Accelerated Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education
This accelerated program lets undergraduate students begin taking graduate-level courses during their final years of undergrad, saving time and money while deepening expertise and advancing careers sooner.
Accelerated Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education
Undergraduate students at UM that are interested in graduate study in Early Childhood Education can get a head start through the Accelerated Master’s Degree Program.
Undergraduate students that would like to qualify for the Accelerated Master's Degree Program must meet the following requirements:
- 3.0 minimum GPA
- 90 completed credit hours as an undergraduate
Number of credit hours a student can earn towards the graduate degree while completing their undergraduate studies:
- 15 credit hours
Courses undergraduate students in the Accelerated Master's Degree Program can take to earn credit towards the graduate degree:
- EDEC 6000: Child Development: Pre-Birth to Age 8
- EDEC 6010: Language and Literacy Development in Young Children
- EDEC 6020: Theoretical Foundations of Early Childhood Curriculum
- EDEC 6030: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) in ECE
- EDEC 6040: Function and Theory of Play in Early Childhood
- EDEC 6050: Integrating the Arts in Early Childhood Education
- EDEC 6060: Social Contexts in Early Childhood
- EDEC 6070: Issues and Trends in Early Childhood Education
- EDEC 6080: Diverse Needs in Early Childhood Education
- EDRS 6050: Educational Research 1
Remember: For students who participated in the accelerated program prior to fall of 2026, 500-level courses for graduate credit required the student to reserve the course for graduate credit. A student who did not do so will be unable to use the 500-level course for the graduate degree and it will be considered the same as a course between 5000 and 5499 in the new course-numbering system.
Students enrolled for the graduate credit in a 5500- to 5999-level course must complete the graduate work. Should they decide they do not wish to do so, they need to work with the instructor, their dean's office, and the Registrar to change their enrollment to the appropriate undergraduate course number. Otherwise, they will be graded based on the criteria for the graduate course number.
Meet the Graduate Program Coordinator
If you have any questions about the Accelerated Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education, don't hesitate to get in touch! I'm always happy to help.
Burhanettin Keskin
Professor of Early Childhood Education