This program is more than just an advanced degree—it’s a way to immerse yourself in the latest industry trends and research, gain skills to bring back to your classroom, and develop a personal philosophy of teaching that incorporates innovation, creativity, and compassion. The courses offer you the chance to learn from experienced faculty who are leaders in their field, and also from your peers who have different backgrounds and experiences than you.
The Masters in Early Childhood Special Education is a 38-credit program that includes classes in educational psychology, behavior analysis, and assessment and intervention for young children with disabilities and special needs.
The program provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of early childhood special education. The program is designed for early childhood educators who are looking to advance their careers by focusing on early childhood special education (ECSE).
You will learn how to design and implement interventions that are developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive, as well as how to write effective Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). The program is designed to prepare students for certification in ECSE.
Early childhood special education is a field that prepares you to work with children from birth through age eight with disabilities. You will learn about assessment, instruction, and development of young exceptional learners with emphasis on individualized education plans (IEPs).
As an Early Childhood Special Educator, you help children develop the skills they need to succeed in school and in life. You’ll learn techniques for understanding child development and choosing the most appropriate methods of helping children who face challenges in their learning environments. You’ll learn how to help children overcome their challenges, while also fostering their strengths.
You’ll learn both general education strategies as well as strategies that are specific to each type of disability. We teach our students how to collaborate with other professionals and family members to create the best possible learning environment for every child. From there, we’ll teach you how to document your work, so you can share your findings with others who are working on similar challenges in their own classrooms.
This degree will prepare you for a career helping young children in public schools or other educational settings. It can also be helpful for people who want an advanced education degree but don’t want to become certified teachers.
The learning is research-based and practical, so that you can apply it to your own teaching practice. You will have the opportunity to work in local classrooms and schools as part of your coursework. In addition, our program offers three emphasis areas: teacher leader; infant/toddler special education; and applied behavior analysis.
In this program, you will gain an understanding of how to assess young children with special learning needs, how to create and implement IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) and assistive technologies, and how to collaborate with other professionals on a child’s education team.
You will be able to complete your degree in as few as five semesters. You’ll be assigned a faculty mentor who will provide individualized support throughout your program so that you are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the unique challenges of educating special needs learners in early childhood education settings.