FARMINGTON – In response to the educational needs of early childhood professionals, University of Maine at Farmington is launching a new Master of Science in Education – Early Childhood degree program, with the first courses beginning in June, 2011. As the only master’s program in early childhood education offered solely by a Maine institution, the program will be delivered in a hybrid course model that will feature online, face-to-face and blended courses to better meet the needs of early childhood educators throughout the state and beyond.
“We are so excited to be able to offer early childhood professionals a top-quality yet flexible opportunity for postgraduate education,” said Katherine Yardley, UMF associate provost and dean of education. “Our goal was to design the highest quality educational experience while also meeting the changing needs of today’s students. This innovative program takes advantage of the latest technologies to create a new model of graduate study for working professionals that increases accessibility while maximizing learning.”
The new UMF graduate-level program was developed specifically to contribute to the professional growth of those educators who work with children ages birth through 8. Designed by UMF faculty members who are experts in the field, it emphasizes child development-based curriculum, leadership and assessment as well as an understanding of the family and community contexts in which young children are educated.
This unique 36-credit master’s degree program is comprised of 24 core credits and 12 elective credits. The flexible degree program can be completed in two to four years, with courses being offered during summer, fall and spring terms. This postgraduate degree will be especially valuable to educators who aspire to a variety of early childhood leadership roles such as adult educators in higher education, trainers, classroom teachers, program administrators, policy advocates and curriculum specialists.
“It’s so rewarding to be able to open new doors for working professionals,” said Beth Hatcher, UMF assistant professor of early childhood education and leader of the UMF early childhood faculty group that developed the new master’s program. “The hybrid course model will help participants juggle work, family and school while also developing a network of professional colleagues that will provide them with a continuing exchange of ideas and support during their coursework and beyond completion of their degree.”
Courses in the core include: Early Childhood Education in Today’s World; Advanced Foundations of Child Development; Advanced Program Administration; Play and the Social World of the Child; Collaboration with Families and Communities; Curriculum Development and Assessment; Research Methods in Early Childhood or Research Methods; and Field-Based Research.
The remaining 12 credits of the program will be earned through electives. These electives, which will be selected in consultation with an advisor, must be 500-level courses or above and contain content specifically related to the field of early childhood. While students can choose to take elective courses elsewhere, several elective courses have been specifically developed as a part of the UMF program. These courses include Diverse Programming, Leadership and Supervision, Early Childhood Research and Policy, Mathematics in the Early Years and Science in the Early Years.
This program received recent approval by the University of Maine System Board of Trustees at their Monday, Jan. 10 meeting and is awaiting review by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, which currently accredits UMF as a baccalaureate-level institution. Final approval by NEASC is expected in March, according to Yardley, with final accreditation anticipated within the next two years.
More information on UMF’s master’s degree programs and non-degree graduate courses can be found online under the Graduate Studies heading at www.umf.maine.edu. Applications for UMF’s new Master of Science in Education – Early Childhood degree program and Master of Science in Education – Educational Leadership degree program are available online and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
For additional information on UMF’s master’s programs, please send your inquiries to umfmasters@maine.edu.
