Curriculum & Requirements
Deadline
Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:
- Fall: April 15
- Spring: November 1
- Summer: April 15
- Special: Students who plan to begin their internship Fall semester, must have a completed Graduate School application by March 1st and have taken all prerequisite coursework.
Application fee: $65
Campus: Durham
New England Regional: VT
Accelerated Masters: Yes (for more details see the accelerated masters information page)
New Hampshire Residents
Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission or you will not be able to register for classes.
Transcripts
If you attended UNH or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC.
If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.
If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:
- Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
- Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.
Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.
Letters of recommendation: 3 required
Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted. At least one letter should be from a university/college level instructor.
The Early Childhood program requires that two recommendations speak to your ability to do graduate-level work and at least one speaks to your ability to work with children.
Test Scores: Praxis Required
Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) exam scores are required of all applicants to Master’s level (M.Ed. and M.A.T. ) programs leading to initial certification in Teacher Education, Special Education, and Early Childhood Education. Applicants must obtain, at a minimum, a qualifying score (as set by the state of New Hampshire at the time of testing) on all three (Reading, Writing, and Mathematics) Core exams in order to be considered for admission. Current NH qualifying scores may be found at the ETS Praxis Website under the “Tests required for all licensure areas” page. To have scores sent to our office please use our recipient code which is 3922.
For general information about test scores required for admission into our programs please visit our Test Scores webpage.
Personal Statement/Essay Questions
In no more than two pages, describe the reasons you wish to pursue the degree program you have chosen, including relevant personal qualities and life experiences that have shaped your beliefs about learning, development and teaching, counseling, or administration (depending on the program to which you are applying).
Statements must be included with your submitted application.
State and Federal Background Check
A background check is a requirement before an application can be reviewed by the Education department. Here is the document and instructions Department of Education Background Check and Criminal History Release form.
Additional Department Requirements
The Early Childhood program has a checklist and FAQ relating to their admission requirements. Please review this document before applying.
Important Notes
All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.
International Applicants
Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.
Explore Program Details
The early childhood program offers the Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree and also supports the Ph.D. in Education for those candidates who choose to focus in the area of Early Childhood.
The program is designed for experienced teachers and other early childhood practitioners who wish to improve their professional competence and broaden their career opportunities. The curriculum emphasizes the acquisition of knowledge and competencies in child development (birth through eight years), learning environments, developmentally appropriate curriculum, developmental and cultural diversity, parent collaboration, and professional leadership. The course work culminates in an extensive 1-year internship experience. This program emphasizes the personal development of each student in close collaboration with faculty and fellow students.
The Early Childhood program is designed to prepare leaders for new careers in early childhood education such as:
- Early childhood teachers and team leaders
- Curriculum consultants and staff development coordinators
- Coordinators for home-based infant and toddler programs or for family and group day care programs
- Junior college and vocational school child care instructors
- Administrators of early childhood programs
- Early childhood special education teachers
- Early Interventionists
All students enroll in EDUC 900B and 901B, a two-semester sequence consisting of a field-based internship and on-campus seminar. Students must have completed all required courses prior to enrolling in the internship, or be completing those requirements concurrently. The Office of Field Placement in the Department of Education will work to place students in a school that is part of our school-university collaborative. Students in the Special Needs option must have an internship that is linked with a public school and be supervised by a licensed special educator. It is recommended that students in the Special Needs Option complete a hybrid internship, which includes a primary internship placement in a public school and an additional placement in early intervention. All early childhood interns spend a minimum of 20 hours per week for two semesters in the internship.
Based on satisfactory performance in the first semester internship, post-baccalaureate candidates with current certification may petition for exemption from the second semester internship. The decision to grant the petition will be made by the Director of Educator Preparation in collaboration with the intern, cooperating teacher, and UNH supervisor.
Rationale
By the end of the graduate program in Early Childhood Education, students should be able to provide evidence of their professional development in a variety of ways. Through the presentation of a graduate portfolio, students will demonstrate professional knowledge and competencies.
Procedure
All students will develop, maintain, and submit a graduate portfolio reflecting their professional growth and development during their participation in the graduate program in Early Childhood. Early in a student's program, preferably in EDUC 941 (Diversity in Child Development), students will begin to collect portfolio entries that are both illustrative of and essential to their understanding of their own development. The portfolio will be shared periodically throughout the graduate program. Formal and informal feedback from faculty and fellow students will contribute to the emerging portfolio.
Contents
Categories for portfolio entries include examples of theoretical as well as practical knowledge demonstrating your growth and development. Each entry will be accompanied by a brief written caption explaining its purpose and meaning. These reflective commentaries will be more than descriptive, and should reflect thoughtful analysis and interpretation.
While some take the view that portfolios only represent one's best work, our view is that a collection of evidence documenting change, sources for change, and other indications of professional growth and development is equally valuable. Thus samples might include exemplary as well as unsuccessful attempts at tasks of personal significance, evidence of critical and constructive feedback, and evidence of other professionally meaningful experiences.
Additional types of entries include samples of children's work, teacher developed plans and materials, videotaped teaching episodes, and reflections on your own teaching. One required entry will be a 3-5 page (typed, double-spaced) professional statement that combines personal and formal knowledge about development and the field of early childhood.
Candidates may elect to add teacher certification to their master’s degree. Dual certification (Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education) is also available. To be recommended for certification, candidates must demonstrate completion of teaching methods courses (Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies). This requirement can be fulfilled through elective credit coursework in the Master’s degree or through transcript evaluation of prior coursework. Master’s degree students who complete additional targeted coursework can be recommended for teacher licensure as an early childhood educator (PreK-3).
A blended approach to teacher preparation is a hallmark of the Early Childhood Program. All students take a core curriculum that emphasizes understanding the development of young children, the effect of diversity on teaching and learning, and a family centered community-based approach to education. Teacher candidates take course work in relevant teaching methods to the area of certification being sought and the PRAXIS II examination. Lastly, students complete a full year internship in an inclusive education setting with a licensed teacher in the area of certification they seek. The curriculum content of the program is keyed to National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) guidelines for advanced degree programs along with New Hampshire State Teacher Certification standards.
Requirements for Early Childhood Teacher Certification (PreK-3)
- Required courses for M.Ed. Early Childhood
- Early Childhood Teaching Methods Core Coursework (listed below)
- Praxis II Examination: Education of Young Children*
* Note: A passing score on the PRAXIS II Education of Young Children must be reported to the UNH Department of Education prior to graduation to obtain recommendation for certification to the NH Department of Education.
Early Childhood Teaching Methods Core Coursework
Literacy Course (4 credit hours)
Choose from:
Subject | Course Number | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|---|
EDUC | 806 OR | Introduction to Reading Instruction OR | 4 |
EDUC | 907 | Foundations of Literacy Instruction | 4 |
Content Knowledge Courses (6 credit hours)
Subject | Course Number | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|---|
EDUC | 803 | Teaching Elementary Science | 4 |
EDUC | 803 | Teaching Elementary Social Studies | 4 |
EDUC | 845 | Math with Technology in Early Education | 2 |
UNH Undergraduate students in high academic standing (3.2 GPA) may apply for early admission to the Graduate School for the accelerated master’s program. UNH students accepted to the Graduate School may enroll for up to 12 graduate credits (800-level courses), which count toward both their undergraduate and graduate degree.