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Program Overview
Research demonstrates that the best predictor of quality child care is a teacher's level of education. The Early Childhood Education: Preschool embedded technical diploma at Madison College will prepare you with the skills needed to work as a teacher with children ages 3 - 5 years in early childhood settings.
All 21 credits in this diploma are part of the Early Childhood Education associate degree program. Students interested in earning their Registry Preschool Credential should contact Registry or epink@madisoncollege.edu for more information.
Upon admission to the program, you will complete a background and criminal history check form and submit it to the program director. Look for this form in your student email. Information obtained from the background may affect your ability to secure a practicum placement.
Prior to taking ECE: Introductory Practicum, you must show evidence of a physical examination including TB test using the State of Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Staff Health Report - Child Care Provider Form (PDF).
Travel to fieldwork sites is necessary and is your responsibility.
Some courses in the program involve preparation of learning materials, field trips, etc. that may involve additional expenses.
To learn how your experience could count toward your diploma contact epink@madisoncollege.edu.
Program Details
This certificate is offered in English and in a Bilingual-Spanish/English format. Students in the Preschool Program can attend full- or part-time.
Early Childhood Education classes are offered at the Goodman South campus and online.
Careers
Earning your less than one-year technical diploma in the Preschool Education program at Madison Area Technical College prepares you for valuable work as:
- Child Care Teacher
Work in full-day and part-day child care programs, or nursery schools - Child Care Assistant Teacher
Work under the supervision of a child care lead teacher in child care programs or Head Start programs - Family Child Care Provider
Care for eight children or less in provider's home. - In-home Provider/Nanny
Provide care in the child's home.
Resources
- Child Care Teacher
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Curriculum and Experience
Prospective program students, the information below reflects the basic requirements for students admitted for the 2025-2026 academic year. To learn more about Madison College, visit us.
Current and newly admitted program students, go directly to your Degree Progress Report to view:
- Progress toward your specific requirements
- Alternative (in lieu of) courses to meet specific requirements
If you have questions after reviewing your degree progress report (advisement report), please see Advising Services.
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Admission
Earning a degree is a great way to advance your career development opportunities, so apply today!
If you are an international student and want to apply to Madison College, or transfer your F-1 student visa here, check program availability and then complete the International Admission Process.
Apply Now – Join the Waiting List
This program is in transition to assess capacity and enrollment availability for the 2026-2027 academic year. Beginning Fall 2026, all qualified applicants will be placed on a waiting list.
- Program Capacity: 50 spots each Fall and 25 spots each Spring. It shares this capacity with other programs that have similar curriculum.
- Estimated Wait Time: To be determined
- Notification Timeline: Students on the waiting list will be notified in March 2026 about available spots. Those who remain on the list will also receive an update on their estimated wait times.
Submitting your application now ensures you're considered as soon as space becomes available.
Learn more about waiting lists in the Waiting List section below.
Application Dates
Fall 2025
- Application open
- Application completion deadline is November 15, 2025
Spring 2026
- Application open
- Application completion deadline is April 15, 2026
Fall 2026
- Application available on September 15, 2025
- Application completion deadline is August 31, 2026
Admission Requirements
All materials must be submitted by the application deadline.
1. Admission Application
The online application allows you to save your work as you complete it and ensures fast, secure delivery to our office.
2. Education Completion
Submit official transcripts from the institutions you attended that indicate one of the following:
- High school completion (current high school seniors may submit an in-progress transcript)
- GED/HSED completion
- College transcript or Madison College experience showing:
- Completion of an associate degree or higher, or
- At least 30 credits completed with a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4-point scale
- The credits must be completed at a single college and cannot be combined with other transcripts
- Any transfer credit listed on a transcript does not count toward the 30-credit minimum
- Credits completed at Madison College are evaluated and do not require a transcript
All high school and/or college transcripts are recommended to be submitted for Credit for Prior Learning evaluation.
Additional Notes
Individual courses may have prerequisites to enroll. Admission into a program or waiting list does not guarantee eligibility to enroll in courses. See the Curriculum section for the list of courses for the program.
After Acceptance
Once you are admitted into your program, review the Start of Semester Checklist to prepare for your first day of classes at Madison College.
Questions?
Contact the Enrollment Center at enrollmentservices@madisoncollege.edu or 608.246.6210.
Get Started!
Apply to Madison College and take the first step towards your Early Childhood Education Preschool career.
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Waiting List
This program uses a waiting list to manage program admission due to capacity limitations and high program demand. This means there are typically more applicants than there are open seats in the program.
