Become an Early Childhood Teacher: Master’s of Early Childhood Education

The Master’s in Early Childhood Education is a teacher licensure program and as such if you already have your Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL), this degree program isn’t for you. The endorsements are embedded in the program plan and as such students are not able to select the individual endorsements and related coursework.

Grant eligibility is contingent upon admission, enrollment, and completion of a grant application. Grants are conditioned on recipients, post-graduation, serving underinvested communities in Illinois for 4 years and participating in 2 years of a professional learning community; failure to meet these conditions will require, in most cases, repayment of tuition and fee amounts. Additional criteria may apply.

If you prefer not to apply to the Erikson Educator Impact Grant or are not awarded the grant, Erikson awards over $2 million in scholarships to students enrolled in our degree and certificate programs. Erikson also participates in the federal Direct Loan programs, and assuming you meet all eligibility requirements, you will have access to both Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS loans to help finance your Erikson education.

Over 90% of our students work either part-time or full-time as they are pursuing their Erikson degree.

The other factor to consider as you think about your work schedule is whether you want to pursue your master’s degree program in one or two years. While there are always exceptions to this, most students who wish to work full time while enrolled at Erikson opt for the two-year program. Students who have more flexibility in their work schedule or want to complete their program in a shorter period of time while working part-time tend to enroll in the one-year program.

It’s important to note that you will be required to be available during business hours Monday through Friday during your student teaching for your student teaching placement, and you will have evening courses and methods seminars one to two nights per week. We encourage you to plan ahead and communicate as necessary with your employer in advance of your program.

It may be possible to complete your student teaching with your existing employer if you work with an agency that provides site-based early care and education to children under the age of eight. Student teaching requirements may differ based on your situation and could result in two different placements. Given that this is a program with three embedded endorsements in ECE, ESL/bilingual and special education, at least one of the placements will need to have multilingual and children with special needs. Staff in our Field Education Office will work with you to find student teaching placements within Illinois.

The staff in our Field Education and Career Services Office will work with you to prepare you for seeking early childhood teacher positions while you’re enrolled at Erikson and upon graduating from the program. You’ll receive feedback on your resume and cover letters, and we also maintain a job board on our campus portal where employers list part-time and full-time early childhood teacher positions for which they’re hiring.

The Career Services team also plans an annual social work, early education, and child development job fair for Erikson students and alumni. In concert with the job fair, you can submit your resume to be included in an annual Resume Book that we distribute to organizations and managers who are interested in hiring Erikson students and alumni.

Erikson students enrolled int he hybrid moadlity of this program live in a wide range of neighborhoods in Chicago and in the suburbs. We do not offer campus housing. While we can’t make specific recommendations about where you should live, we encourage you to find a neighborhood that suits your style, taste, and budget. To help you in your housing search, we work closely with StudentSpace, a free apartment-finding service that specializes in helping graduate students find housing in Chicago.

Because of Erikson’s small size, you’ll have access to a wide range of both informal and formal student support services. These include:

• The Field Education and Career Services team will help you identify and apply for your internship placement. Erikson has hundreds of pre-approved internship sites, so you don’t have to worry about finding a placement site on your own.
• Advising about your financial aid options, including personal financial education, is coordinated through the Financial Aid Office.
• Academic advising is facilitated through your faculty advisor and program director.
• The Academic Success Center provides services to help you with the academic reading and writing expectations of your program. The Center also sponsors discussion groups for selected master’s program courses.
• The Director of Disability Services provides advising and support for students with disabilities and students who need accommodations for their academic work.
• WorkLifeMatters is a confidential student assistance program offered to all Erikson students through Guardian and Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH). You have unlimited access to consult with a professional counselor via telephone. Face-to-face counseling sessions are available, if needed, with an IBH network provider — and up to eight sessions are free of charge as part of WorkLifeMatters.
• Validated parking at a reduced rate is provided to Erikson students in three nearby parking garages. You will also have access to deeply discounted public transportation through the CTA U-Pass program.