Early Childhood and Special Education
Early Childhood Education
Program Coordinator: Dr. Kathleen Atkins
Phone: (501) 450-5429
Information for Prospective Students
For detailed information on the program, see the program description in the graduate bulletin.
Childhood Education
For information about Graduate School and the admission process see the Graduate School.
General Program Information
Early Childhood Education Faculty
Dr. Mark Cooper
Dr. Rene' Crow
Dr. Barbara Wilmes
Early Childhood Education
The purpose of the program is to prepare instructional leaders to plan, implement, and assess exemplary programs for young children in the public schools. The program offers advanced studies in the field. Candidates must meet all graduate degree admission requirements and hold a valid teaching license. The program is designed to meet the National Council for Acrreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) standards.
The Master's in Early Childhood Education is a 30 graduate credit hour program organized around 21 graduate core hours and nine graduate elective credit hours. Graduate faculty work closely with graduate candidates in designing an approved program of study which meets degree requirements as well as personal aspirations for advanced studies. The elective component of the program allows graduate candidates the opportunity to design their graduate program around individual professional goals.
The following 21 hours of core courses are required for all graduate candidates pursuing the MSE in Early Childhood Education. Please see your Academic Advisor for class rotation information.
Required Core Courses:
ECSE 6374 Curriculum Rationale ECE
ECSE 6386 Principles of Child Development and Learning in ECE
ECSE 6387 Practicum I in ECE
ECSE 6388 Seminar in ECE
ECSE 6336 Advanced Studies in the Guidance & Management for Young Children
ECSE 6338 Advanced Instructional & Assessment Strategies for Young Children
ASTL 6380 Research Methods
The following five individualized graduate options can be pursued by candidates interested in completing a Master's in Early Childhood Education. The option selected by the candidate should be approved by the advisor.
ELECTIVE PREPARED OPTION #1: Master's in Early Childhood Education
Candidates complete a MSE in ECE by completing the core courses and three of the following electives:
ECSE 6310 Early Literacy & Assessment
ECSE 6341 Language Arts
ECSE 6306 Family, School, & Community Partnerships
ECSE 6350 Collaborative Teaching & Inclusive Settings
ECSE 6382 Problems in ECE
MATH 5308 or MATH 5335
ELECTIVE PREPARED OPTION #2: Master's in Early Childhood Education with a Middle Level Endorsement
Candidates complete a MSE in ECE by completing the core courses and the following three courses (ADE Licensure exam required upon completion of coursework):
ECSE 6366 Educational Programming for Students with Mild Disabilities
ASTL 5302 Teaching in the Middle School (online course)
ASTL 6315 Investigating Learning & Development Through Multiple Contexts
ELECTIVE PREPARED OPTION #3: Master's in Early Childhood Education with an ESL Endorsement
Candidates complete a MSE in ECE by completing the core courses and the following four courses, including the undergraduate course in cultural perspectives:
WLAN 5315 Methods of Teaching Second Languages
WLAN 5330 Second Language Assessment
WLAN 5325 Second Language Acquisition
EDUC 3309 Cultural Perspectives: Family, School, and Community
ELECTIVE PREPARED OPTION #4: Master's in Early Childhood Education with an emphasis on Literacy Coaching
Candidates complete a MSE in ECE by completing the core courses and the following three courses:
ECSE 6345 Organizing & Coaching the Literacy Program
ECSE 6314 Diagnosis & Correction of Reading Difficulties
ECSE 6343 Reading Practicum - Early/Emergent Literacy
ELECTIVE PREPARED OPTION #5: Master's in Early Childhood Education with an emphasis on National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)
Candidates complete a MSE in ECE by completing the core courses, one elective from the ECE list found in option 1, and the following two courses:
TLT 6325 National Board Processes, Procedures, & Products
TLT 6330 Methods of Action Research & Collaboration
Guidelines for MSE in Early Childhood Education
In addition to the general application and GPA requirements of the UCA Graduate School, applicants must submit the following:
Valid teaching license
Two (2) letters of reference from practicing professionals who can speak to the candidate's knowledge, performance, and capability to complete a master's program
Appropriate scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Clinical Experience
Clinical experiences and practicum courses will be conducted at various times and locations including summer enrichment programs like the UCA Super Kids. These activities provide opportunities to implement developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood education programs.