A waiting list helps us manage applications in a way that is fair and transparent.
Students on the waiting list receive priority in future terms based on the date they complete all application requirements.
Priority does not guarantee a spot in the program.
You may remain on the waiting list if you continue to follow the steps to notify Madison College of your continued interest.
Questions?
Contact Enrollment Services at enrollmentservices@madisoncollege.edu or 608.246.6210.
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Career Outcomes
Madison College Early Childhood Education Preschool graduates are prepared to:
- Apply child development theory to practice.
- Cultivate relationships with children, family and the community.
- Assess child growth and development.
- Use best practices in teaching and learning.
- Demonstrate professionalism.
- Integrate health, safety, and nutrition practices.
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Graduate Summary
Graduate Report Summary Overview
2022 2023 2024 Number of Program Graduates 32 32 32 Number of Surveys Sent 31 32 32 Number of Surveys Returned 25 27 24 Percent of Surveys Returned Available for Employment 2 8 8 Percent Available for Employment 8.0% 29.6% 33.3% Not in Labor Market Percent Not in Labor Market 92.0% 63.0% 62.5% Available for Employment
2022 2023 2024 Graduates Employed 2 8 6 Percent of Graduates Employed 100.0% 100.0% 75.0% Employed in Related Occupation 2 6 6 Percent Employed in Related Occupation 100.0% 75.0% 100.0% Employed in Unrelated Occupation 0 2 0 Percent Employed in Unrelated Occupation 0.0% 25.0% 0.0% Employed - No Response 0 0 0 Percent Employed - No Response 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Seeking Employment 0 0 2 Percent Seeking Employment 0.0% 0.0% 25.0% Reaction To Training at Madison College
2022 2023 2024 Student satisfaction Mean (Out of 4) 3 4 3.4 Number of Satisfaction Responses 2 9 8 Very Satisfied (4) 0 9 3 Percent Very Satisfied 0.0% 100.0% 37.5% Satisfied (3) 2 0 5 Percent Satisfied 100.0% 0.0% 62.5% Unsatisfied (2) 0 0 0 Percent Unsatisfied 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Very Unsatisfied (1) Percent Very Unsatisfied 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Primary Reason for Attending Madison College
2022 2023 2024 Number of Primary Reason Responses 25 26 23 Preparation for Getting a Job Percent Preparation for Getting a Job Career Change Percent Career Change Improvement of Existing Skills Percent Improvement of Existing Skills Preparation for Further Education Percent Preparation for Further Education Personal Interest Percent Personal Interest Other Percent Other 0.0% 0.0% 4.3% When Employment was Obtained
2022 2023 2024 Number of When Employment Obtained Responses 2 8 6 Before Enrollment 1 3 1 Percent Before Enrollment 50.0% 37.5% 16.7% While Attending the College 1 4 4 Percent While Attending the College 50.0% 50.0% 66.7% After Training at the College 0 1 1 Percent After Training at the College 0.0% 12.5% 16.7% Location of Employment (related and unrelated)
2022 2023 2024 Number of Employment Location Responses 2 10 7 In College District 2 8 6 Percent In College District 100.0% 80.0% 85.7% In Wisconsin, Not in District 0 0 0 Percent of In Wisconsin 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Outside of Wisconsin 0 0 0 Percent Outside Wisconsin 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Employer Location Unknown 0 2 1 Percent Location Unknown 0.0% 20.0% 14.3% Salary Trend 2022 2023 2024 Full Time Employment (Related Job) Full Time Salary Count 1 4 5 Average Monthly Wage $2,580 $3,147 $3,703 Average Hourly Wage $15.00 $18.29 $21.53 Average Work Hours per Week 40.0 39.0 40.0 Part Time Employment (Related Job) Part Time Salary Count 1 2 1 Average Hourly Wage $22.00 $15.25 $7.70 Average Work Hours per Week 25.0 27.5 9.0 -
Graduate Employers
Graduate Employers for academic year: 2024 Employer(s) Job Title City* State** Positions Hickory Hill Academy Teacher New Glarus Hickory Hill Academy Lead Teacher 2 Monona Parks & Recreation Afterschool Teacher Monona The Playing Field Teacher Tiny's Academy Director/Owner Portage * - Only cities outside of Madison will display.
** - Only states outside of Wisconsin will display.
*** - If you have a position to post, please contact Career and Employment Services at jobpostings@madisoncollege.edu
