MASTER OF EDUCATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Purpose

The Master of Early Childhood Education program prepares professionals who are reflective about their practice and who critically analyze what constitutes effective teaching and valuable learning. They expand their instructional repertoires and master an expanding body of pedagogical knowledge while becoming deeply cognizant of the ethical and societal dimensions of early childhood education. The program emphasizes instruction, curriculum development, and assessment within an interdisciplinary approach.

Specialty Accreditation

NSU’s educator preparation programs at the baccalaureate and master’s levels are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), www.caepnet.org, (1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20036-1023, 202-223-0077), and/or the Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (840 Research Parkway, Suite 455, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, 405-522-5399), www.ok.gov/oeqa

Credential Requirements

Courses included in the Master of Education in Early Childhood do not represent all courses needed for an Early Childhood teaching certificate for the State of Oklahoma.  Candidates seeking certification should contact NSU’s Teacher Certification office for individual advisement on courses needed based on previous college credits.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Identify children’s characteristics and needs.
2. Identify multiple interacting influences on children’s development and learning.
3. Use content knowledge to design and implement meaningful and challenging curriculum that promotes development and learning for each child.
4. Use content knowledge to design and implement meaningful and challenging curriculum that promotes development and learning for each child.
5. Use developmentally appropriate assessment strategies in ways that promote positive outcomes for each child.
6. Conduct themselves as members of the early childhood profession.
7. Use ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to early childhood practice.
8. Implement strategies that foster dispositions leading to life-long learning.

Teacher Education Admission and Certification Policies

In addition to courses in the discipline, all students completing a baccalaureate degree that leads to teacher certification must meet the following requirements for certification.

• Be accepted for admission to teacher education, pre-II internship, and full internship according to published course sequence and guidelines.
• Demonstrate proficiency at the high novice level in a language other than English.
• Complete all courses in the major and Professional Education Core with a grade of “C” or higher.
• Students entering NSU beginning Fall 2013 must have an overall GPA of 2.75 for admission to teacher education.
• Once admitted to the teacher education program, all majors must continue to maintain a GPA of 2.5 (overall and in their major field of study) through completion.
• 4 X 12 requirement - Early Childhood, Elementary Education, and Special Education programs require completion of 12 semester hours with a grade of “C” or better in the following disciplines: Communication Arts (English, Communication, Literature), Math, Science, and Social Science (Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology) prior to graduation.
• All Professional Education majors must complete PSYC 1003 or PSYC 1113.  Advisors recommend those courses be completed as part of the General Education course sequence.