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

The Master’s in Early Childhood Education is a teacher licensure program. If you already have your Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) in early childhood education, 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 on indication of interest in the grants in the application for admission, admission to the MS Early Childhood Education, Triple Endorsement program, and an invite-only interview with ECE faculty. Grants are conditioned on recipients serving underinvested communities in Illinois or Chicago for 4 years post-graduation, 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 Grants or are not awarded a grant, Erikson awards over $2 million in scholarships to students enrolled in our degree and graduate 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.

It’s important to note that you will be required to be available during business hours Monday through Friday during your practicum placement (last semester), 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 practicum placement 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 and your employer approves the placement(s). Practicum placement 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. Erikson faculty as well as the practicum coordinator will work with you to find a practicum placement within Illinois.

The staff in our 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.

This degree program is only licensed for Illinois. Professional licensure requirements vary by state and students are encouraged to understand professional licensure and teacher certification requirements for any state they are planning to pursue a career in. Additionally, we are unable to support practicums outside of the state of Illinois at this time.

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 Career Services team will help you identify and apply for your practicum placement. Erikson has hundreds of pre-approved 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.