Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education
Working with young children can be extremely fulfilling, since children in the early stages of life are easily fascinated by nearly everything they learn. Whether you currently have a Bachelor’s degree that allows you to work with other age groups or an unrelated Bachelor’s degree, a Master’s program in early childhood education may give you the skills you need to work with this age group. You can contact schools that offer a Master’s in Early Childhood Education directly from our site to get program details today.
Admissions requirements for Master’s certification programs depend on which school you plan on attending. You do need a Bachelor’s degree; some schools accept students with unrelated degrees, while others only accept those with prior experience in education. You should have a fairly strong history of academic performance, as these programs often require a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
The curriculum for your Master’s of Science in Early Childhood Education may contain roughly 30 credits. Since it is designed for working teachers or professionals, you may be able to attend classes on a part-time or full-time basis. Upon graduating, you may have the knowledge and extensive theory comprehension needed to work in a leadership position in early childhood education.
Required Classes for a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education
As you earn your advanced childhood education degree, you may take courses in many different areas. Required classes often include Social Foundations of Education, Philosophical Foundations of Education, and Educational Tests & Measurements. Courses that focus specifically on young children include Play in Development and Early Childhood Education, Foundations of Reading Instruction, and Language Development & Cognition in Children.
Dedicating yourself to the field of early childhood education may put you in a position to apply for several types of financial aid. There are quite a few scholarships for early childhood educators, including scholarships provided by the American Montessori Society. If you work for in public education after graduation, loan forgiveness programs may be open to you. The U.S. Department of Education offers a Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which forgives loans after you have made 120 on-time payments.
Achieving a high level of education with your Master’s degree may put you in the running for numerous early childhood education positions. You may decide to become a kindergarten teacher and enjoy a potential job growth rate of 13% through 2022 (O*Net, 2012). Kindergarten teachers report an average salary of $50,230 per year (O*Net, 2013). You may go on to become an educational administrator at the early childhood level. Jobs in this specialty are expected to grow by 27% through 2022 (O*Net, 2012). The average salary reported for early childhood educational administrators is $44,890 per year (O*Net, 2013).
Getting an advanced degree in this field doesn’t just benefit you. In fact, it may have a ripple effect on the field of education as a whole. Your understanding of educational theory and techniques may provide children with better care and encourage other educators to keep learning.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your early childhood education career, use our school listings below to contact Master’s certification programs near you.
