Educational Specialist (EdS) in Curriculum & Instruction: Early Childhood Education

The Certificate of Education Specialist (EdS) in Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration in Early Childhood Education is a program that provides in-depth opportunities for further professional growth and specialization for certified teacher leaders and administrators who have completed a master’s degree from an accredited college or university. Beyond a core set of courses, the program is individualized depending on the participant’s area of interest. 

Coursework for the EdS in the College of Human Sciences and Education requires 60 hours of credit at the graduate level (beyond the Bachelor’s degree), which includes Research courses (6 credit hours), and electives (18 hours). Participants are assigned a program chair who will work with the student to develop a course of study beyond the required classes. Some courses may be transferred to a PhD degree.

Students applying to graduate school should have a minimum composite score of 297, with a minimum verbal score of 153 and a minimum quantitative score of 144.

Required Coursework

Select from areas such as Educational Foundations, Special Education, Multicultural Education, Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy, Human Development, or Anthropology. The courses must be from two different areas.

ELRC 4006 Introduction to Applied Statistics in Educational Research (3)
ELRC 4249 Understanding and Applying Research in Education (3)
ELRC 7006 Educational Statistics (4)
ELRC 7010 Principles of Testing and Measurement (3)
ELRC 7220 Education Program Evaluation (3)
ELRC 7243 Qualitative Methods in Educational Research (4)
ELRC 7805 Perspectives on Leadership (3)

must include 18 credit hours beyond master's degree
*required

EDCI 4060 Organization and Administration of Early Childhood Programs (3)
EDCI 4382 Critical Issues in Early Childhood Education (3)
*EDCI 7610, 7684, 7768 Practicum (6) or approved equivalent
EDCI 7051 The Contemporary Family (3)
EDCI 7054 Child Guidance and Behavior (3)
EDCI 7055 Human Development (3)
EDCI 7056 Theories of Child Development (3)
EDCI 7057 Theories in Family Science (3)
EDCI 7059 Parent Involvement in Early Childhood Education (3)
EDCI 7112 Early Literacy Development and Instruction (3)
EDCI 7307 Topics in Curriculum & Instruction (up to 6 if topics vary)
EDCI 7821 Problems in Curriculum & Instruction (3)
EDCI 7822 Problems in Curriculum & Instruction (3)
EDCI 7824 Elementary School Curriculum (3)
EDCI 7825 Secondary School Curriculum (3)
EDCI 7843 Early Childhood Education (3)
EDCI 7902 Analysis of Research on Teaching (3)
EDCI 7903 Curriculum Planning (3)
EDCI 7904 Education and Cognition (3)
EDCI 7920 Analysis of Research in Curriculum & Instruction (3)
EDCI 7921 Analysis of Research in Curriculum & Instruction (3)

must be approved by advisor