The Early Childhood (ECHD) program offers two separate Master’s programs: Initial Licensure Pre-K-2 and Non-Licensure/Community Professional.
The Initial Licensure program is a 37-credit program that consists of 13 required courses leading to public school licensure. The 13-course sequence includes a 1-credit pre-practicum and a 6-credit full-time practicum. Students take 2-3 courses a semester and complete their pre-practicum in their penultimate semester and their practicum in their final semester. This program takes 2-3 years to complete depending on how many courses students complete each semester.
The Early Childhood Non-Licensure/Community Professional program is a 36-credit program that prepares students for work in a broad range of early childhood settings as an educator, policy worker, non-profit professional, or leader. This program consists of 12 courses including core classes and electives. This program takes 2-3 years to complete depending on how many courses students complete each semester.
This program includes courses in both content and pedagogy. Students seeking licensure are required to complete a 100-hour pre-practicum and 300-hour practicum in a classroom in their final two semesters. Students completing the Community Professional (Non-Licensure) track will complete a research project in their final semester.
Outcomes
Graduates of the Early Childhood MEd have a working knowledge of the dimensions of typical and atypical child growth and learning (language development, cognition, approaches to learning, social and emotional development, and physical and motor development); skills in assessment, curriculum development and implementation, and ethics and professionalism. Graduates are able to create and/or modify environments, curriculum, and individualized and family development plans to ensure access and involvement by all children and their families in educational settings.
Careers
The Early Childhood Master’s Program, housed within a public urban university, is dedicated to the training of educators who are prepared to teach individuals from various diverse backgrounds in school and early childhood settings.
Application Deadline
Spring, December 1
Summer, April 1
Fall, June 1
Mona Abo-Zena, Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education and Care; Graduate Program Director, Masters' Programs in Early Childhood Education, College of Education and Human Development
Serra Acar, Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education and Care, College of Education and Human Development
Anne Douglass, Professor; Founder and Exec. Director Institute for Early Education Leadership and Innovation; Graduate Program Director, Post Master's Certificate Programs in Early Education and Care; College of Education and Human Development
Moira Downes, Administrative Assistant, Curriculum and Instruction Department, College of Education and Human Development
Da Hei Ku, Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education and Care, College of Education and Human Development
Lianna Pizzo, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Education and Care, College of Education and Human Development
Songtian (Tim) Zeng, Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education and Human Development & Director of Research, Institute for Early Education Leadership & Innovation
