加州州立大学北岭分校

The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Education with an Option in Educational Psychology offers two emphases: (1) Early Childhood Education and (2) Development, Learning, Instruction and Evaluation. Students must take prerequisite courses before formal admittance to a master’s program.

Educational Psychology: Early Childhood Education Emphasis

The specific objectives of the Master of Arts in Education with an option in Educational Psychology and an emphasis in Early Childhood Education (ECE) are:

To prepare students to assume leadership positions in early childhood care and education in a variety of educational, health and mental health-settings institutions concerned with children from the prenatal stage through age 8. Academic career choices of students selecting this emphasis typically include:

• Instructor of child development courses in community colleges.
• Parent educator in public adult education or in a variety of private settings.
• Specialist working with hospitalized children and in programs serving families with high-risk infants and young children.
• Coordinator of community program services for young children and their families.
• Lead teacher, supervisor or director of programs.
• Child advocates working in various social policy agencies.
• To prepare students to enter doctoral programs in early childhood education with a view to teaching at the university level, conducting research in child development, planning and administering programs, or developing public policy.

This program is aligned with the Professional Standards for Advanced Students (master’s level) as specified by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in concert with the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Students must complete courses with a grade of “B” or better to make satisfactory progress in the program. Students earning less than a grade of “B” will be required to meet with their faculty advisor to determine if they may continue in the program.

Development, Learning, Instruction and Evaluation Emphasis

The Development, Learning, Instruction and Evaluation (DLIE) Program offers graduate study of theory research and applications in human life-span development, motivation, learning, instruction, development, teaching processes, affective processes, individual and group differences, assessment, evaluation and instructional design. The specific objectives of the M.A. in Education degree program with specialization in Educational Psychology/Development, Learning, Instruction and Evaluation are: (a) To prepare students according to current academic demands for entry into doctoral programs in educational psychology and education; and (b) To offer pre- and in-service teachers the opportunity to improve their teaching through in-depth study of the psychology of learning, as well as by learning how to do research about students, family, teacher, school, community and teaching-instruction variables; and (c) to prepare students to understand and implement research and evaluation skills in a wide spectrum of education and education-related settings.

The degree prepares candidates for the following career goals:

• Establish a foundation for doctoral study in a variety of fields.
• Become a more effective classroom teacher or mentor.
• Design instructional materials.
• Conduct educational research and program assessment.
• Open a private, educationally related business.
• Become an educational consultant.
• Work in businesses with an educational or training dimension.