Credential: Certificate of Completion in Educational Studies – Elementary (CES-E)
Conferred by: Faculty of Education, York University (YU)
Duration: 1 year
Mode of delivery: Blended (Online via Moodle/eClass and face-to-face, in Dadaab)
Credits earned: 30 credits (10 three-credit courses)

Program Description
The Certificate of Completion in Educational Studies (Elementary) is delivered by the Faculty of Education at York University. Administration of the program takes place in the existing undergraduate program office and is supported by faculty members both inside and outside the Faculty and York University. CES-E is a program that is intended to be offered internationally, including 30 university credits for students who do not have post-secondary education. The program features a combination of educational foundations and curriculum courses intended for pre-service teachers in international contexts. The model of the certificate of completion fulfills short-term and long-term goals for the communities and individuals in Dadaab by preparing its participants to be effective educators to students enrolled in elementary level (Standard 1-8) while offering them opportunities for rich reading, writing, course discussion and critical thought. While the program offers valuable training in teaching at the primary/elementary school level, the CES-E is not equivalent to a teaching qualification in Canada, nor is it equivalent to a Kenyan qualification recognized by the Teachers’ Service Commission of Kenya. However, under the BHER ‘stackable’ model, the credits earned under CES-E can be applied towards a Kenyan Diploma in Teacher Education (Primary) offered in Dadaab by Kenyatta University, which is a Kenyan-recognized teaching qualification*.
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Credit Transfer
Students who have successfully completed CES-E and meet the minimum KCSE score for the KU diploma will be admitted to DTE-P program and have credits from their CES-E transferred to the DTE-P program. The Dadaab-based DTE-P program will constitute one additional year of study, at the conclusion of which students will earn a two-year Diploma of similar standing to the Diploma in Teacher Education (Primary) typically offered by Kenyatta University at any of its sites.

All courses offered in the CES-E by the Faculty of Education at YU are at the degree-level. The term ‘certificate’ in the YU context refers to the quantity of credits earned (30 credits in 1 year as opposed to 90-120 credits over 4 years in a degree), not the quality of the course content. For those in the Kenyan context, please note that ‘degree-level’ courses are being transferred into the DTE-P.

Some successful CES-E students, particularly those with low KCSE scores, may find they do not meet Kenyatta University (KU)’s admission requirements for the DTE-P program. These students will be eligible to apply to BHER institutions that do not require KCSE scores as an admissions criterion.
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Timeline & Mode of Delivery
CES-E is offered in Dadaab over a one year with full-time intensive face-to-face sessions in August, December, and April (this is when schools are closed in Dadaab and teachers are on break, to allow individuals working as teachers to participate). Studies continue part-time online through September-November and January-March.

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