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Curriculum

Coursework provides comprehensive training in the broader dimensions and issues impacting the field of early childhood education. Academic support will be provided to the individual student for projects and research of special interest.

Prerequisite Courses (12 credits)

The following courses are required for all students who did not have them as part of a master's degree program.

  • ESSE 670 Assessment and Evaluation
  • ESSE 677 Advanced Child Theory
  • ESSE 679 Advanced Classroom Management/Practicum
  • ELS 732 Statistics Applied to Research in Educational and Human Services l

Required Core (9 credits)

  • ESSE 700/800 Social/Emotional Aspects of Child Development with Seminar
  • ESSE 735/835 Connecting Research in Early Development to Practice in Early Childhood Education
  • ESSE 788/888 Internship/Practicum/Field Experience with Seminar

Research Core (12 credits)

  • ELS 832 Statistics Applied to Research in Educational and Human Services II
  • ELS 833 Advanced Research Design and Analysis
  • ECI 890 Qualitative Research Design
  • ECI 791/891 Program Evaluation

Concentration (24 credits)

  • ESSE 710/810 Models of Parent, Child, Social Interactions
  • ESSE 736/836 Working with At-Risk Children and Families
  • ESSE 737/837 Schools and Families: Enriching the Partnership
  • ESSE 739/839 Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Early Childhood Education
  • ESSE 740/840 Issues in Early Childhood Language and Literacy
  • ESSE 772/872 Advanced Developmental Process
  • ESSE 774/874 Constructivist Teaching: Theory into Practice
  • ESSE 795/895 Topics in Education

With approval of the graduate program director, substitutions can be made from courses within other areas in the Darden College of Education (e.g., educational leadership, higher education, instructional design and technology) or in other colleges with written approval of the appropriate college official.

Dissertation (12 credits)

  • ESSE 899 Dissertation

Capstone Course (3 credits)

  • ELS 881 Dissertation Seminar - Required of doctoral students who have not previously identified their dissertation topic