Graduate Degrees in Early Childhood-Primary Education

The department offers several graduate degrees in Early Childhood-Primary Education. The Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction/Early Childhood is available to both teacher licensed and non-licensed professionals in the field through the various options specified below.

An initial licensure with a master's degree, Master of Arts in Teaching, is also available for those individuals who have bachelor's degrees in other disciplines and want to acquire an Illinois Teaching License.

Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction/Early Childhood

Master of Science in Education (MSEd) degree. There is a six-year time limit from the date of first enrollment in graduate coursework to graduation.

The Master of Science in Education Degree in Curriculum and Instruction  prepares students to work in a variety of professional positions (e.g., community college faculty level, program manager or director, education coordinator, child welfare worker, child advocate family specialist).

Option 1, the Master of Science in Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction, does not lead to teacher certification by entitlement or to certification by the State of Illinois through transcript evaluation.

Option 2, is restricted to candidates who hold a Illinois Type 04 or LBS1 Teaching Certificate.

Applicants whose undergraduate work has been completed in a discipline other than early childhood will be required to complete the following core knowledge/courses represented in Early Childhood: ECH 5000, 5001, 5020 and 5170. Courses must be completed within the first year after program admission.

Early Childhood Master of Science Degree in Curriculum and Instruction Total of 33 Credit Hours
Professional Education Courses
Discipline	Course Number	Cr Hrs	Course Title	Field Hours	Prerequisite
ECH	5850	3	Screen/ Assessment/ Evaluation/ Young Child	See Syllabus	ECH 5020
ECH	5250	3	Contemporary Influences in ECH	See Syllabus	Consent of the Department
ECH	5270	3	Cognitive Dev. Theory	None	Restricted to Master's Degree Candidates
ECH	5280	3	Multidisciplinary Approach in ECH	None	Restricted to Master's Degree Candidates
ECH	5320	3	Curriculum for Pre School Prim Child	None	Restricted to Master's Degree Candidates
ECH	5440	3	Development in Infancy	None	Restricted to Master's Degree Candidates
ED	5960	3	Foundations of Ed. Research	None	Taken after completion of 24 semester hours in a master's program & consent of the department
ECEE	5462	3	Field Practicum	216hrs. (Half a semester)	Restricted to Master's Degree Candidates
READ	5230	3	Best Practice in Emergent Literacy	None	Consent of the Department
ECEE	5466	3	Thesis	None	Taken after the completion of 24 credit hours in the program.
Elective	-	3	-	-	To be agreed upon with advisor

Master of Arts in Teaching

The College of Education offers a master’s degree program leading to initial teacher certification in Early Childhood-Primary Education. The program prepares students who have undergraduate degrees in fields other than education to become certified early childhood teachers for grades pre-school through third . The program provides change-of-career students the professional skills, knowledge, and dispositions necessary for successful teaching in urban schools. The curriculum is offered at the graduate level and qualifies program completers for an Illinois Teaching License with an Early Childhood Approval. The program requires field hours when school is in session,  in addition to 16 weeks of full-time student teaching or internship during the fall or spring semester.

The Master of Arts in Teaching has two options: one for Initial Licensure and one for subsequent endorsement in early childhood with a master's degree.

MAT in Early Childhood-Primary Education Initial Licensure and Early Childhood Endorsement
Required Professional Education Courses
Discipline	Course Number	Cr Hrs	Course Title	Field Hours	Prerequisite
ED	5312	3	Teaching w/ Technology	None	Consent of the Department
ECH	5850	3	Screen/Assessment/Evaluation/Yg Child	See Syllabus	ECH 5002
ECH	5001	3	Ht/Phil Early Child Ed	None	ED 1520 & Consent of the Department
ECH	5170	3	Nut, Health, Safety Young Child	None	Consent of the Department
ECH	5020	3	Young Child	15	Consent of the Department
S ED	5301	3	Char Ex Child	15	Consent of the Department
ECH	5320	3	Curriculum for Pre School/Primary	None	Restricted to Master's Degree Candidates
ECH	5270	3	Cognitive Dev Theory	None	Restricted to Master's Degree candidates
***********Course Below Require Full Admissions Into the COE***********
Discipline	Course Number	Cr Hrs	Course Title	Field Hours	Prerequisite
S ED	5303	2	Teaching  Students w/Exceptional Needs	15	S ED 5301 & Consent of the Department
ECH	5008	3	Creative Experience	15	ECH 5020 & Consent of the Department
ECH	5009	3	Speech/Lang Dev	None	ECH 5020 & Consent of the Department
ECH	5120	3	Reading/Language Arts	15	Consent of the Department
READ	5230	3	Best Practice in Emergent Literacy	None	Consent of the Department
ECH	5150	3	Child/Family/Com	None	ECH 5020 & Consent of the Department
ECH	5180	4	Pre-Prim Methods	20	ECH 5020 & Consent of the Department
ECH	5319	4	Primary Methods	20	ECH 5020 & Consent of the Department
ED	5960	3	Foundations Ed. Research	None	Taken after completion of 24 semester hours in a master's program & consent of the department
ED	5485	6	Student Teaching	Full Semester (432hrs)	Completion of all approved coursework, 3.0 grade GPA, passing score on the content area test