CE-18PA1018X - Arlitt Child Development Associate (CDA)

Delivery Format Online Self-Paced (Facilitated)

The Arlitt Center at the University of Cincinnati offers a 28-week online CDA training course designed to meet the needs of busy childcare professionals. Through this course, learners meet the CDA Council’s requirement for 120 hours of professional training and receive the support of a dedicated instructor while building their CDA Professional Portfolio in alignment with the CDA Council’s standards.

The Child Development Associate Credential™ (CDA) is a prestigious credential for Early Childhood Education (ECE) professionals. This course equips learners with the skills and knowledge to support young children's emotional, physical, and social development, helping to advance careers in the ECE field.

Note: The Arlitt Child Development Associate (CDA) course requires learners to purchase a required textbook at an additional cost.

Teacher raising her hand while assisting students at a table

Learner Outcomes

Learners who successfully complete this course can expect the following outcomes:

Apply developmental principles to plan age-appropriate learning experiences.
Implement health, safety, and licensing practices that promote children’s well-being.
Design physical learning environments, daily schedules and routines appropriate for young children.
Use observation and documentation tools to assess children’s learning and inform practice.
Demonstrate strategies for positive guidance and effective classroom management.
Communicate professionally and build relationships with families and colleagues.
Reflect on personal teaching practice and identify ongoing professional development goals.

Who Should Register?

This course is designed for practitioners in the field of Early Childhood Education who work with children from infancy through age five, in settings such as childcare centers, preschools, and family childcare centers (home based providers).

What You'll Earn

After completing all course requirements, learners earn the Child Development Associate Studies record of completion.

University of Cincinnati record of completion for Child Development Associate Studies

^{View the Child Development Associate Studies Badge}

Learn more about UC Skills credentials on our credentials page.

Select a section to register

CE-18PA1018X - 001

Start: Any Time

Online Self-Paced (Facilitated)

Future Offering (Opens Jun 02, 2026)

Arlitt Child Development Associate (CDA)

Date and Time TBA

Online Self-Paced (Facilitated)

Course Fee

$999.00

Required Software

This course uses Canvas, the University of Cincinnati's learning management system, which requires DUO two-factor authentication. *Canvas Access: If you already have UC credentials, you can access your course on Canvas once the instructor publishes it. *New to UC? You will receive an email with your UC credentials within 7 business days of registration. Please check your registration receipt for additional information. *Two-Factor Authentication (DUO): UC requires DUO two-factor authentication to access the UC network, Canvas, and other tools on personal devices. More detailed instructions for setting up DUO and using Canvas will be available in your learner portal after registration.

Section Notes

The CDA course will not be held on the following weeks:

March 16-March 20, 2026

For questions regarding the Arlitt Child Development Associate course, please contact rachel.konerman@uc.edu.

The Arlitt Center

The Arlitt Center is one of the oldest laboratory preschools in the United States. The center serves preschool children from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, including those who are funded through Head Start, publicly funded childcare supports, and tuition fees. The Arlitt Center is as an early childhood education practicum site for students from many programs at the University of Cincinnati, a research center for faculty and students, and an observation and teacher training resource center for the community.