Early Childhood Education Degree Pathways at UH

Deciding which UH system ECE program fits you best will depend a lot on your geographic location and your career goals. Most careers working in licensed early childhood settings, like preschool and childcare centers, require coursework and degrees in ECE as determined by the Department of Human Services Child Care Licensing Program. If you want to teach in Hawaiʻi Department of Education (DOE) preschool classrooms, however, you will need to enroll in a degree program that simultaneously prepares you as an individual to obtain a teaching license through the Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board. The charts below are intended to help folks who are already clear on whether or not they need DOE teacher licensure.

Confused? Not sure if you need a teaching license? It is a confusing system! However, ECE faculty within the UH system can tell you which program will line up with your career goals, so please be sure to ask one of them.

ECE Pathways (Birth through 5 years) not for HTSB License

The programs below are best suited for jobs working in early childhood settings licensed by the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services and not under the jurisdiction of Hawaiʻi DOE. Your credentials are verified by the Hawaii Department of Human Services Early Childhood Registry.

UH System Educational Pathways (birth-8 Non-License) Revised 02-09-21Download

ECE Pathways that Prepare for HTSB License in PK-3

The programs below are suited for individuals interested in working in Hawaiʻi DOE preschool classrooms (EOEL), including charter and Hawaiian language immersion kaiapuni classrooms. The programs below prepare you to obtain a teaching license through the Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board (HTSB).

UH System Educational Pathways (PK-3 & K-6 License) Revised 2-9-21Download

Many thanks to Robyn Chun, Program Coordinator of Graduate ECE Programs at UH Mānoa’s College of Education, for creating and sharing these educational pathway charts.