Department of Early Childhood Education

M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education

Admission Requirements

•  A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.

•  A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 is required for full admission and 2.75 for conditional admission to the program. All GPA calculations are made based on the last 60 credits of undergraduate and post-baccalaureate study.

One or more of the following:

•  An undergraduate degree or graduate coursework in Early Childhood Education, child development, family studies or a related field.

or

•  Teacher certification in Early Childhood Education.

or

•  Teacher certification in Elementary Education plus 6 semester hours in Early Childhood Education.

or

•  A minimum of three years of professional experience in an early childhood program or related setting serving young children from birth to age eight

or

•  Undergraduate courses in the following areas:

•  educational psychology or psychology of learning

•  child growth and development

•  curriculum and methods in early childhood education

•  Exceptional candidates who do not meet the exact criteria above may be considered for admission, if they intend to work in settings with children from birth through age eight. In these instances, an interview with the graduate program director will be required.

•  A current resume must be submitted with the application for admission as well as all post-secondary transcripts.

Note: The M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education is an advanced program and does not lead to initial teacher certification in Early Childhood Education. Individuals interested in post-baccalaureate initial certification should contact the Early Childhood Education graduate director for further information.

Degree Requirements

Master of Education (Minimum 33 semester hours)

1. Completion of required prerequisite courses
   
2. Course Work for the Degree:

Required courses for M.Ed.:  (21 credits)
ECED 611   Teacher as Researcher
ECED 609   Growth and Development of Young Children
ECED 619   Assessment, Observation, and Evaluation in Early Childhood Education
ECED 607  Learner Diversity and Inclusion Early Childhood Education
ECED 665  Curriculum Development in Early Childhood Education
ECED 610  Learning Environments: Curriculum and Technology
ECED 773  Seminar in Early Childhood Education

• Elective Courses (12 credits):  To be selected from departmental elective courses or up to six credits from another department with permission.  No more than 6 semester hours of departmental elective courses may be taken at the 500-level.
• Grade Requirements: All students must complete ECED 773 with the grade A or B (the course may be repeated) or successfully complete ECED 898 Thesis.
• Course Sequence:  The first six hours of the graduate program are EDUC 611 Teacher as Researcher and ECED 609 Growth and Development of Young Children.  These two courses must be completed before other courses are taken.  The final, or capstone, course is ECED 773 Seminar in Early Childhood Education.  In ECED 773, students are provided an opportunity to develop a creative and interdisciplinary statement of their professional identity, as they articulate their views on why they care about children and why they do what they do.  All other course work must be completed prior to taking this course.
• Thesis Option:  As an alternative to ECED 773, students may elect the ECED 898 Thesis in Early Childhood Education.  This option is available for students who may wish to pursue doctoral studies at a later date or who have identified a strong commitment to a specific topic of inquiry they wish to pursue in great depth.  Students who elect the Thesis Option will take the six-credit ECED 898 Thesis in place of the three-credit ECED 773 Seminar and three elective credits.

3. Additional Degree Requirements:

    

   •  Goals Statement: At the beginning of the program, each student will select an Area of Focus to guide their professional growth in their graduate study and will submit a Goals Statement. This document will serve as a plan so that students may achieve their individual professional and academic objectives in their Area of Focus.

   •  Graduate Professional Portfolio: Each student will present a professional portfolio as an exit requirement to the program. Along with ECED 773 (or ECED 898), the portfolio will provide a capstone experience. It will demonstrates integrated graduate level learning and reflect the student's growth as a professional and leader in the chosen area of specialization in the field of early childhood education. An on-going collection of graduate work, it will serve as a synthesis of learning throughout the degree coursework and reflect NAEYC Standards for Advanced Professional Preparation.

Elective Courses in the M.Ed. in ECE Program

ECED 603  Teacher-Learner Relationships in the Early Childhood Classroom

ECED 604  Math/Science in the Early Childhood Education Program
ECED 605  The Arts and Young Children

ECED 606  Research and Practice on Multimedia Technology and Learning
ECED 608  Integrated Curriculum and Authentic Learning in ECE

ECED 612 Conflict Resolution and Management in Programs for Young Children
ECED 613  Programs for Infants and Young Children
ECED 615  Administration and Supervision of Early Childhood Programs

ECED 618 Thinking Through the Processes and Acquisition of Literacy
ECED 619 Measurement and Evaluation in Early Childhood Education
ECED 621 Assessment of Reading and Writing in Early Childhood Education

ECED 623 The Art of Reading and Writing: Primary and Kindergarten
ECED 647 Advanced Processes of Teaching and Learning

ECED 680 Celebrating the Arts with Young Children

ECED 694 Internship in Early Childhood Education Programs
ECED 695  Independent Study in Early Childhood Education
ECED 696  Directed Readings in Early Childhood Education

ECED 750 Program Development and Evaluation in Early Childhood Education

ECED 760 Critical Perspectives in Early Childhood Education

ECED 794 Travel/Study Abroad in Early Childhood Education

ECED 670 Special Topics in Early Childhood Education

Example of these courses are:

Literacy Development and Integration of Language Arts in Early    Childhood Education
Leadership in the Profession and Community
Child and Family Law for Early Childhood Educators