ECE MA FAQs
The MA program requires that you have completed a BA degree with a GPA of 2.5 or higher, completion of a college-level course in child growth and development (3 units), and 45 hours of verified experience (volunteer is okay) in an early care and education setting.
The program does not include specific scholarships, but you can inquire about SSU scholarships generally in the SSU Scholarship Office. That office has some scholarships that are reserved for education students.
The program consists of six consecutive semesters, including summers. In other words, it takes two calendar years to complete. Please also see the ECE MA Program Coursework on our website.
During the fall and spring semesters, the courses will run for a full 16-week semester. Summer courses will run for a shorter period. You can view the semester start and end dates for the academic year on the SSU Academic Calendar.
Yes, all coursework is completed online. Every course will have synchronous meetings, and these will always take place on Tuesdays at 4 pm and on Wednesdays at 7 pm via Zoom.
Students complete a short, online orientation when they enter the program. The purpose of the orientation is to become familiar with the SSU online tools (e.g. Canvas and Zoom), to meet the ECS faculty, and to meet the other students in the program.
For the culminating capstone project, students prepare a literature review and either conduct a research study or complete an applied project.
Students will need a reliable Internet connection and a laptop or tablet with a camera. You will be expected to log in to your courses several times a week and to attend all scheduled synchronous meetings. Your SSU login will give you access to the Learning Management System (Canvas) and Zoom.
The first cohort will begin in Spring 2023. Applications will be available on the School of Education website in August 2022.
Although it’s atypical, the spring start was the only option that allowed us to include two summer sessions while ensuring that students would have full access to needed resources.
This program does not lead to a teaching credential. The coursework does apply to the California Child Development Permit.
Students with a master's degree in Early Childhood Education are well-prepared to work in Head Start, preschool, and child care programs as lead teachers or administrative staff. Some of our students in our past program have been TK and Kindergarten teachers seeking to deepen their knowledge of how younger children learn or to earn units in Early Childhood Education, but please note that you need a Multiple Subject Credential to teach in elementary schools, which this degree does not include. The degree is also good preparation for jobs in social service agencies that support children and families, such as child care resource and referral agencies. Finally, some of our past students use their master's degrees to teach child development and early childhood education courses at the community college or as adjunct faculty in university settings.