Early Childhood Education Program

The Early Childhood Education (ECE) program leads to a master’s degree in early childhood education and/or Colorado teacher license in early childhood special education (ECSE) specialist. The program prepares leaders who will enrich the life experience of young children (ages birth to 8 years) and their families through a variety of professional roles.

The ECE program focuses on building and supporting learning and development of all children across inclusive settings in the natural environments where they live, grow and learn. The program draws on university resources and the clinical expertise of various professionals and early childhood partners in the community. Field experiences are a part of each course and provide an opportunity for each student to gain knowledge, abilities and dispositions while interacting with children, families, program staff and community agencies. Fieldwork experiences are designed for students to apply knowledge and practice skills in a closely supervised learning environment.

Curriculum and Program Requirements

Semester Hour Requirements 

Personalized Professional Master’s degree in ECE: 30 semester hours
Concentration areas in Teaching and Learning, Administration and Leadership, and Diversity and Inclusion

The early childhood education program provides potential preparation in:

• language and literacy development,
• child growth and development,
• teaching and learning approaches with young children,
• learning, development and education grounded in culture, context, and identity of young children,
• research methods for education,
• early childhood curriculum and program development for inclusive classrooms,
• collaborative program development and supports for children with families and communities at the center,
• leadership of programs and early childhood professionals for practice, advocacy and social change,
• screening and assessment of young children,
• inclusive intervention strategies with infants, preschoolers, and primary aged children,
• social emotional competence and classroom support including for children with severe and persistent challenging behavior,
• working as a participatory member of a transdisciplinary team,
• learning and development for a variety of learning styles and abilities,
• inclusive services for children diagnosed with low incidence disabilities including autism, developmental delay and chronic illness

Specific course selection for the Personalized Professional Masters degree allows candidates to work closely with faculty advisors to select content that is most relevant for them and their desired professional path, including courses outside the ECE program area.

For more information on coursework and plans of study, please contact an academic advisor in the School of Education and Human Development.

Capstone Requirement

The intent of the Capstone is to help candidates synthesize learning through a final project that speaks to academic and professional development in the ECE Program. The capstone should tell the story of what was learned, specific areas of interest, and address ongoing barriers experienced in the field. All ECE MA completers must do a Capstone project, and register for 3 credits of Capstone.