Early Childhood Education: Special Education MA Dual

In the Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Education/Teaching Students with Disabilities (Dual Certification) programs at Teachers College, Columbia University, we prepare early education professionals who are committed to the well-being of young children with and without disability labels and who are knowledgeable about Birth-Grade 2 education, special education, and early intervention. Our degree programs focus on urban settings and center issues pertaining to curriculum, social justice, teaching, and learning across abilities. Our students are prepared to engage in the real world, skillfully addressing important issues pertaining to inclusive education via pedagogical, political, psychological, and sociological perspectives.

Our program offers both a full-time and part-time option. However, please note (in accordance with NYS guidelines), all students will be required to engage in one semester of full-time student teaching. Designed as a cohort model, anticipated duration for full-time students range from 1 ½ years (3 semesters + 2 summers) or 2 years (without summers). 

Prioritizing theory in practice, our program at TC requires that students in the Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Education/Teaching Students with Disabilities- Dual Certification programs at TC participate in several field experiences (student teaching, practicum), which serve as the foundation from which to theorize about child development, learning, and inclusive curriculum. 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. Many of our graduates have gone on to become early childhood practitioners, administrators, community organizers, school founders/leaders, authors, researchers, and professors.