• Applying to ETAP
  • Admissions Criteria
  • How to Apply
  • Application Deadlines
• Programs of Study
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Elementary Education
  • Middle Grades Education
  • Social Studies Education
  • Teacher Education
• About the Program
  • Overview
  • The Doctoral Chair and Committee
  • Residency
  • Academic Progress
  • Comprehensive Exams
  • Dissertation
• Doctoral Student Support
  • Departmental Assistantships
  • Financial Aid

Early Childhood Education

The PhD program in Early Childhood Education is now housed as an emphasis area within the Doctoral Program in Educational Theory and Practice (ETAP).  For students admitted before 2013 who have not changed to ETAP, see  “Ph.D. for Non-ETAP Students” for admissions, program of study and other program-related information.

This Ph.D. emphasis area focuses on the study of young children; the adults who educate and care for them; the educational and care settings that serve them; and curriculum, pedagogy, and policy issues in early childhood education.  Our faculty areas of interest and expertise as well as our course offerings emphasize issues of diversity in ability, culture, language, and social class manifested in children, practitioners, families, and early care and education settings; immigration and multiculturalism; socio-cultural, political, and historical contexts; and international/comparative studies of early schooling.

This emphasis area addresses the needs and challenges of early childhood education and care locally, nationally, and globally by drawing on diverse theories and research traditions.  Graduates of this program are prepared for careers as Early Childhood Education researchers, teacher educators, leaders and policy-makers.

Required Courses (10 credits)

• EDEC 9XXX: History of Early Childhood Education (3-credit)
• EDEC 9XXX: Theory in Early Childhood Education (3-credit)
• EDEC 8990: Research Seminar in Early Childhood Education (3-credit)
• EDEC 9140: Teaching Internship (1 credit)

Elective Courses (12 credits)

These courses will be selected from offerings either inside or outside the Department of Educational Theory and Practice. Examples of these elective courses include but are not limited to courses on anthropology, arts education, counseling, family studies, health and physical education, history, philosophy, psychology, sociology, special education, and subject area courses (e.g., language and literacy, mathematics education, and science education) related to early childhood education.

Core faculty: Joseph Tobin, Martha Allexsaht-Snider, Janna Dresden, Stephanie Jones, Kyunghwa Lee, Amy Parks