Program Overview

Early Childhood Education Program

The Early Childhood Education (ECE) program area focuses on the social, cultural, racial, academic, and political intersections of young children entering grades preschool – 3rd grade. Our area features nationally and internationally recognized scholars working on early childhood policy, pedagogy, teacher development, curriculum, and advocacy. Students can choose between an M.Ed., M.A., or Ph.D. concentration in Early Child Education.

Program Overview

We provide a comprehensive approach to mentoring graduate students through teaching and research so that they can successfully pursue careers addressing the local and global issues facing young children and their communities. Our students are committed to improving early childhood education and addressing inequalities for an increasingly diverse group of young children. Our graduates demonstrate the importance of creating dynamic, engaging, high-quality, and culturally relevant and sustaining early childhood learning environments for all children and the communities in which they live.

Faculty

• Jennifer K Adair: Professor
  • Areas of expertise include early childhood education, racial justice and equity in early learning, educational anthropology, video-cued ethnography, immigration and education, impact of social injustices on childhoods, project-based learning led by children.
• Nathaniel Bryan: Associate Professor
  • Interests include early childhood education policy and practice, gender issues in early childhood education, conceptions of children, urban literacy education, diversity, equity, and social justice in early childhood, and qualitative research.
• Nneka Ibekwe-Okafor: Assistant Professor, African and African Diaspora Studies Department, College of Liberal Arts
  • Accepting new students
• Carolina Snaider: Assistant Professor
  • Dr. Snaider is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Her research lies at the intersection of educational policy and early childhood practice. She conducts comparative case studies to examine how teachers strive to create equitable learning environments.

Degrees

• Master of Arts
• Master of Education
• Doctor of Philosophy

Alumni

• Alejandra Barraza: Network Principal, Carroll and Tynan Early Childhood Center, Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, 2017
• Tenzin Dekyi: Pre-primary Education Coordinator, Department of Education of the Central Tibetan Administration in India, M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, 2018
• Kiyomi Sánchez-Suzuki Colegrove: Assistant Professor of Bilingual Bicultural Education, Texas State University, Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, 2015
• Nailah Jones: ESL/Kinder Teacher, Govalle Elementary School, Austin, Texas, M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, 2012

Program Team

• Program Coordinator: Nathaniel Bryan
• Program Advisor: Jennifer K. Adair
• Graduate Admissions Coordinator: Stephen Flynn

Additional Resources

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Current Student Resources