MS - Early Childhood Education

The quality standards of state-funded pre-kindergarten programs have increased substantially in recent years, with 28 states now requiring lead teachers to have specialized training. Capella's master's degree specialization in Early Childhood Education is recognized by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and is designed to prepare teachers to design, implement, and evaluate developmentally appropriate learning experiences for young children. And as part of Capella's Professional Education Unit, this specialization is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The curriculum includes course work in such topics as child psychology, classroom management, the early childhood learning environment, family engagement, and strategies for eliminating achievement gaps. Elective course work provides you the opportunity to broaden your knowledge of learning theories or focus on special education or supervisory skills. People likely to be inter¬ested in this specialization include licensed teachers who have a passion for education at the early stages of devel¬opment and want to pursue specialized preparation in that area, or who want to teach early childhood education in a higher education institution.