Academic Programs - Early Childhood Education
INITIAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS
The Early Childhood Education programs at the University of Georgia are nationally recognized for their rigorous, clinically-based approach to initial certification. The programs have been designed and are taught by an outstanding faculty, who are both strong teachers and nationally noted scholars. Both initial preparation programs emphasize the importance of diversity and provide pre-service teachers with a strong foundation for meeting the needs of all children in classrooms and other educational settings.
There are two opportunities available for students who are seeking initial certification from the state of Georgia to teach children from prekindergarten to grade 5: the undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.) and the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in early childhood education.
PROFESSIONAL DEGREE PROGRAMS
Certified teachers may enhance their preparation as teachers or develop expertise as teacher educators in master’s, specialist, and doctoral programs in early childhood education.
Advanced graduate students typically choose either the Education Specialist (Ed.S.) or the doctoral (Ph.D.) program for their terminal degree work, though students with a specialist degree sometimes go on to complete a doctorate.
Master’s of Education (M.Ed.)
The master’s-level advanced preparation program (M.Ed.) is intended to extend and blend the theoretical and practical understanding of students who already hold initial certification. Graduate students are expected to become more familiar with research and are provided opportunities to develop their skills as action researchers. Students also have opportunities to include courses for teaching endorsements, such as ESOL, gifted, and reading endorsements, into their programs of study.
Specialist of Education (Ed.S.)
The specialist program is selected by individuals who focus their careers primarily on teaching and curriculum leadership at the pre-collegiate level. Conversely, the doctoral program is more frequently chosen by those who aspire to teach and conduct research at the college or university level. Classroom teachers may, however, select the doctoral program with the intention of staying in or returning to the classroom after completing the degree. The greater the interest in becoming a researcher, the more likely that the choice should be the doctoral program.
Doctorate of Education (Ph.D.)
In the doctoral program, students are expected to develop research and teaching skills, engage in intensive study of educational issues, and conduct and disseminate original educational research. Unlike master’s or specialist’s programs, which can typically be completed in a year of full-time or two years of part-time study, the doctoral program requires more than three years of intensive study and research. The program of study is not simply a list of courses to be completed but a comprehensive set of experiences that the student designs with the support of the major professor and advisory committee, and the dissertation is expected to be a unique contribution to the scholarly literature. A number of doctoral students also work as graduate assistants, which gives them opportunities to develop their skills as teachers of undergraduates and to sharpen their research skills. In addition to becoming college or university faculty, graduates of the program sometimes take leadership positions in school districts, government agencies, or other educational organizations.
