Program Overview

Why Our Online Early Childhood Education Degree Stands Out

The Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education is an asynchronous, fully online program for those interested in pursuing or furthering their careers as early childhood professionals. Examples include teachers in inclusive early childhood settings and classrooms, early childhood special educators, Early Intervention Specialists (birth-age 3) administrators, child care program directors, entrepreneurs, or other positions related to educating and advocating for children ages birth through eight years.

Our program features a convenient course schedule with multiple start dates each year. Each semester offers two 7.5-week terms within this accelerated schedule, providing greater scheduling flexibility. In consultation with an advisor and based on the student’s educational background, experiences, and professional goals, students create a Program of Study that will include the requirements to prepare them to meet their professional goals.

Aligned with NAEYC Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators working with children birth through age eight (2020) and MDE’s Birth-Kindergarten General and Special Education Teacher Preparation Standards (2020), this program also facilitates several pathways to meet the State of Michigan’s teacher certification requirements.

Certification and Endorsement Information

This program facilitates the following pathways to meet the State of Michigan’s teacher certification requirements.

• Earn an initial Birth-Kindergarten General Education (ZN) teaching certificate
• Add the ZN endorsement to an existing teaching elementary education teaching certificate (i.e., PK-3)
• Add the ZN endorsement to an existing teaching special education certificate
• Convert a ZA endorsement to a ZS or ZN endorsement
• Non-certification pathway: You may also choose to earn M.A. in Early Childhood Education without certification.

Graduates of the Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education online program will be able to:

• Explore educational leadership roles, staff development, supervision and advocacy in early childhood programs
• Create supportive, educational partnerships with students’ families and schools as a whole, and engage with the community
• Establish developmentally appropriate learning environments for children from birth through eight years, including those with special needs and from diverse cultures
• Prepare to teach children with exceptional needs in early childhood or to teach in early childhood special education classrooms
• Research different concepts and ethical issues in early childhood education using data-gathering methods, narrative inquiry and interpretive analysis

Also available:

Eastern Michigan University offers a variety of graduate education programs and a post-master’s certificate online. Check out our other online education programs.

Tuition and Fees

Discover the Value of Our Low-Cost Tuition

At Eastern Michigan University, we believe in making quality education accessible and affordable. That’s why all students enrolled in our fully online programs pay in-state tuition rates—no matter where they reside! Whether you’re across the country or around the world, you can pursue your degree at a competitive cost. To explore financial aid options, visit our Financial Aid Office. For information on tuition payments, billing, and other student account services, check out the Student Business Services page.

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  If you would like to be considered for financial aid at Eastern Michigan University, you will need to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

  The Federal School Code for Eastern Michigan University is 002259.

Admissions

Requirements for the M.A. in Early Childhood Education Program

We've streamlined the admission process for the M.A. in Early Childhood Education online program. Be sure to review all admission requirements, noting any additional materials you should send and where you need to send them.

Admission Requirements:

For full admission, applicants must have 1) Earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution, 2) a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate program. Conditional admission may be available to applicants not meeting minimum admission requirements.

View all admission requirements:

• Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education Online Admission Requirements Expand dropdown
  • Complete an application online and pay application fee
  • A Bachelor's degree in Education or a closely related program that includes core content related to working directly with children and families (i.e., Child Development, Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Speech and Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy).
    • If you do not meet the above degree requirements, to better understand your situation and determine whether this requirement can be waived please submit a personal statement under the Documents tab as an Optional Document in GradCAS explaining:
      • your work/teaching experiences working with young children
      • your professional goals in early childhood education
  • Official transcript(s) sent from the registrar of the college/university attended
    • Note: Effective July 1, 2022, the Graduate School will require only the official transcript from the degree-granting institution for admission consideration. Additional transcripts may be required by the program. Please note: International students are required to submit all transcripts along with a third-party transcript evaluation for admissions consideration.
  • For those who have a Teaching Certificate, please submit this document under the Documents tab as an Optional Document in GradCAS.

  Have a question? Reach us at [email protected] or 734.487.8892

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