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Master of Arts Early Childhood Education:Scholarly Master

Now is the time to get your M.A. in Early Childhood Education! New Mexico and the entire United States has new understanding of and commitment to education in the early years with scholarships available for advanced degrees. Deepen your understanding and skills of PreK to 3^rd grade education with a 100% online graduate degree designed for today’s professionals. Our accomplished faculty is dedicated and eager to work with students committed to serving Pre-K-3^rd grade classrooms along with the families and communities of New Mexico and beyond. The College of Education is CAEP (caepnet.org) accredited and approved by the New Mexico Public Education Department https://www.ped.state.nm.us/ped/index.html.

Build your knowledge and skills with a wide variety of courses in such areas as family engagement, multicultural education, special education, literacy, and teacher action research.

Explore the Master of Arts – Early Childhood Education program at New Mexico State University

As a graduate of the Early Childhood M.A. Program, you will be prepared to work as a teacher leader, curriculum coordinator, school leader, and teacher educator.</p

Professional Emphasis

The Early Childhood M.A. Program is a coursework-only option and does not lead to teacher licensure. If you are seeking teacher licensure, The Early Childhood Education Masters Plus Licensure Program at NMSU requires coursework, structured classroom experiences, and student teaching.

The program requires 11 courses for a total of 33 credits of graduate coursework. The program concludes with a 3-credit hour course on action research in which you will complete a research project regarding a real problem of practice in your professional work. You are required to pass written exams to complete the program.

Scholarships and Fellowships

This is an exciting time for early childhood education in New Mexico. The newly-formed Early Childhood Education and Care Department is offering scholarships for graduate degrees in education. See information on their website: https://ececdscholarship.org/scholarship-information/

If you are interested in research or college level teaching, you might also consider pursuing a graduate assistantship. Learn more at https://tpal.nmsu.edu/degree-programs/graduate-programs.html

Scholarship applications can be completed online. The annual priority deadline for the Scholar Dollar$ application is March 1.

Program Highlights

The MA in Education- Early Childhood Education program is offered through the College of Health, Education, and Social Transformation.

The Mission of the College of Education is to serve the people of New Mexico through education, research, extension education, and public service with specific emphasis on innovative practices, overcoming barriers to learning, international activities, technology, and literacy for the diverse populations of New Mexico, surrounding states and border communities.

The College of Education currently offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in Education and Curriculum and Instruction, with a range of specialties to meet the needs of the dynamic Southwestern education community and beyond.

What can you do with a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education from NMSU?

The M.A. in Education with a concentration in Early Childhood Education prepares the early childhood professionals for advanced practice in classrooms and home visiting including teacher action research, as well as leadership and advocacy in the early education field including staff development, teacher education, and program management.

Early childhood education is a growing field. The state and federal governments have recently committed to new investments in early childhood education with the development of New Mexico’s Early Childhood Care and Education Department and the federal American Families Plan. These plans provide funds for families to pay for early education, for teachers to pursue degrees, and for investments in increased pay for early care and education professionals.

MA in Early Childhood Education Careers

Obtaining a master’s degree will deepen your understanding of child development, curriculum design, action research, and community collaboration. The MA in Education- Early Childhood Education prepares students for careers as:

Advanced Classroom Teacher/Home Visitor
Instructional Coordinator/Curriculum Specialist
Early Childhood Center Director/Principal
Consultant for Early Childhood Organizations
Teacher Educator at the Associate’s Level

Advanced study

Graduates with a master’s in early childhood education can choose to pursue advanced study. Graduates can continue at NMSU to earn a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Curriculum and Instruction to prepare for a career in higher education and research. Graduates might also pursue a Doctorate of Education (EdD.)

Program Curriculum

The MA in Education- Early Childhood Education Program is a coursework-only option (no field-work required) for individuals who already have a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or a related field. It does not lead to licensure. The program requires 33 credits of graduate coursework in topics such as bilingual education, multicultural education, family engagement, special education, literacy, and advocacy. The program culminates in a capstone course in which you will complete a teacher action research project. Written exams are required for program completion.