College of Education

Master of Education in Instruction and Curriculum with an Emphasis in Early Childhood Education-ZS

|   Requirements  |   Courses  |

Faculty

Interested in this program? Apply now or contact the College of Education's Student Information and Services Center for additional information at 616-331-6650 or coeserve@gvsu.edu.

This program prepares teachers, supervisors, and directors in preschools, day care centers, child development centers, Head Start programs, and kindergartens, as well as researchers and program specialists in the field for general and high-risk students.

New standards approved September 9, 2008, reflect the knowledge and skills identified to teach children from birth to age 8 in general education settings, as well as significant knowledge and skills for teaching children with disabilities. The revised standards led to a new endorsement name, Early Childhood ZS (General and Special Education). This change in the endorsement was approved by the State Board of Education October 12, 2010.

Do you have questions about the changes? Click here for FAQs


Program Requirements 

Social Foundation Courses. Select One (3 credits):

EDF 671 Educational Policy and Practice
EDF 672 Social & Cultural Foundations of Education

Research Foundation Course (Prerequisite to ED 693/695) (3 credits):

EDF 660 Educational Inquiry and Evaluation

Emphasis Area Courses (21 credits):

EDI 610 Advanced Studies in Child Development Ages 0-8
EDI 611 Assessment of the Young School Child
EDI 612 Curriculum Development for Early Childhood Education
EDI 613 Administration and Supervision of Early Childhood Education
EDI 614 Infant and Toddler Development and Curriculum
EDS 646 Family & Community Collaboration in Early Childhood Education
EDS 647 Preschool Special Needs Child

Practicum/Graduate Field Experience. (Application form and advisor approval required. Apply in advance. Both courses are required if you are seeking the ZS endorsement. Two different age settings out of three choices: Primary (K-3rd), Preprimary (age 2 1/2 through age 4), and Infant-Toddler (birth through 2 1/2). (6 credits)

EDI 685 D Early Childhood Education
EDS 685 J Early Childhood Developmental Delay

Capstone (Application form required. Apply in advance. Advisor approval required.) (3 credits) (Select One):

ED 693 Master's Project
ED 695 Master's Thesis

Application deadlines (Practicum/Thesis/Project): February 15 for spring/summer, May 15 for fall, September 15 for winter semester.

Students desiring only the Early Childhood Endorsement (ZS) endorsement, must complete the following program requirements, for a total of 27 semester hours: EDI 610, 611, 612, 613, 614, EDS 646, EDS 647, EDI 685D and EDS 685J; have elementary certification, pass the Michigan Subject Area Test, and maintain a 3.0 G.P.A.

Three hours of the appropriate undergraduate experience may be used for the endorsement contributing to the 27-hour program requirement. To waive a field experience in early childhood education, the candidate must:

1. Hold degree seeking status in Early Childhood Education.
2. Have an approved Planned Program of Study on file.
3. Complete the following process to validate prior experience.

Obtain a Petition to Waiver/Appeal form and Verification form from the College of Education website.

If you are requesting a waiver of a GVSU student field experience: Complete the Petition to Waiver/Appeal form and then schedule an appointment with your advisor. The advisor will then submit your form to the Student Information and Services Office. Students requesting the waiver of a GVSU field experience will not have to submit the Verification form.

If you are requesting the waiver of a Non-GVSU student field experience: a) Contact your field experience supervising institution and request completion of the Verification form and b) schedule an appointment to provide your advisor with the signed Petition to Waiver/Appeal form together with the Verification form. The advisor will then submit your forms to the Student Information and Services Office.

The Student Information and Services Office will distribute the form(s) for official review and approval.

To obtain forms click here: ECE forms 





Courses