UNT Home | Graduate Studies | College of Education | Early Childhood Studies
At the University of North Texas, the Master of Science degree in Early Childhood Studies prepares you for diverse roles in teaching, research, administration and the provision of services to young children and their families/communities.
You receive advanced knowledge for working in education, including theoretical and research-based perspectives on young children's lives and learning in diverse settings.
Your classroom learning is enriched through seminars, internships, independent study and research. The UNT Child Development Laboratory, faculty collaboration with bilingual and diversity programs, and the Velma E. Schmidt Research Initiatives in Early Childhood Studies broaden prospects for related training and research.
Our program's quality is enhanced by faculty members' affiliations with professional organizations and their participation on organizational, editorial and other boards. Faculty members have written, co-written and edited numerous books, book chapters and articles in refereed journals. They've also presented several hundred refereed papers at national, regional and state professional meetings and conferences.
The College of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (1140 19th Street, Suite 400; Washington, D.C. 20036; telephone 202-223-0077). This accreditation means the college meets or exceeds strict academic standards for excellence in education. The college is also one of the state's top producers of teachers, administrators, counselors and other school professionals.
UNT provides a wide variety of services exclusively to graduate students. The Graduate Student Writing Support office can help you with writing, and the Center for Interdisciplinary Research offers assistance with statistical research.
The Toulouse Graduate School offers several professional development workshops, including a Thesis Boot Camp. Many of the workshops are available online for your convenience.
The Child Development Laboratory is an accredited preschool program for children ages 3 to 5. It also serves as a model, an observation site and a training center for undergraduate and graduate students in fields related to young children's development and learning. Graduate students and faculty members from across the university also conduct research on early childhood education issues.
The Velma E. Schmidt Research Initiatives are designed to advance early education research with a focus on culturally and linguistically diverse children and their families. The goal is to increase understanding about these children's development and their early care and education experiences to inform the development of responsive policies and effective practices.
These research initiatives utilize an interdisciplinary perspective promoting collaborations across various departments and colleges. Some of the activities include:
These research initiatives involve graduate students in a range of scholarly activities. Contact Dr. Dina C. Castro, the Velma E. Schmidt Endowed Chair, for further information.
You'll need to meet the graduate school's admission requirements, which are outlined at the graduate school website. These requirements include current GRE or GMAT scores. You must also submit the following to the program area for review:
Admission materials for the master's program are reviewed as received. The admission deadlines are July 15 for fall, Nov.1 for spring and May 1 for summer. Materials should be emailed to Dr. Stephanie Reinke.
The M.S. has a 36-credit-hour thesis option or a 39-credit-hour non-thesis option. Students are required to select a major advisor to establish a degree plan and approve all practicum and internship experiences. Thesis students establish a committee to oversee the research process. Non-thesis students complete a formal exam at the end of their course work.
Specific required courses and descriptions are available in the catalog and in the program information materials received upon admission.
You may qualify for competitive scholarships and grants, and teaching and research assistantships to help you pursue your education. Additional information is available at the graduate school website and the financial aid website.
Diyu Chen, Senior Lecturer; Ed.D., Harvard University. The early development of emotion and cognition; parent-child interaction and conversation; attachment; teacher-child interaction; early literacy and math concept development; cultural issues and comparison.
Dina C. Castro, Professor and Velma E. Schmidt Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Education; Ph.D., University of North Carolina. Early childhood education for dual language learners; cultural diversity and equity; bilingual development; developmental and academic assessment; teacher professional development.
Carol Hagen, Principal Lecturer and Director of the Child Development Laboratory; Ed.D., University of North Texas. Early childhood education; curriculum; diverse families.
Phone: 940-565-2922
E-mail: Stephanie.Reinke@unt.edu
Matthews Hall, Room 218
www.unt.edu
www.coe.unt.edu/chec/ece
940-565-2383