Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (MAT)
Master of Arts in Teaching in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education
Unit: College of Education and Human Development (GE)
Program Website
Academic Plan Code(s): IECEMAT
Program Information
Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education Birth to Primary Teacher Certification Program
The program emphasizes in-depth academic preparation and field experiences that allow teachers to be knowledgeable about the field of early childhood/special education and to develop critical thinking and lifelong learning skills. The program emphasizes:
- Nurturing students as active agents in their own learning
- Authentic, performance-based assessment of teaching and learning
- Meeting the needs of all students
- Responding constructively to sociocultural differences among students
The program prepares students interested in working with children from birth to age 5 in a wide variety of settings—day care centers, public and private preschools, community programs, and clinics. This program gives students authentic experiences with infants, toddlers, and preschool children in the areas of curriculum development, typical and atypical child development, programs and services for children and their families, family involvement and intervention, screening and assessment, program administration, current topics, and practicum/action research.
The goals of this program include:
- IECE Teacher Certification
- Preparation of teachers for the education of typical and atypical children in different settings
- Provide background information on Kentucky Child Learning and Assessment Standards
Admission Requirements
Candidates who meet the following criteria may be eligible to apply to the Master of Arts in Teaching program:
- Application to Graduate School. This should be completed three to four weeks prior to the application deadline.
- Minimum test scores as required by EPSB. Please note: when submitting test scores through ETS, use the general University of Louisville code, 1838.
- Bachelor's degree with minimum undergraduate degree GPA of 2.75 (official transcripts required)
- C or higher in ENGL 102 (or equivalent) and oral communication courses
- TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo
- Professional Statement
- Signed Professional Code of Ethics/Technology User Agreement/Statement of Understanding of Admissions Guidelines
- Three Letters of Recommendation
- Interview
Candidates considering applying to the MAT program should contact the Education Advising and Student Services office (teacher@louisville.edu) prior to applying for admission.
Admission is competitive. Candidates who meet minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission to the program.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDSP 583 | Early Childhood Special Education Assessment | 3 |
| EDSP 584 | Families and Collaboration in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| EDSP 585 | Families and Collaboration in IECE: Field Experience | 1 |
| EDSP 600 | Creativity and the Young Child | 3 |
| EDSP 536 | Theories of Play | 3 |
| EDSP 537 | Infant/Toddler Instruction and Care | 3 |
| EDSP 533 | Inclusive Early Childhood Curriculum | 3 |
| EDSP 534 | Inclusive Early Childhood Curriculum Field Experience | 1 |
| EDSP 515 | Communication and Socialization in Early Childhood | 3 |
| 600 Level Electives approved by advisor 1 | 7 | |
| Mid-Point Assessment: Prior to Student Teaching 2 | ||
| EDTP 614 | Student Teaching: Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| EDTP 615 | Student Teaching in the Elementary Grades (Primary) | 3 |
| Minimum Total Hours | 36 | |
Certification Assessment: After Student Teaching: Satisfactory dispositions assessment; 2.0 or higher in student teaching; satisfactory certification work sample; passing scores on required PRAXIS exams; positive recommendation from ECEE program committee.
Degree Assessment: Satisfactory dispositions assessment, all program coursework with 3.0 cumulative GPA (and no more than a total of two grades of C (six [6] credit hours) in degree courses, satisfactory degree work sample.
Degree Candidacy: If not enrolled during the semester in which you are graduating, you will need to register for degree candidacy as outlined in the Graduate Catalog.
Praxis Disclaimer:
"Teacher certification requirements are subject to change. Before registering for certification test(s), please refer to the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) website at epsb.ky.gov or ets.org/praxis/ky for current requirements."
| 1 | Advisor approval needed. |
| 2 | Prior to Student Teaching: Successful completion of all courses listed above; Positive recommendation from Program Committee (including assessment of dispositions and mid- program work sample). Electronic documentation of 200 hours of diverse and approved field experiences. |
The Master of Arts in Teaching in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education program prepares students to meet the requirements for certification and/or licensure. If you plan to pursue professional licensure or certification you should first determine your state’s criteria for examination and licensure to see how/if our program meets those requirements prior to enrollment. We recommend that you also contact your state’s licensing board directly to verify that the requirements have not changed recently and to answer any questions especially those regarding additional requirements beyond the degree.
More information about certification or licensure is available at the following website: https://louisville.edu/oapa/licensure-information (you may search by school or by the name of the program then click on 'View Details' to display the information).
For programs with an online option, more information about certification or licensure is available here: http://louisville.edu/online/About-Us (please scroll down near the bottom of the page and click on the licensing disclosures tab).
