Program Overview

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Introduction to the Master of Education in Early Childhood Education

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Early Childhood Education is a graduate program designed to prepare teachers to develop and engage in appropriate teaching strategies, collaborate to identify and meet the broad range of goals for which schools are responsible, model and encourage students to lead, problem-solve, and pursue lifelong learning, and respect and serve culturally diverse populations and communities.

Program Details

Degree

The degree offered is a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Early Childhood Education.

Emphases

There are no emphases available for this program.

Required Credit Hours

The program requires 30 credit hours.

Program Type

This is a Master's program.

Program Location

The program is offered in two locations: Oxford and online.

School

The program is part of the School of Education.

Duration

The program typically takes 2 years to complete.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education program, students must meet the following requirements:

• An undergraduate degree with a 3.0 GPA on the last 60 hours of their coursework.
• A teaching license OR the results from a national standardized achievement/aptitude test predictive of the ability to complete a graduate program successfully.
  • These may include but aren't limited to: a passing score on the Praxis II Content Field or on the Praxis II PLT, or a competitive GRE score (all sections), or a valid teaching license.

There are two tracks for the Master of Education in Early Childhood Education:

• Track 1: Requires a valid teaching license for admission into the program, and program completion can lead to advanced licensure. Candidates admitted to Track 1 will complete field experience requirements, which will enable them to add early childhood education to their license as a content area.
• Track 2: Does not require a teaching license or field experience requirements. While program completion can lead to advanced licensure, candidates admitted to Track 2 will NOT be able to add early childhood education to their license as a content area.

Program Structure

The program is offered in two formats:

• Online M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education: Ranked in the Top 15% of online programs by U.S. News & World Report, this format provides flexibility for students to pursue a graduate degree. Online students have the same access to professors and academic resources as on-campus students, but classes are taken asynchronously.
• Residential M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education: This format takes place on the University of Mississippi's Oxford campus, allowing students to interact directly with professors and other members of their cohort. Residential classes offer a more structured environment with immediate, physical access to resources such as libraries and other academic resources.

Courses

Some of the key courses in the Early Childhood Education program include:

• Edec 600: Child Development: Prebirth to Age 8: An examination of development from prenatal to the early childhood years (to age 8), covering cognitive, physical, and social/emotional domains.
• Edec 604: Function & Theory of Play in ECE: Establishes a research base and theoretical framework for play in early childhood settings, reviewing research related to childrens play in the early years.
• Edec 606: Social Contexts in Early Childhood Ed: An examination of the diverse nature of the social context surrounding the child, designed to provide graduate students with a comprehensive understanding of how to build effective relationships and partnerships among home, school, and other social agencies.

Graduate Assistantship Opportunities

The School of Education offers Graduate Assistantship opportunities, which can provide a more immersive experience for students.

Program Leadership

The graduate program coordinator for the M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education is Professor Burhanettin Keskin, who serves as a guide for students navigating the program.