Master of Education in Early Childhood Education
Website: https://twu.edu/literacy-and-learning/graduate-programs/med-in-early-childhood-education/
The Master of Education in Early Childhood Education will prepare professionals to work with children and families in formal and informal settings, such as agencies, schools, and homes, as teachers, directors, advocates, and specialists. This program also provides professional development for teachers of young children.
The M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education may be completed up to 100% online.
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- Knowledgeably advocate for changes in educational practices based on current trends, issues, or research to improve the lives of young children and their families in communities and schools.
- Knowledgeably apply leadership skills to empower others, including young children, to practice collaboration, cooperation, critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication, orally and in writing.
- Effectively apply a variety of observation and assessment techniques to clearly communicate developmentally appropriate skills and abilities of young children to organizations, administrators, and families.
- Critically evaluate text to inform, argue, persuade, or motivate others using research, academic vocabulary, and content knowledge to reliably organize, develop, and elaborate on educational topics.
- Effectively integrate technology to engage young children while independently using technology tools for learning, to find resources for improving pedagogy, and communicating with families.
- Effectively identify appropriate professional and ethical interactions and behaviors while modeling acceptance of a variety of diverse lifestyles, cultures, ethnicity, family types, religion, and socioeconomic status over the course of their career.
- Accurately determine appropriate theoretical applications to pedagogical situations, tasks, and lessons in order to promote developmentally appropriate instruction for young children.
Admissions
All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.
The academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.
Degree Requirements
Total Semester Credit Hours Required
Thesis Option: 30 semester credit hours (SCH).
Professional Option: 31 semester credit hours (SCH).
Thesis Option (30 SCH)
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| ECE 5213 | Curriculum Development in Early Childhood | 3 |
| HDFS 5223 | Child Growth and Development in Early Childhood | 3 |
| Research | ||
| HDFS 5193 | Statistics for Family Sciences | 3 |
| HDFS 5693 | Research Methods in Family Sciences | 3 |
| ECE 5983 | Thesis | 3 |
| ECE 5993 | Thesis | 3 |
| Content Specialization | ||
| ECE 5203 | Language and Literacy in Early Childhood | 3 |
| ECE 5263 | Observation and Assessment in Early Childhood | 3 |
| ECE 5283 | Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) in Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| ECE 5773 | School, Family, and Cultural Diversity: Community Connections | 3 |
| Total SCHs | 30 | |
Professional Option (31 SCH)
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| ECE 5213 | Curriculum Development in Early Childhood | 3 |
| HDFS 5223 | Child Growth and Development in Early Childhood | 3 |
| Research | ||
| ECE 5583 | Action Research in the Early Childhood Classroom | 3 |
| ECE 5263 | Observation and Assessment in Early Childhood | 3 |
| Content Specialization | ||
| ECE 5203 | Language and Literacy in Early Childhood | 3 |
| ECE 5283 | Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) in Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| ECE 5433 | Brain-Based Learning for the Young Child | 3 |
| HDFS 5593 | Play, Development, and the Young Learner | 3 |
| Professional Development | ||
| ECE 5413 | Leadership, Advocacy and Public Policy for Young Children | 3 |
| ECE 5773 | School, Family, and Cultural Diversity: Community Connections | 3 |
| Graduation Requirement | ||
| ECE 5931 | Portfolio | 1 |
| Total SCHs | 31 | |
Special Requirements
No grade below B is accepted towards any graduate degree in the Department of Literacy and Learning. If more than one grade below B is earned while enrolled in any Literacy and Learning graduate program, the student will be dismissed from the program.
Final Examination
In addition to the completion of a thesis or professional portfolio, students must complete a final examination consisting of an oral defense of this document. The student's advisory committee determines the outcome of the exam. The examination may be repeated if deemed appropriate by the student's advisory committee, with the approval of the department chair. The advisory committee should consist of three faculty members, all of whom must hold Graduate Faculty status, and at least two of whom must be Literacy and Learning faculty from the Early Childhood Development and Education component.
