Who is this certificate for?
Working with infants and families in the context of their culture and community is the hallmark of the infant and family field. Erikson’s infant specialist certificate program provides you with the knowledge you need for the complex role of infant/family specialist.
If you have a particular passion for work with infants, toddlers, and their families, there has never been a better time to pursue infant studies. New research has greatly increased our knowledge of infant, toddler, and family development, while federal legislation and state initiatives are creating a greater demand for service providers with expertise in this area.
Choose a specialization
You can take your study even deeper by adding a specialization.
Infant/toddler child care
To specialize in infant/toddler early care and education, you will customize your internship and add the following course to the core certificate program courses listed at the bottom of this page:
Prevention/Early Intervention
To specialize in prevention/early intervention, you will customize your internship and add the following two courses to the core certificate program courses listed at the bottom of this page:
Early Intervention credential
To meet the requirements for credentialing as an early intervention specialist in developmental therapy in the State of Illinois, you must meet the requirements for the prevention/early intervention specialization described above, as well as complete an internship under a developmental therapist in Part C Early Intervention services.
Internship
The certificate requires a yearlong internship tied to your area of specialization. The internship involves 10 hours a week of directed field experience, supported with individual supervision and a reflective seminar. The internship is completed at your current job.
Gainful Employment Disclosures
This program is designated as a Gainful Employment program for the purposes of federal student financial aid eligibility. Gainful Employment details
Online infant specialist courses
Online offering: Several courses from the Infant Specialist Certificate Program are available online for academic or professional development credit.
Course Work
Program Director: Sharon Syc, Ph.D.
Sample course schedule
[PDF, 1pg]
Core Courses:
- I390 – Infant/Toddler Growth and Development: Typical and Atypical
- I391 – Family Studies
- I392 – Infant/Toddler Screening and Assessment
- I394 and I395 – Internship and Seminar I and II
