Principles of Management
Self-paced online Principles of Management course (Business 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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Director credential vs college credit in Texas: which is faster
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Texas director credential vs college credit: 746.1015 lets a director qualify with an approved day-care administrator's credential, a CDA or CCP credential plus six management hours, or college credit hours and degrees. The credential routes need two years' experience and periodic renewal; college credit routes do not expire.
The credential routes
Two routes in 746.1015 rest on a credential. Route 5 is six college credit hours in management with a Child Development Associate (CDA) or Certified Child-Care Professional (CCP) credential, plus two years in a licensed center. Route 6 is a day-care administrator's credential, issued by a professional organisation or educational institution and approved by Licensing under Subchapter P of Chapter 745, plus two years.
The minimum standards note that routes 5 and 6 require periodic renewal for the director to stay qualified, under 746.1053 and 746.1055.
The college credit routes
Routes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 rest on college credit: a bachelor degree, an AAS in child development, 60 credit hours, a community college administrator's certificate, or nine hours each of child development and management. Once earned, the credit stays on the transcript and does not need renewing, though the experience still has to be met.
Clock hours or CEUs can stand in for the child development and management credit hours at 50 clock hours or five CEUs for every three credit hours (746.1037).
Comparing the two
Speed depends on where you start. A caregiver who already holds a CDA needs only six management hours and two years' experience under route 5. Someone with a bachelor degree may need only a few courses and one year under route 1.
| Point | Credential routes (5, 6) | College credit routes (1-4, 7) |
|---|---|---|
| Experience | 2 years | 1 to 3 years |
| Management hours | 6 (route 5) or within the credential (route 6) | 3, 6 or 9 |
| Renewal | Periodic renewal required | Credit does not expire |
| Proof | Credential plus transcripts | Transcripts or training certificates |
Costs to weigh
A community college management course costs tuition per credit hour; Austin Community College's in-district rate for 2026-27 is $85 per credit hour with fees, about $255 for a 3-credit course. Credential programmes set their own fees, so ask the issuer. Self-paced options can cost less: UPI Study PRO is $99 a month for every course, including Principles of Management and Human Resources Management. UPI Study is not accredited; its credit counts only via a college transcript, and Licensing decides whether a course counts.
How to decide
Write down what you already have: degrees, credit hours by subject, any CDA or CCP credential, and full-time years in a licensed center. Then match it to the seven routes and count the gap. If you hold a CDA, route 5 is often shortest; if you have a degree, route 1. In either case, ask Child Care Regulation in writing whether the courses you plan will count before you pay for them.
Keep in mind that experience is often the slowest part. Courses can be finished in weeks or months, but one to three years of full-time work in a licensed center cannot be shortened, except through the substitutes in 746.1023. Start the courses while you build that experience.
- List your degrees and credit hours
- Note any CDA or CCP credential
- Count full-time years in a licensed center
- Match to a route and ask Licensing in writing
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask Child Care Regulation to confirm in writing that a course will count as management credit 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
Does a CDA alone qualify me to be a director?
Not alone. Route 5 in 746.1015 pairs a CDA or CCP credential with six college credit hours in management and at least two years of experience in a licensed child-care center.
Do college credit hours expire for director qualification?
The minimum standards flag renewal only for the credential routes, 5 and 6. Routes based on degrees and credit hours carry no renewal note in 746.1015. Ask Licensing whether anything else applies to your record before you rely on it.
Can I combine a credential and clock hours?
746.1037 lets clock hours or CEUs replace the credit hours in child development and management. Ask Licensing in writing how that works with route 5, and which training sources it recognises, before you plan around it.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Human Resources Management
Self-paced online Human Resources Management course (Business 306). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Managerial Accounting
Self-paced online Managerial Accounting course (Accounting 210). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Management courses in one plan; ask Child Care Regulation in writing first.
Sources
- HHSC Child Care Regulation: Minimum Standards for Child-Care Centers (Chapter 746, revised December 2025; read from the Internet Archive copy of https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/doing-business-with-hhs/provider-portal/protective-services/ccl/min-standards/chapter-746-centers.pdf) (official)746.1015 (13+ children): age 21, diploma or equivalent, and one of: (1) bachelor degree with 12 credit hours child development and 6 management + 1 year experience in a licensed center; (2) AAS in child development or closely related field with 6 child development and 6 management + 2 years; (3) 60 credit hours with 9 child development and 6 management + 2 years; (4) community college child-care administrator's certificate with at least 15 child development and 3 management + 2 years; (5) 6 management hours with a CDA or CCP credential + 2 years; (6) approved day-care administrator's credential + 2 years; (7) 9 child development and 9 management + 3 years. 746.1017 (12 or fewer): lower management hours (3). 746.1027 child development courses (abnormal psychology and secondary education not recognised). 746.1029 management courses: administration of a child-care facility, recreational leadership, accounting, goal setting, performance planning and evaluation, management techniques, risk management and other administrative, management or supervisory courses; office machines or computer training not recognised. 746.1031 original transcripts plus catalog description or syllabus if requested. 746.1037 50 clock hours or 5 CEUs may replace every 3 college credit hours in child development and management. 746.1021 experience is full-time (30+ hours a week) in a licensed center. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- HHSC: Become a Child Day Care Director in Texas (official)HHSC's director page points to 26 TAC 746.1015 and 746.1017 for the director qualifications and to Child Care Regulation for questions. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.