Program Description

The Area of Emphasis in Early Childhood Education is completed as part of the M.A. in Education.  This Area of Emphasis is designed for two distinct audiences: 1. licensed pre-k teachers who want to deepen their expertise in the field of early childhood education, and 2. licensed elementary teachers seeking to add an endorsement in Early Childhood Education.

The goal of this area of emphasis is to strengthen knowledge of early childhood pedagogy, research-based approaches and methods, and best practices for providing a holistic and integrated approach to support the education of young children.

Based on the audience, individuals who complete the Area of Emphasis in Early Childhood Education and the requirements of the M.A. in Education leads to one of two ends: 1. Non-licensure track: An M.A. in Education with an Emphasis in Early Childhood Education for those who already have licensure in PreK/K; or 2. New endorsement track: The addition of PreK-K to an existing, current, regular, elementary education teaching license.*

*Teacher Licensure

A teacher with a valid West Virginia professional license who wants to add another teaching endorsement may do so by completing the course requirements, a performance assessment at the appropriate grade level, and, where specified, acceptable scores on the appropriate Praxis II test. Applicants from other states should verify eligibility for added endorsements through their state’s Department of Education.

Course Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Early Childhood Education Area of Emphasis (all enrollees)
CI 605	Trauma Res. Child Guid. in ECE	3
CI 631	Early Child. Approach & Method	3
CI 632	Early Childhood Programs	3
CI 633	Adult Involve in Early Ed	3
CI 634	Lang/Cog Early Childhood	3
EDF 513	Human Growth Dev Birth-8 Yr	3
Additional class required for those who have an existing, valid elementary license who want to add a Pre-K/K endorsement:
CI 630	Practicum Early Childhood Ed	3
Total Credit Hours		18-21

Plan of Study

Master's in Education with Area of Emphasis in Childhood Education 

Plan of Study Grid

Fall		Credit Hours
CI 605	Trauma Res. Child Guid. in ECE	3
EDF 513	Human Growth Dev Birth-8 Yr	3
Practicum:		0-1
CI 630	Practicum Early Childhood Ed 1
	Credit Hours	6-7
Spring
CI 631	Early Child. Approach & Method	3
CI 634	Lang/Cog Early Childhood	3
Practicum:		0-1
CI 630	Practicum Early Childhood Ed 1
	Credit Hours	6-7
Summer
CI 632	Early Childhood Programs	3
CI 633	Adult Involve in Early Ed	3
Practicum:		0-1
CI 630	Practicum Early Childhood Ed 1
	Credit Hours	6-7
	Total Credit Hours	18-21

¹

CI 630 is only required for those with an existing elementary education license who want to add a Pre-K/K endorsement. Students can complete 1 credit hour per semester (as shown above) or take as a 3 hour course in one semester.

Total Credit Hours for students who take CI 630 is 21.