UC Berkeley

Transdisciplinary Early Learning Science & Child Policy Certificate

The Transdisciplinary Early Learning Science & Child Policy Certificate trains graduate students to be needed experts working in transdisciplinary teams to develop, analyze, and advocate for policies that integrate developmental science related to the complexity of influences and dynamic interactions experienced by children in their diverse contexts to support their development and learning.

Early Learning Science & Child Policy Certificate student

The Transdisciplinary Early Learning Science & Child Policy (TELS&CP) Program is part of The Early Childhood Policy in Institutions of Higher Education (ECPIHE) Initiative and the Early Childhood Policy Network.

The Transdisciplinary Early Learning Science & Child Policy Certificate creates innovative training experiences that build the essential knowledge and skills needed to connect science to policy.

This includes learning to work in teams to leverage actionable insights from research to inform child policy, as well as skills for using these insights — to design, analyze, implement, evaluate, and communicate effective child policy.

Program Goals

Early childhood is both effective and efficient as a point of early intervention; children’s trajectories of health and well-being can be improved dramatically, at a relatively lower cost, for their lifetime outcomes. Leveraging deep understanding across relevant disciplines, experts collaborating in teams are best equipped to address challenges facing children and their families. 

Using the wide-ranging expertise at Berkeley, the Transdisciplinary Early Learning Science & Child Policy Graduate Certificate will enrich your area of study and give you hands-on skills for working with or on behalf of young children.

Child playing

“My studies and coursework within TELS&CP have really gone hand-in-hand with this work by supporting me to develop theoretical and research-based knowledge, and analytic skills in understanding the mechanisms of policy and decision-making.”

Karina Du, student in the Transdisciplinary Early Learning Science & Child Policy Certificate program

Read the full article about Karina’s motivation to pursue the TELS&CP certificate on the IHD News page here.

Certificate Information

Use the links on the right to navigate down the page.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

  • Be registered and enrolled in a graduate degree program at UC Berkeley
  • Be in good academic standing with a 3.0 GPA or better

Application

Complete the Application for Admission Form to plan out your certificate coursework. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. For those in 2-year master’s programs, we encourage you to take the core course and/or at least one elective during your first year to ensure you are able to complete the certificate requirements.

This application for admission signals a student’s interest in the Graduate Certificate in Transdisciplinary Early Learning Science & Childhood Policy, but does not guarantee that the certificate will be awarded, nor guarantee a seat in approved courses.

Certificate Requirements

The certificate requires a minimum of 3 courses (totaling a minimum of 9 units) and an internship. The requirements are:

  1. TELS&CP core course: EDUC C264/PUBPOL C264: Early Childhood Policy - Children, Contexts, and Politics in Diverse Societies (3 units), OR PUBPOL 290: The Economics of Education Policy (with emphasis on early childhood) (3 units)
  2. Minimum of two elective courses, chosen from the Elective Courses list below, totaling a minimum of 6 units. Courses not on this electives list will be considered on a case-by-case basis and require the submission of the Elective Petition Form.
  3. Internship with early childhood policy focus. For a list of internship sites, please contact Luvy Vanegas-Grimaud, program coordinator, at lvanegasgrimaud@berkeley.edu.

Core Course and Internship

  • Core Course: 
    • EDUC C264/PUBPOL C264: Early Childhood Policy—Children, Contexts, and Politics in Diverse Societies (3 units), OR 
    • PUBPOL 290: The Economics of Education Policy (with emphasis on early childhood) (3 units)
  • Internship (Fall, Spring, or Summer): For a list of internship sites, please contact Luvy Vanegas-Grimaud, program coordinator, at lvanegasgrimaud@berkeley.edu.

Elective Courses

The following electives count toward the Graduate Certificate in Transdisciplinary Early Learning Science & Childhood Policy. Select two to three courses from an area outside of your focal area of study (for a minimum of 6 units), determined in consultation with our program advisor. Check guide.berkeley.edu for the most up-to-date course descriptions and class schedule. Note that not every course is offered on a yearly basis.

Area 1: Developmental Science of Early Childhood

  • PSYCH 290H: Graduate Seminar in Developmental Psychology (3 units)
  • SOC WEL 210B: Infant Development (2 units)
  • SOC WEL 212: Child Development from Infancy to Adolescence in Its Social Context (2 units)

Area 2: Public Policy

  • *PUB POL 200A: Foundations for Policy Analysis (3 units)
  • *PUB POL 200B: Professional Policy Practice (3 units)
  • *PUB POL 210A: The Economics of Public Policy Analysis (3 units)
  • PUB POL 256: Program and Policy Design (4 Units)
  • *PUB POL 290: Special Topics in Public Policy (4 units)

*Only MPP students can use PP200A and/or 200B towards this certificate.

*Special Topics section must include discussions on childhood policy.

