The Masters of Arts Program in Early Childhood Education will be accepting applications for Fall 2023! We are excited to welcome a new cohort to our newly revised program.
In the Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education M.A. Program (leading to dual initial certification) combined with a bilingual extension at Teachers College, Columbia University, we prepare early education professionals who are committed to the well-being of young multilingual children with and without disabilities, their families and communities. Graduates are knowledgeable about bilingual education, and bilingual special education, and bilingual early intervention (Birth-Grade 2).
This degree program focuses on urban settings and centers issues pertaining to multilingualism and multiculturalism in curriculum, teaching, and learning, espousing critical social justice and inclusive perspectives. Our students (who must be bilingual and biliterate in Chinese, French, Korean, or Spanish to be admitted) are prepared to engage in the real world issues pertaining to the education of young multilingual learners with and without identified disabilities. Our degree programs focus on urban settings and center issues pertaining to curriculum, social justice, teaching, and learning across languages and abilities, skillfully addressing important issues pertaining to inclusive education via pedagogical, political, psychological, and sociological perspectives.
Through a curriculum that integrates early childhood education, special education, and bilingual education content, the Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education programs at TC prepare initial certification students to become outstanding early childhood teachers, early interventionists, early childhood special education professionals, decision makers, and leaders in multilingual settings. Honoring the contextualized and situated nature of teaching and learning, the M.A. program emphasizes collaboration with families and other professionals and considers policies affecting young multilingual children with and without identified disabilities and their families.
Prioritizing theory in practice, students in the Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education programs (dual certification + bilingual extension) at TC participate in several field experiences, which serve as the foundation from which to theorize about child development, learning, and inclusive curriculum across settings. By bringing together coursework and fieldwork, graduates are well-prepared to begin and continue to develop their professional identity and practice in research-informed ways.
Displaying requirements for the Spring 2024, Summer 2024, and Fall 2024 terms.
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Displaying catalog information for the Fall 2023, Spring 2024 and Summer 2024 terms.
Course requirements for M.A. degree students seeking initial dual certification as both early childhood teachers and teachers of students with disabilities in early childhood (birth–Grade 2) plus bilingual….
Practicum
C&T 4302 Supervised practicum in the educational assessment of young children with disabilities (3)
C&T 4308 Introduction to diverse early childhood classrooms (3)
C&T 4708 Student teaching in early childhood setting (4)
C&T 5118 Infant and toddler development and practice (3)
Foundations and Methods Courses
C&T 4003 Differentiation and inclusion in early childhood classrooms (3)
C&T 4080 Child development and intersectional identities (3)
C&T 4083 Home/school/community partnerships (3)
C&T 4112 Integrated curriculum in early childhood education: curricular inquiry and design (3)
C&T 4114 Integrated curriculum in early childhood education: diversity, equity, and technologies (3)
C&T 4131 Play, language, and early childhood curriculum (3)
C&T 4132 Language and teaching in the primary reading/writing classroom (3) or selected alternative
A&HB 4021 Foundations of Bilingual/Bicultural Education (3)
A&HM 4022 The artistic Lives of young children (2) or selected alternative
Out of Department Elective (6)
Elective (3)
Elective in special education (3)
Culminating Project:
Students complete an integrative portfolio over the course of the degree program reflecting their growth as an early childhood teacher.
New York State Education Department (NYSED) mandates teacher certification requirements that are needed for program completion and graduation which are listed in the Office of Teacher Education section of the catalog.