College  of Education

Childhood Education and Family Studies Department

Master of Science, Early Childhood and Family Development

The Childhood Education and Family Studies Department grants the Master of Science in Early Childhood and Family Development.  This degree is appropriate for a large number of persons working with children and families in a variety of settings.  In addition to a core of required courses, students will choose electives that best meet their professional needs.  This flexibility allows students to develop a program of study to meet their needs.

Program Admission Requirements

Admission to the program requires the following minimum criteria:

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• A minimum GPA of 3.0 for courses taken in the last 60 hours of course work in the undergraduate program.

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• Students must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).  A GRE of 475 or higher on the Verbal or Quantitative section, AND a score of not less than 400 on the remaining section with results from the GRE provided prior to the student’s registering for more than 9 hours.

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• Applicants for whom English is a second language are required to submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).  A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based or a comparable score of 213 on the computer-based
  TOEFL are required for admission.

Program Admission Procedure

Following admission to graduate study and prior to the completion of 9 graduate hours of master’s degree course work at Missouri State, the student must submit the following to: Childhood Education and Family Studies Department, Missouri State University, Attention Masters Program, 901 S. National, Springfield, Missouri 65897:

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• To be considered for admission to this program, a student must apply to both the Childhood Education and Family Studies Department and the Graduate College (refer to the Graduate College, Admission to Graduate Studies, Admission Requirements http://graduate.missouristate.edu/).

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• Students must possess a bachelor’s degree and must meet the requirements for admission to the graduate school as stated under the Admission to Graduate Study section of the Graduate Catalog.

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• A separate application with the following materials must be submitted to the Childhood Education and Family Studies Department.

1.  
   1.  
   2. A letter of intent containing professional goals, future plans, background information, and professional experiences (no form provided)
   3.  
   4. Submission of two letters of recommendation from professionals familiar with the candidate’s academic abilities and potential.
   5.  
   6. Completion of any required prerequisite courses or permission from the Department Head of the Childhood Education and Family Studies Department.
   7.  
2.   

 

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• Students may transfer in no more than 9 credit hours which must be approved by their advisor.
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• Students must complete a Program of Study with their advisor prior to completing15 credit hours and file this with the Childhood Education and Family Studies Department and the Graduate College.
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 Research component

 

*Students will complete a seminar paper as part of their degree requirements.  This is a five chapter paper using original data.  It will be completed in ECE 671 and 672.

 

*A comprehensive examination must be passed by the candidate before a degree will be granted.  More information will be provided by the Childhood Education and Family Studies Department.

 

*Total program hours: 32

 

Selected course descriptions

 

Core requirements

 

 CFD 650   Seminar in Child and Family Development
Analysis of theories and trends in child and family development.  OR

 

 ECE 624  Foundations of Early Childhood Education                         
Course will focus on the historical, psychological, philosophical and social foundations of early childhood education.  Theories and research are integrated with practical knowledge. Students examine philosophy, curriculum, methodology, service delivery systems and family involvement issues.

ECE 625  Trends and Issues in Early Childhood Education                
A study of current trends, issues and theories related to early childhood education.   Emphasis will be given to major developmental theories and research findings related to the education of young children.  Included will be the application of theory and research to current practices in early childhood education.

 

ECE 626  Advanced Curriculum in Early Childhood Education
Analysis of programs, methods, materials, and activities appropriate for early childhood education programs.  Emphasis will be on developing and/or selecting teaching strategies for a variety of programs such as day care centers, public school kindergartens and primary grades, Head Start Programs, private preschools, etc.

 

ECE 671 Proposal Development                                                                       
Students will prepare proposal for their seminar paper.  Information on how to complete application for Human Subjects Review will be provided. 

 

SFR 690  Introduction to Educational Research                                              
Research methods used in education; problems of interpretation and application; basic    form and structure in research.

 

ECE 672  Seminar in Early Childhood Education                                
Guided development of a research paper or a creative project. It is advised that this course be taken during the semester prior to the semester of graduation.

Possible Electives
ECE 501  Home/School/Community Relationships with Young Children and Their Families//ECE  627 Children and Families in a Diverse Society//ELE 613 Advanced Theory and Practice in the Teaching of Communication Arts//ELE 620 Advanced Theory and Practice in Student Assessment and Evaluation//CFD 533  Principles of Family Life Education//CFD 532 Family Advocacy//CFD 562 Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect//RDG 675  The Relationship of Language to Reading and Intellectual Development.

For more information call:  (417) 836-8403