Education, M.A.
(Early Childhood, Intervention and Literacy)

Program Description

Overview

The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Education is designed for individuals interested in developing the skills necessary for conducting educational research in organizations or institutions focused on the study of education. The degree is not intended for those planning to teach, but the degree does presume that prospective students have an interest in schooling and education. Students typically enter M.A. study with varied backgrounds. Some are teachers interested in new career goals; others have liberal arts preparation and are especially interested in the study of education. The M.A. in Education is a 30-hour program and requires the completion of a thesis.

The M.A. in Education is offered with three research specializations: Culture, Curriculum and Change; Early Childhood, Intervention and Literacy; and Educational Psychology, Measurement and Evaluation.

Required courses and electives vary depending on the chosen research emphasis area. However, in all cases, the student and his or her advisor develop a program of studies that is tailored to the student’s substantive and research interests.

Early Childhood, Intervention and Literacy

The Early Childhood, Intervention and Literacy (ECIL) research specialization focuses on the study of curricular and intervention strategies that promote the development and learning of both typically developing children and children with special needs. Individual student programs of study concentrate on early childhood education, early intervention, early literacy, and the roles of cultural context and family in early development.

ECIL Students

Students are encouraged to participate in a range of research and teaching experiences that will prepare them for their professional goals. These experiences may include participation in research studies within and outside the School, teaching classes and the supervision of student teachers.

A graduate student organization within the School and campus-wide organizations are available to students in the program to help enrich their experience. Internships and other fellowships are also available.

Current students in the program have interests in communication and child engagement, health and childcare, literacy, bilingual education, family involvement in the neonatal intensive care unit, characteristics of children with Fragile X Syndrome, and innovative curriculum development/evaluation of literacy programs as well as early intervention programs.

Admissions

Students who are admitted come from a variety of backgrounds, including: experience and interests in traditional classroom teaching, special education, neonatal intensive care units, childcare, emergent literacy, family involvement in schooling, curriculum development, teacher education, etc. They also have diverse backgrounds with respect to age, experience, ethnicity, culture and gender.

Program Contact

Lynne Vernon-Feagans, Ph.D., Program Coordinator
lynnevf@email.unc.edu
(919) 843-5623