M.Ed. Concentration in Early Childhood Education

College of Education - Department of Education

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) with a concentration in Early Childhood Education is a Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education approved program for advancing the Early Childhood: Teacher of Students With and Without Disabilities (PreK-2) Initial License to the Professional level. The program also provides advanced studies appropriate for teachers who hold Early Education and Care (EEC)-formerly Office of Child Care Service (OCCS) - certification as Lead Teacher, Director I and Director II.

Program Requirements

The program requires successful completion of ten (10) courses, which include three (3) core courses, three (3) required courses, and four (4) elective courses. A professional portfolio is completed as part of the degree program. An oral comprehensive examination is required of all students as the culminating experience.

Program Prerequisite: Upper level undergraduate or graduate level/literacy course within the past 5 years or LTRC 907 Literacy Instruction.

 

Education Core Courses (3)

  • EDUC 991 Philosophy of Education and Teaching Practice
  • EDUC 998 Language Developments and Communication
  • EDUC 999 Research and Evaluation (recommended after completion of three Content/Concentration courses)

Concentration Courses (3)

  • CPSY 964 Advanced Principles of Learning and Development
  • LTRC 901 Integrating the Language Arts
  • SPED 962 Developmental Patterns of Children with Moderate Disabilities

Elective Courses (4)

Students select four (4) elective courses to complete their program of study. To satisfy the elective requirements, students must meet the requirements listed in Group A and Group B.

Group A: Select two (2) elective courses from the following:

  • ECED 911 Play and Observation
  • ECED 912 Advanced Early Childhood Curriculum
  • SPED 956 Curriculum Development and Modification
  • SPED 963 Behavior and Classroom Management

Group B: Select two (2) elective courses from the following:

  • One additional course from Group A (above).
  • ENGL 930 Workshop in Children's Literature.
  • One or two graduate-level courses in mathematics, English, literacy, history, economics, geography, biology, chemistry, physics and earth sciences, and/or art. Consultation with the advisory is strongly recommended when selecting content area courses from this list.
  • One or two graduate-level courses in other areas appropriate to the student’s professional goals (e.g., special education, English as a Second Language (ESL), business, and supervision). Written advisor approval is required for courses selected for this option.

Admission Requirements

The applicant must:

  • Complete the online graduate admission application
  • Submit the $50.00 application fee
  • Have earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
  • Hold a Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education license in Early Childhood Education at the Initial level (or above) or hold Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (formerly OCCS) certification as Lead Teacher, Director I and/or Director II and have one year’s teaching experience in early childhood education.
  • Have a minimum undergraduate quality point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.
  • Provide two letters of recommendation submitted on the Framingham State University Letter of Recommendation form and sent directly to the University’s Graduate Admissions office by the recommender. One letter must be from an employer or supervisor, and the other must be from a faculty member who has taught the candidate at collegiate level if the candidate attended classes in the last five years;
  • Submit a typed, 300-word personal statement discussing their motivation for seeking a master’s degree in view of prior formal education, current job responsibilities, and career plans.

 


Effective as of the 2023-2024 Graduate Catalog