MAEd BK

East Carolina University

College of Human Ecology

Child Development and Family Relations

Enriching Lives. Enhancing Communities.

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ECU Resources:

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Master of Arts in Education (MAEd) Degree
with a major in
Birth through Kindergarten (BK) Education

The MAEd in BK is an interdisciplinary program within the College of Human Ecology in collaboration with the College of Education. It is based on the philosophy, rationale, and competencies established for initial BK licensure. Thus, all applicants to the MAEd in BK must hold a clear license in BK or a very closely related area. Applicants who hold a license other than BK must complete course work and practicum experiences to make up deficiencies in required BK standards. See “Policy/Procedure for Applicants without Initial Licensure in Birth-Kindergarten (BK)."

The program is designed to prepare individuals beyond the entry level for professional roles as master teachers, consultants, program coordinators, supervisors, and staff development trainers. A flexible program of study is developed to meet the needs and allow for previously attained competencies of individual students. Courses required for the MAEd in BK program are offered online.

Currently, only individuals who reside in North Carolina are eligible to register for BK courses which are delivered online.

Specifically, goals of the program are

To build upon and enhance the expertise of BK teachers, early interventionists, and other early childhood education professionals;
To provide opportunities for individuals to develop administrative, supervisory, and leadership skills; and
To strengthen the research skills and knowledge base of early childhood education professionals.

Program Requirements
The MAEd in BK program requires 39 s.h. consisting of 12 s.h. of core courses, 15 s.h. of professional courses, 3 s.h. of statistics, and 9 s.h. from a specialty strand.

Required Core courses....................................................................................12 s.h.
EDUC 6482 or SCIE 6500
EDUC 6001
LEED 6000 or ADED 6550 or ELEM 6550
SPED 6002

Professional Area: Birth through Kindergarten.................................................15 s.h.
CDFR 6402
CDFR 6501
CDFR 6503
CDFR 6990
CDFR 6995 or CDFR 7000

Cognate: Statistics.............................................................................................3 s.h.
CDFR 7007 or EDUC 6430

Specialty Area (Select one strand)....................................................................9 s.h.

Assistive Technology
SPED/OCCT 6701, 6702, 6703

Community College Teaching
ADED 6240, 6450, 6453

Elementary Education
ELEM 6010, 6412, 6488

Click here for a copy of the MAEd in BK Check Sheet. Course titles and descriptions can be found in “List of Courses with Descriptions for MAEd Birth through Kindergarten.”

Admission Requirements
The Graduate School website [http://www.ecu.edu/gradschool/] contains detailed information about admission to the Graduate School at ECU. The following requirements must be met for admission into the MAEd in BK program:

A bachelor’s degree with a major in birth through kindergarten education (or a very closely related area) from an institution accredited by a regional association
Initial (clear) teaching license in birth through kindergarten
Minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale on all undergraduate work from an institution accredited by a regional association
Satisfactory scores on either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogy Test (MAT); must have been taken within past five years
Three letters of reference

Application Packet
The following documents must be submitted with the Graduate School application packet:

Completed Graduate School application
[http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/gradschool/applicationinfo.cfm#forms ]
The written statement of purpose/professional objectives
Three letters of reference from persons who can attest to the applicant's academic competence or ability to do graduate work; at least one reference must be from an educational or human services professional and at least one from a former college or university instructor
Copy of clear teaching license(s)
Transcripts of all college work
Score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogy Test (MAT) taken within past five years
Curriculum vitae/Resume, current
An example of scholarly work (portfolio sample, presentation, publication, etc.)

Retention Standards
Students must maintain an overall average of 3.0 and maintain good standing with the Graduate School. A grade of F is automatic termination from the program.

An average grade of B is required for graduation based on semester hours of A graded work equal to or exceeding semester hours of C work. A student failing to maintain a B average will be subject to termination.

Graduate courses with a final grade of C may be credited toward completion of any part of a non-doctoral degree program, but any student who receives a final grade of C on courses totaling in excess of 6 s.h. will be subject to termination.

Transfer Credit
Graduate credit earned at other accredited institutions may be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MAEd in BK. Up to 20 percent of credit hours in a non-doctoral graduate program may be earned in a different but regionally accredited institution. Whereas the MAEd in BK program requires 39 s.h., a maximum of 7 s.h. could be taken at another institution. Courses taken at other accredited institutions may be used to fulfill prerequisites or degree deficiencies or content knowledge equivalent to that required at ECU.

Additional Information
Information at the following links may be helpful as you plan your graduate degree program:

For more information, contact:
Dr. Jane King Teleki, PhD
BK Program Coordinator
Professor and Director of Educational Experiences
Department of Child Development and Family Relations
Rivers Building, RW-122
Greenville, North Carolina 27858-4353
252-328-1330
telekij@ecu.edu

East Fifth Street | Greenville, NC 27858

last updated: 10.16.2007

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