Concentration I: Early Childhood Administration
This program requires a minimum of 33 credit hours including a thesis and a final internship. Candidates must complete the following required courses to earn the Master of Science in Early Childhood Education.
Core Courses
12 Credit hours of core courses
Specialty Area Courses
18 Credit hours in the specialty area concentration
Supportive Electives
3 Credit hours of supportive electives (selected from the following courses)
Concentration II: Birth -Kindergarten Education
The program requires a minimum of 36 credit hours. Candidates who need an initial teaching license will do 16 weeks of student teaching. Candidates must complete the following required courses to earn the Master of Science in Early Childhood Education and obtain a state license.
Core Courses
9 Credit hours of core courses
Specialty Area Courses
15 Credit hours in the specialty area concentration
Supportive Electives
3-12 Credit hours of supportive electives
Clinical Practice
12 Clinical Practice hours for Initial License (as needed)
Note:
Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 to be in satisfactory academic standing.
Pre-requisites
ECI 600: Introduction to Advanced Studies in Education is a pre-requisites to all other courses in the master’s program in Early Childhood Education and should be taken at the beginning of the graduate coursework as determined by the Graduate Committee. Plans of Study will be developed for students who need pre-requisite coursework on an individual basis and may include additional undergraduate courses to support graduate studies.
Thesis
Each candidate for the Concentration I: Early Childhood Administration must submit an acceptable thesis Credit equal to that of two full course (six semester hours) will be granted when a thesis is accepted and successfully defended. It is expected that candidates will register for ECI 700 : Thesis course only during the semester in which the thesis will be defended. However, a student may enroll in an additional three hour course, if necessary, to complete the thesis.
The Thesis Committee Chair must approve thesis proposals. The completed thesis is defended orally before the candidate’s thesis committee and an external person.
The preparation of the thesis is a research experience. It should show the capacity of the student, under guidance, to accomplish independent investigation, and it must demonstrate mastery of the technique of research. It is not expected or required that the thesis shall, in every case, be an original contribution to knowledge. The student, in the preparation of the thesis, is concerned with the materials of knowledge and the evidential basis on which the knowledge rests. The thesis proposal will be prepared in ECI 692 .
The original and three copies of the thesis must be inspected in the Education Office for compliance with the requirements of form and style. The documents must then be deposited in the Department of Education and Child Development not later than the date specified in the academic calendar. All requirements, including the oral examination and the thesis, must be completed by the dates listed in the academic calendar for a student to receive his/her degree during the desired semester.
Internship
Each candidate for the Concentration I: Early Childhood Administration completes a semester-long internship. Internships will require a total of 50 hours of supervised experience working within organizations or agencies that serve young children and families. The internship must be consistent with the theoretical content apparent in the student’s course of study and be designed in consultation with the student’s University Internship Advisor. Candidates for the Concentration II: Birth-Kindergarten Education may choose to do an internship as a supportive elective.
Students will have designed their internship experience in ECI 678 Twenty-first Century Leadership in Early Childhood Education and implement it in the 6-hour credit course ECI 702 Internship in Early Childhood , upon approval by the student’s advisor. The internship should be related to the student’s particular area of interest and address how goals and learning outcomes of the internship are compatible with the learning objectives of the program. Upon completion of the internship experience in the student’s final semester, the student will present to the Graduate Committee. All requirements for the internship must be met in order for the student to receive his/her degree.
Research Using Human Subjects
Shaw University has established an Institutional Review Board (IRB). The function of the IRB is to review projects and activities that involve human subjects. The IRB determines if subjects will be placed at risk for each activity planned and conducted. Shaw University has a policy for research using human subjects.
Suggested Sequence of Courses for Full-Time Study
*The program requires the equivalent of three or four semesters and one summer session of full-time study. However, it is expected that many students will be practicing teachers and will attend at least part-time.
Sequence of Courses for Full-Time Study in the Master’s in Early Childhood Education Program
Concentration I: Early Childhood Administration
Total Hours: 33
(NOT including electives)
Pre-Requisites:
Plans of Study will be developed on an individualized basis for students who need pre-requisite coursework.
Sequence of Courses for Full-Time Study in the Master’s in Early Childhood Education B-K Program
Concentration II: Birth - Kindergarten Education
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