A long-standing agreement between University of Phoenix and ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI), an accredited online provider for training early care and education workers, has recently been renewed via an articulation agreement partnership.
The agreement enables CCEI students to transfer their eligible certificates into college credits and continue working toward a college degree. Students who complete one of several available certificate programs can articulate up to four semester hours of credit through University of Phoenix’s Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). Eligible certificate programs include Child Development Associate (CDA), CDA Renewal, Director’s Certificate, and Florida Child Care Professional Credential (FCCPC).
CCEI students can also translate 30 hours of training done as part of CCEI professional development into one hour of elective credit at University of Phoenix. The University’s PLA program can consider eligible work and life experience as college credit, allowing adults to earn degrees faster, and spend less on tuition fees. In addition to gaining college credit by converting CCEI certificates and training, students are also eligible for a 10% tuition reduction and waiver of pre-evaluation fees at University of Phoenix by submitting an official CCEI transcript.
Leveraging a CCEI Certificate for a University of Phoenix Degree
CCEI’s online certificate programs are designed to help working adults meet their professional goals within childcare settings while allowing them flexibility via self-paced courses that can be taken at any time. CCEI also recognizes that many students who complete a certificate may want to continue their education and earn a degree that can afford them more career options.
That’s where the collaboration with University of Phoenix comes in. Students can take the initial steps toward a career in childcare through an online certificate with CCEI. Once completed, they can take their education to the next level by taking advantage of the CCEI-University of Phoenix collaboration to pursue a degree program, all while maintaining work-life balance. “As requirements for childcare staff increase, educational partnerships open up opportunities for early childhood teachers to meet their goals, which increasingly include a college degree,” said CCEI President and CEO Maria C. Taylor.
Getting Credit for Work and Life Lessons at University of Phoenix
Not only is it easy for students to transfer credits to help accelerate their degrees and lower their costs at University of Phoenix, but with PLAs, students are also eligible to receive credit for skills gained through relevant work and life experience. This includes a number of certificates from CCEI for childcare professionals as well as certificates and training programs completed for many other jobs and industries. Examples of eligible areas include IT training, police training, military service, and paralegal work experience. In all, University of Phoenix has evaluated hundreds of employer-based training and certificate programs for credit eligibility that potential students can easily search via a directory on their website.
PLAs can also apply to skills gained through life experiences that a student gained outside of a classroom or workplace. These fall into seven main categories: communication arts, humanities, interdisciplinary, physical/biological science, physical education, science/technology and social science. Examples of skill topics include American Sign Language, public speaking, sales and retail, horticulture, dance, sports, computer networks, electrical systems and parenting. These skills are submitted for consideration via experience journals.
A CCEI certificate can be worth up to 12 credits at University of Phoenix, representing up to $4776 in tuition savings, allowing eligible students to both save on tuition and graduate faster.
About University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix is committed to advancing the educational ambitions of adults and other nontraditional learners by providing support for transfer students to move forward more affordably. To this end, the University makes transferring credits easy and offers Prior Learning Assessments (PLAs) for credit based on employer-based training and life skills. Additionally, University of Phoenix supports students by offering numerous scholarship opportunities that students can apply for, flexible schedules, online learning, career-guided degree programs and Career Services for Life® commitment to help them more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit the University of Phoenix website.