Area 3: Public Health

  • PB HLTH 207A: Public Health Aspects of Maternal and Child Nutrition (3 units)
  • PB HLTH W206: Maternal and Child Health Nutrition (3 units)
  • PB HLTH 206B: Food and Nutrition Policies (3 units)
  • PB HLTH 210: Maternal and Child Health Core Course (3 units)
  • PB HLTH 212A: International Maternal and Child Health (2 units)
  • PB HLTH W212: Foundations of Global Health (3 units)
  • PB HLTH 220: Health Policy Decision-Making (3 units)
  • PB HLTH 290: Poverty and Child Health (3 units)

Area 4: Education

  • EDUC 260A: Issues in Educational Administration and Policy (3 units)

Area 5: Social Welfare

  • SOC WEL 210B: Infant Development (2 units)
  • SOC WEL 212: Child Development from Infancy to Adolescence in Its Social Context (2 units)
  • SOC WEL 220: Introduction to Social Welfare Policy (2 units)
  • SOC WEL 254: Advocacy Skills for Social Change: Social Welfare Policy Practice (2 units)
  • SOC WEL 230: Social Policy: Children and Families (2 units)
  • SOC WEL 232: Social Work and Education Policy (2 units)

Elective Petitions

You can petition for graduate courses (200 level) beyond the standard elective list to count toward the Transdisciplinary Early Learning Science & Childhood Policy Certificate. Particularly 290 Special Topics and 299 Independent Study courses will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Submit the Elective Petition Form to propose a course. Electives proposed by petition must be approved by the program director for the course to count toward your certificate.

Certificate Completion

Submit the Certificate Completion Form by April 15 of your graduating year in order for the certificate to appear on your transcript. If you have certificate courses in progress during your final semester, you can indicate this on the form. Final grades will be verified prior to awarding the certificate.

Completion of the certificate will be noted in the memorandum section of your official transcript (not on the diploma). At the time of completion, you will receive a physical certificate signed by the Dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy and the Director of the Transdisciplinary Early Learning Science & Child Policy Certificate Program.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Who is eligible to pursue the Transdisciplinary Early Learning Science & Child Policy Certificate?

The certificate is available to you if you are registered and enrolled in a graduate degree program at UC Berkeley. You must be in good academic standing with a 3.0 GPA or better.

When is the application deadline?

The Transdisciplinary Early Learning Science & Child Policy Certificate application is available now. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

What are the requirements for the certificate?

You must complete a minimum of 3 courses (totaling a minimum of 9 units) and an internship. The requirements are:

  1. TELS&CP Core course: EDUC C264/PUBPOL C264: Early Childhood Policy–Children, Contexts, and Politics in Diverse Societies (3 units) or PUBPOL 290: The Economics of Education Policy (with emphasis on early childhood) (3 units)
  2. Minimum of two elective courses, chosen from the list below, totaling a minimum of 6 units. Courses not on this electives list will be considered on a case-by-case basis and require the submission of the Elective Petition Form
  3. Internship with an early childhood policy focus

When should I begin enrolling in the certificate courses once I am accepted in the program?

For those in 2-year master’s programs, we encourage you to take the core course and/or at least one elective during your first year to ensure you are able to complete the certificate requirements before the end of your second year. 

For those in PhD programs, we encourage you to enroll in the core seminar first, and — if able — in an elective course within your first two years.

I completed and successfully passed one of the approved elective courses prior to being admitted to the certificate program. Can I count this course towards the certificate requirements?

Yes. Pending verification of a passing grade, courses taken prior to being admitted may count towards the certificate requirement. Please contact the program coordinator at lvanegasgrimaud@berkeley.edu to begin this verification process.

What are the internship requirements for the certificate?

You must complete a 150-hour (10-hours per week), internship placement with an early childhood policy focus. A list of approved agencies will be provided to assist you in finding a placement with this specific focus. For more information, contact the program coordinator at lvanegasgrimaud@berkeley.edu.

I’m a second-year graduate student who recently completed my internship requirement towards my graduate program. Can I count these internship hours towards the certificate internship requirement?

Yes, it is likely you can, if the internship was related to early childhood policy. Depending on the internship focus and responsibilities assigned to you, you may be able to count some or all of these hours. If your previous placement did not have an early childhood focus, you will have to complete a separate one relevant to this program. Please contact the program coordinator at lvanegasgrimaud@berkeley.edu for more details.

How do I declare the certificate?

Once you are admitted to the certificate, your advisor will provide you with a Declaration Form that you must submit by the indicated due date. Once the Declaration Form is received, the advisor will officially declare the certificate on your record.

How long do I have to complete the certificate program?

Depending on the length of your graduate program, you may complete the certificate over the course of your graduate study.

Can I take the courses P/NP?

No. All certificate courses and approved electives must be taken for a letter grade. Courses taken P/NP will not count towards certificate requirements.

What do I do once I complete the certificate?

Once all certificate requirements are completed, you must submit the Certificate Completion Form. This form can be found on the program’s website. Once submitted, completed courses and final grades will be verified and the certificate will be awarded.

How large is the certificate cohort?

The program admits up to 30 graduate students per year.

Additional questions?

Please contact the program coordinator at lvanegasgrimaud@berkeley.edu.