Master of Arts in Child Development, MA

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The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Child Development (Birth to Age 8) is designed to provide graduates and professionals with the necessary theoretical foundations to prepare students in modern practices for careers in early childhood development. The academic requirements of the M.A. in Child Development degree will consist mostly of coursework and a capstone project that is interdisciplinary in nature, but whose core is still child development with early childhood development theory and research framing the main areas of study.

Students must complete a minimum of 10 courses and a capstone project, which must include an original analysis of a data set and/or a proposed problem. Courses must be chosen at graduate level (numbered 500 or higher) from the Division of Education. All courses must be passed with a grade of B or better and students must maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 or better.

The M.A. in Child Development degree program requires students to complete the required credits at Tougaloo College and to complete 30 semester hours for the degree at the College, during the course of the two-year program. No more than six graduate hours taken after completion of a baccalaureate degree can be transferred from another institution towards the program requirements.

Core & Capstone Project Research Courses

Core Curriculum

The core curriculum consists of courses, fieldwork, and capstone project research coursework. Core courses include:

ECD 501 - Theory and Research in Child Development Studies 3 Semester Hour(s)
ECD 541 - Teaching Methods in Early Childhood Settings 3 Semester Hour(s)
EDU 504 - Research, Design, and Evaluation in Education 3 Semester Hour(s)
EDU 585 - Advanced Data Analysis and Statistics 3 Semester Hour(s)
SPED 502 - Exceptional Learners: Development and Cultural Characteristics 3 Semester Hour(s)

Capstone Project Research Courses

The capstone project research courses include:

ECD 587 - Capstone Project Research I 3 Semester Hour(s)
ECD 588 - Capstone Project Research II 1 Semester Hour(s)
ECD 589 - Capstone Project Research III 1 Semester Hour(s)

Additional Information

By the end of ECD 587 , students should have all of the necessary components of a completed capstone project. If a student fails to complete their capstone project in ECD 587 , they will have up to two additional semesters for completion. They will also have to enroll in the courses ECD 588 - Capstone Project Research II and ECD 589 - Capstone Project Research III . ECD 588 and ECD 589 are only one academic credit hour and can only be taken one at a time.

Specialty Courses

Students must enroll in four (4) specialty courses from the following list of 500 level courses. Not all courses will be offered every semester. Specialty courses include:

ECD 517 - Historical, Social and Cultural Contexts of Child Development 3 Semester Hour(s)
ECD 525 - The Child and the Family: Social, Cultural, and Health-Related Issues at Home and in School 3 Semester Hour(s)
ECD 535 - Leadership in Early Childhood Programs 3 Semester Hour(s)
EDU 513 - Reading, Writing, and Language Arts in Elementary Schools 3 Semester Hour(s)

Course Requirements

Students may earn a Master of Arts in Child Development (Birth to Age 8) by completing 36 credit hours in the following courses:

Core Courses (15 hours)

ECD 501 - Theory and Research in Child Development Studies 3 Semester Hour(s)
ECD 541 - Teaching Methods in Early Childhood Settings 3 Semester Hour(s)
EDU 504 - Research, Design, and Evaluation in Education 3 Semester Hour(s)
EDU 585 - Advanced Data Analysis and Statistics 3 Semester Hour(s)
SPED 502 - Exceptional Learners: Development and Cultural Characteristics 3 Semester Hour(s)

Specialty Courses (12 hours)

ECD 517 - Historical, Social and Cultural Contexts of Child Development 3 Semester Hour(s)
ECD 525 - The Child and the Family: Social, Cultural, and Health-Related Issues at Home and in School 3 Semester Hour(s)
ECD 535 - Leadership in Early Childhood Programs 3 Semester Hour(s)
EDU 513 - Reading, Writing, and Language Arts in Elementary Schools 3 Semester Hour(s)

Capstone Project Research Courses (3-5 hours)

ECD 587 - Capstone Project Research I 3 Semester Hour(s) (01, 02, 03, 04, 05)
ECD 588 - Capstone Project Research II 1 Semester Hour(s) (01, 02, 03, 04, 05)
ECD 589 - Capstone Project Research III 1 Semester Hour(s) (01, 02, 03, 04, 05)

Internship Course (6 hours - optional)

Note: Mandatory for those without an education background.

ECD 590 - Internship (Birth to Age 8) 6 Semester Hour(s)

Total Credit Hours Needed to Graduate 30

Other Degree Requirements

Full-time students without an education background will be required to participate in an internship; however, all students are encouraged to partake in an approved internship experience. Students will gain six (6) course credits for their internship by enrolling in ECD 590 (Internship in Birth to Age 8) and completed the necessary requirements documented in the course syllabus. This internship will be closely supervised by a faculty advisor, who will ensure that the work does not overlap with the capstone project research.