MEd in Early Childhood Education

About the Program

Our program focuses on using an integrated model to prepare students to work with families, provide inclusive services for children, and collaborate with other industry professionals. Teachers will have the skills to work in public and private schools, childcare centers, and community-based programs with children between birth and age 8.

Our master’s program offers a number of benefits:

• Cross-disciplinary electives promote well-rounded teacher preparation and knowledge of early childhood development
• Convenient, affordable evening classes offered in person and online
• Rigorous professional preparation includes theory, fieldwork, student teaching, and internships at community partner schools
• Learning focuses on the complete early childhood span from infants through age 8
• Coursework Integrates understanding of typical and atypical child development to prepare students to teach children across the learning spectrum
• Degree leads to diverse careers in early childhood or certification as a Connecticut teacher with a focus in birth to kindergarten or pre-k to grade 3

Paths to a Degree

We offer three paths to the master's degree:

1. Certification: An initial certification program for the individual who holds a bachelor’s degree and wishes to prepare for entry into the teaching profession as a certified early childhood teacher. Students select an endorsement area of birth through kindergarten or pre-k through grade 3. Certification is integrated birth through kindergarten. Student teaching is required for certification, which will involve a full-day commitment near the end of the program.
2. Non-certification: A non-initial certification option for someone who is already a certified teacher, or who may desire to teach or is already teaching in the private sector or community programs. While you may not need or desire state certification as an early childhood teacher, you may benefit from the curriculum content and graduate-level electives to further your professional career. This option also includes an 18-credit Cross-Endorsement program for individuals holding an initial teaching license who wish to obtain a cross-endorsement in early childhood education.
3. A Montessori concentration that combines Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) teacher training with a graduate degree. The program is a partnership between the University of Hartford and the Montessori Training Center Northeast (MTCNE). This program is for students who are currently enrolled in or have completed an AMI teacher training program within the past five years. Learn more here.

Curriculum

Central to early childhood education is knowing the individual child in the context of family, school, and community. This knowledge of the child coupled with a developmental focus leads teachers to responsive, differentiated instruction. The ability to work with students with special needs is fully integrated into the curriculum. The goal of this program is to develop early childhood teachers as reflective practitioners who integrate understanding of their content areas, their students, current research, and theories of pedagogy.

An individualized curriculum includes:

• Learning and developmental theories
• Knowledge of curriculum and effective teaching strategies
• Learning about cultural and diverse needs of students
• Integration of technology
• Application of skills in assessment and implementation
• Evaluation of effective educational programs

The following is a sample of courses available through the program.  For the complete curriculum and course descriptions, see the links below.

Admission

The following application materials must be filed for applicants seeking the master's degree in education with an early childhood education emphasis:

• official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions;
• two letters of reference from professional or academic sources;
• completed University of Hartford application for graduate study and application fee;
• a letter of intent specifying the reasons for seeking admission;
• a résumé outlining related education and professional experience; and
• Taking the Praxis Core (formerly Praxis I) academic skills assessment or the SAT (administered after 2005) is required for prospective teachers by the Connecticut State Department of Education. Please submit test results as part of a complete application.

For those pursuing the Montessori concentration, evidence of enrollment in or graduation from the Montessori Training Center Northeast.

Click here to learn additional requirements for international applicants.

Deadlines and Dates

Admission into the MEd with an early childhood education concentration can occur for the fall, spring, or summer semesters.

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Additional Information

Accreditation

Accreditation and State of Connecticut Certification

Certification programs in the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions are accredited based on the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) through the CAEP Accreditation System (CAEP), as well as the State of Connecticut Department of Education. The Educational Testing Service's Praxis II exam is utilized for certification of teachers in Connecticut. See Pass rate.

Professional Licensing Disclosure

Visit Out-of-State Educators to see the Connecticut State Department of Education reciprocity agreement. The NASDTEC website details the interstate reciprocity agreement across states.