wasted either way.
Is sociology a related field?
It may be for some courses, such as those on families or communities. The rule does not list subjects, so OCFS decides. Send the description and ask in writing before you count on it for the 12 or 9 credits.
Does the college decide what counts as child development?
The college decides what it posts on your transcript and how it fits your degree. OCFS decides what counts toward the licensing rule. Ask both, because their answers can differ for the same course.
Can a course count for my degree and for OCFS at once?
Yes, if the college posts it toward your degree and OCFS agrees it is a related field. That is the best case, so ask both offices about the same course before you start it.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
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.
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
Finish the general-education half of an early childhood degree with ACE- or NCCRS-recommended courses, moved via a college transcript.
Sources
- 18 NYCRR 418-1.13: Staff qualifications (day care centers), eff. 3 June 2020 (official)Director routes: bachelor's plus 12 credits in early childhood, child development or a related field, with 1 year teaching and 1 year supervising; associate degree or CDA routes with a plan of study and 2 years of each. Preschool group teacher: associate degree, or CDA plus 1 year, or 9 credits with a plan of study plus 2 years. Plans of study need continuous progress shown at least yearly (418-1.13(k)). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- OCFS Child Care Policy 17-5: Evaluating qualifications for day care center directors (official)OCFS evaluates a director's education, teaching experience and supervision experience; directors with a bachelor's must show at least 12 credits in early childhood, child development or a related field (read via OCFS search extract; the PDF did not load). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.