Master of Education in Early Childhood Education

Enhanced academic preparation specific to the early childhood years is proven to be effective in helping teachers support the optimal development of young children, leading to tangible benefits for children across the lifespan including fewer referrals to special education and higher rates of high school completion. UM’s early childhood education programs support work-force preparation to meet the growing demand for highly qualified early childhood teachers for our state and nation in public schools, Head Start and Early Head Start, and community-based early childhood programs.The Preschool - Grade 3 (P-3) Early Childhood Education Endorsement can be added to a K-8 teaching license to enhance teacher preparation for working with our youngest learners and to meet Montana’s new requirement of the P-3 Early Childhood endorsement for all public school preschool teachers.

Required Cumulative GPA: 3.0. All requirements for the degree must be completed within 6 years, including successful completion of a departmental comprehensive examination. To be granted full admission, applicants must hold the equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. Usually transcripts will be evaluated by the Graduate School, however, in unusual circumstances, the University may require applicants to submit their credentials to an outside agency before an admission decision will be made. Applicants whose native language is not English must submit an acceptable English language proficiency test score