BECE Student Resources

Visit this site for Brock services for Transfer Students including student support, housing, childcare and more.

Continuing your studies with a BEd or MEd

BECE students can apply to BEd and MEd programs using the same process as all undergraduate students. Follow this this link. It’s often useful to make an appointment with an FOE academic adviser as you begin this process.

Course Registration

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING YOUR PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS ARE BEING MET

To help you plan and execute course registration, access the below websites to support you:

Registration & Important Dates: To understand when you will be able to register for classes.

Consult your Undergraduate Calendar and your Program Plan to learn which courses to register for.

Timetable: Review courses that will be offered, course descriptions, special notes, and prerequisite information; learn when a course starts/ends; who might teach the course, and more. Make sure there are no conflicts in your schedule and select a backup or two where possible in case your desired first-choice course is full.

Course Planning Tool: To aid in planning which courses to take; refine your search criteria for context credits, face-to-face or online options, by dept. and more.

Register for courses: Access resources online to help you learn how to register for courses through your my.brocku.ca portal.

Important Dates: Mark your calendars for key dates like the last day for registration (aka the drop deadline), first and last day of the academic session, withdrawal deadlines and more.

Remember: You are academically and financially responsible for each course you are registered in. A student may withdraw in good standing from a course within the period established each term as published in the academic calendar. Refer to brocku.ca/safa/drops-withdrawals-and-refunds/#undergraduate-withdrawals for details.

Program Plans

BA Early Childhood Education (BECE) students need to meet the academic requirements of their programs. The requirements for these degrees are outlined in the Academic Calendar. Look under “Educational Studies” (for BECE) for your specific program. Normally, students follow the undergraduate program of the year they began at Brock.
To help plan and track your progress throughout your program, every student is encouraged print out a Program Plan. These plans are basically a table outlining the courses you will take each year of the program. A program plan can be a helpful tool to guide your course selection and make it easier for you to understand your program requirements.

IMPORTANT: It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that program requirements are being met and to refer to the appropriate Undergraduate Calendar.

Please Note: The program plans do not include an exhaustive list of requirements therefore students are required to read their Undergraduate Calendar closely and consult with their Academic Adviser regularly.
***Currently only Program Plans for students who started the BECE program in September 2019 or later are available on this site. For upper year students, please book an appointment with an Academic Adviser to review your program plan. Please watch the following video to learn how to use your Program Plan.

Program Plans have been sorted into four groups based on certification level or program. If you are unsure which specific program you are in please check your “Program Status” screen within the Brock Student Portal.

Vulnerable Sector Check

For information regarding your Vulnerable Sector Check visit this link.

Internships, thesis, and other program related questions

Question: Where do I find information about courses, assignments and the thesis?

Answer: Specific course information and assignment information is outlined in the syllabus for each course. In advance of taking a course, you can find an overview of each course in the Undergraduate Calendar (add the link here). Your Program Guide, found at the top of this page, has additional course information and information about major components of your program such as the thesis.

Question: Are internships the same as college placements?

Answer: No. The internship course, ECEC 3P85, is designed to benefit students’ development of theory-practice connections and to deepen understandings of the spectrum of career-related possibilities. Building on the hundreds of hours of field placements BECE students have acquired through their college diploma programs, the internships at Brock offer an opportunity to engage in diversified classroom contexts, research, regional development projects, professional development, and advocacy. Students may also benefit and choose an international internship opportunity.

Question: Does my internship have to be in a childcare class?

Answer: No. You may choose an internship location that provides services to young children (birth to age 12 or within school classrooms PreK to grade 3) and/or a family services agency (e.g., public/private school, childcare centers, library, arts-based or community support agency, etc.) who agrees to provide internship students with an enriching and challenging learning opportunity are eligible to participate. Students can complete internships in a locale of their choosing.

Question: Will I need a police check (vulnerable sector screen)?

Answer: Yes. In Canada, most agencies that support children and families will require you to have a current police check (vulnerable sector check) and often this is required even if the internship is online. Make sure you are fully aware of ALL the requirements of the sponsoring agency. We recommend you arrange and apply for the police check in late summer/early fall as processing times vary greatly.

If you require a letter from Brock University to apply for the VSC, please contact practicum@brocku.ca (typically this applies to students applying to the OPP or out-of-province students). For students applying for the VSC in Toronto, please contact Michelle Smythe at msmythe@brocku.ca.

Question: Will I need to be vaccinated against COVID or have other types of vaccinations?

Answer: Yes. Most agencies will require an intern who is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for any face-to-face internship opportunity. Other types of vaccinations will be determined and communicated to you by individual agencies.

Question: What will the internship entail?

Answer: BECE students are expected to undertake an internship each winter term of a minimum of 36 hours of contact time with the sponsoring agency. These opportunities are intended to provide an applied work experience and deepen students’ understandings of the spectrum of services within a community that supports children & their families. In addition, students will be expected to complete course assignments associated with their internship courses.

Question: What will the internship agency expect of me?

Answer: Expectations will be negotiated between the agency and the student. For example, if you are an intern at a library you may be evaluating resources, delivering programming, or developing a family communication strategy. You will need to develop your own learning goals for your internship and negotiate these with the needs of the agency.

Questions: When does the internship start? And what days and times are expected?

Answer: Internships begin in the winter term of each year, with specific days and times will be negotiated between the student and the agency. We do recommend you start to arrange your internship early in the fall of each year as sometimes it takes several tries to find an agency willing to sponsor a student. A list of potential Niagara-based internship locations will also be provided.

Question: Can the internship be online or within my place of employment?

Answer: Yes. The internship can be an online experience and/or within your place of current employment. Sponsoring agencies may offer an online experience (e.g., online tutoring at the Brock Learning Lab) and we encourage you to contact potential agencies early in the fall. If your internship will be within your current place of employment, the instructor will require additional tasks to challenge your learning and experiences (see course syllabi).

Question: Are there other international internships available for students in Canada?

Answer: Yes, each year there will be international internships available for students – some of these may be in person or available virtually. Please keep up to date with announcements about international internships that are posted each fall term.

Question: Does my internship need to take place in Ontario, Canada?

Answer: No, internships can occur in any region of Canada or anywhere throughout the world.