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Program Description

Full Description

The Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education prepares critically reflective teachers with advanced knowledge in pre-school through primary multi-disciplinary curriculum. Students are prepared to be democratically accountable leaders, co-decision makers, pedagogical experts and committed professionals in various early childhood realms. The program emphasizes commitment to equitable and caring learning communities.

Ohio endorsements for pre-school and literacy may be embedded in the program. In addition, students have the opportunity to receive an International Baccalaureate (IB) recognition award in the M.Ed. degree.

The Early Childhood Education major includes the following optional concentrations:

• The Early Childhood Leadership: Advocacy, Curriculum and Policy concentration commonly appeals to teachers who desire to further their own early childhood programs, become master teachers and/or enhance their own leadership on behalf of young children and professionals who work with them. Students delve into issues and trends in the field, reconceptualize practice, understand and deconstruct/reconstruct policy understandings and complete their own independent research as an inquiry exit project or thesis.
• The Globalization and Intercultural Competence concentration is designed for teachers who are searching for research-based solutions to the learning and teaching of international students and/or who want to build intercultural competence to meet the demands of growing or changing immigrant and refugee populations in the classroom.
• The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics concentration provides students the opportunity to engage children in interdisciplinary instruction; gain experience working with and integrating technology; and integrate STEM to break down traditional boundaries.

Admissions

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

Applications to the M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education are not being accepted at this time.

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• Goal statement
• Two letters of recommendation
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:¹
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 DET score

¹

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Spring Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Summer Term
  • Rolling admissions

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Co-construct curriculum as a co-worker with learners and others (parents, families, colleagues and community members) to make sound decisions for learning and teaching experiences, as opposed to being passive receivers of prescribed curriculum.
2. Synthesize conceptual understandings of children, theory, content, technology and socio-cultural contexts into meaningful activities and opportunities for learning with all students in pre-kindergarten to grade three.
3. Engage in the habit of self-assessment in order to continually uncover unknown possibilities in children's learning, classroom practice, educational theory and one's own teaching identity in the local and global context.
4. Become committed to the children and their learning, the families and the local community while having an awareness of the global context.
5. Engage in continuous self-improvement and lifelong learning.
6. Apply skills, knowledge and dispositions to challenge "questionable" policies that limit opportunities for all children.
7. Utilize research and theory to develop varied and effective pedagogies and assessments that will positively impact all students' learning (learning and teaching is a transdisciplinary practice).
8. Advocate as ethical leaders and moral agents striving for social justice.
9. Acknowledge and practice multiple, multi-ethnic, multicultural, multiracial, multi-social, multi-economic and multilingual perspectives in a global society.