Master of Education (M.Ed.)
Initial Cert Program - Early Elementary
(PreK - Grade 4)
Program Highlights & Benefits
Blended program combines a personal cohort experience with the convenience of an online format
2.5 year completion time, including holiday breaks
Finish one course every eight weeks
No weekend classes
For
This program is designed to provide individuals who have undergraduate degrees in fields other than education with the opportunity to pursue a career in teaching grades Pre K – 4. While earning a Master of Education degree, students also meet state requirements for Pre K – 4 teacher certification in Pennsylvania.
What You Learn
Upon completion of the program, you will be able to
- Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the cognitive, emotional, physical and social development of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergartners, and children in the primary grades
- Design and implement a developmentally appropriate curriculum for all children
- Analyze the classroom environment to determine how it can be adapted to meet diverse needs of children
- Develop and implement appropriate formative and summative assessment strategies
How You Learn
This program is offered in a blended format only. Cohorts of students enroll in 2 eight week sessions per semester and summer for the majority of the program and take one course per eight week session on the same night of the week. Each eight week course will have some face-to-face class sessions that will typically be held from 4:45 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. Additional sessions may be held in an online synchronous manner where you can work from home and participate in group class meetings. These class meetings will be supplemented by additional online activities which may include assignments, webinars or chats, materials, discussion threads, assessments and/or group activities completed electronically outside of class.
As part of the program, you will complete three different methods courses that are linked with fieldbased practicum experiences. This arrangement affords you the opportunity to design and deliver learning experiences for children in the PreK-4 classroom under the supervision of mentor teachers. The student teaching experience is held during a 15 week semester and you also participate in a weekly seminar meeting. You may complete the student teaching experience at the school at which you are employed if your administrator is supportive of the arrangement and you are able to fulfill the requirements as articulated in the Holy Family University Student Teaching Handbook. If you maintain continuous enrollment, you may complete the program in approximately 2 and one-half years.
Career Outcomes
Upon completion of this program, you will have earned a Master of Education degree that leads to the Pennsylvania Instructional I Certificate in Pre K-4, which enables you to teach preschool through grade 4.
Degree Requirements
Master of Education with Initial Cert Program – Early Elementary (PreK – Grade 4)
| Course | Hours |
| Foundation of Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| Psychology of Learning and Development | 3 |
| Effective Teaching Practices: Creating Learner-Centered Classrooms | 3 |
| Foundations of Inclusive Education | 3 |
| Assessment in Inclusive Education | 3 |
| Effective Instruction in Inclusive Education | 3 |
| Teaching Literacy | 3 |
| Practicum I (Linked with Teaching Literacy course) | 1 |
| Teaching Science and Math | 3 |
| Practicum II (Linked with Teaching Science and Math course) | 1 |
| Teaching Language Arts and Social Studies | 3 |
| Practicum III (Linked with Teaching Language Arts & Social Studies course) | 1 |
| Addressing Needs of English Language Learners | 3 |
| Supervised Field Experience: Student Teaching | 5 |
| Graduate Student Teaching Seminar | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 39 |
Candidates may be asked to provide GRE/MAT scores, taken within 5 years, if their undergraduate GPA is below 3.0.
Please Note:
This is only an introduction to the program. Coursework may be taken in a different order than the sequence listed above.
