The early childhood graduate programs at the University of Oklahoma prepare students to be leaders in our field. Graduates of our program are qualified for a variety of professional roles. For example, our graduates work as expert teachers, mentors, administrators, advocates, researchers, instructional coaches and higher education faculty.
Students pursuing an Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum master’s degree (with early childhood emphasis) deepen their knowledge and understanding of children, teaching, and learning. Qualified students can also take courses to meet the requirements for Oklahoma early childhood certification.
Core: 12 hours
Thesis: EDUC 5980
Non-Thesis: EDUC 6930 or EDUC 5972
Students in the Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum Master's Program take courses in:
The master's degree requires completion of 36 semester credit hours of graduate coursework. Approximately 15 hours of coursework are taken as part of the course instructional requirement. The remaining credit hours will be completed in the specialty area. All students must successfully complete a thesis, project, or comprehensive examination.
The thesis option requires a written paper and oral defense as fulfillment of the final evaluation. The project will require a written paper that will be a descriptive problem related to the individual's professional field. Projects willl be evaluated by the area faculty. Comprehensive examination questions will be determined and evaluated by area faculty.
Applicants for programs leading to the Master of Education degree in the Department of Instructional Leadership must present the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Science in any discipline as conferred by the University of Oklahoma or the equivalent, and meet all the prerequisites for graduate courses.
Prospective students are encouraged to seek additional information by contacting the college graduate programs officer, Mike Jenkins (mjenkins@ou.edu), or the department chair, Dr. Kristy Brugar (kristy.a.brugar@ou.edu).
