Program Expectations & Advising Resources for the M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction: Early Childhood Education, Licensure
Add-On Licensure Endorsement
The School of Education through Liberty University Online offers numerous graduate programs at the master’s level. The Master of Education will prepare you for leadership roles in Christian, public, and private school systems. Coursework provides focused training for candidates seeking a position as an early childhood education (ages 3-4) educator, or those wanting to further their education in preparation for the pursuit of an Education Specialist or Doctor of Education degree.
Along with core courses, specializations offer more specific knowledge in a particular area of interest.
Certain prerequisites may be required by Liberty University’s School of Education for those seeking to become candidates in the master’s program, specifically from candidates with a non-educational undergraduate background or those who meet the equivalent of an academic major in a liberal arts area.
Requirements
- General Information
- Degree Completion Plan
- Course Guides
- One of the following teaching licenses is required for candidates seeking the Early Childhood Education add-on license:
- An Elementary Education teaching license
- A Special Education Early Childhood Education teaching license
- Field Experiences: EDEC 698: Directed Practicum Capstone: Early Childhood
- Admission: 3.0 GPA
- Graduation: 2.5 GPA
- Gate Information
- Gate 1: Program Acknowledgement
- Gate 2: Program Status Check
- Gate 3: Practicum/Capstone Application
Framework and Dispositions
The mission of the School of Education at Liberty University is to develop competent professionals with a biblical worldview for Christian, public, and private schools.
The faculty of the School of Education has delineated the dispositions that must be observable in each candidate of our programs at all levels:
- Displays a sense of social responsibility
- Demonstrates commitment/work ethic
- Demonstrates reflective practice
- Displays personal integrity
- Displays professionalism
Transfer Credit
View the graduate transfer policies.
Background Check
The School of Education strives to produce educators who model high standards before their peers. In keeping with this mission, candidates will complete a variety of field experiences in the K–12 school system as part of his/her program. Background checks have become a requirement in our partnerships with the school system. Out of respect for this, we require all candidates who are seeking to complete the practicum capstone to complete a background check through American DataBank.
Gates
The Gate system is designed as a set of checkpoints to ensure that candidates have completed the necessary requirements to successfully complete the program. The Gate system is an important part of maintaining a quality program as required by our licensing and accrediting bodies.
Licensure Information
Candidates who are interested in an add-on to their state license must complete a Virginia Department of Education approved program. To be eligible for verification forms for other states, the licensure office must verify that candidates completed one of our approved licensure programs. Candidates must complete the practicum capstone (EDEC 698) as one of the add-on licensure requirements.
Candidates in this program are not eligible to pursue a student teaching or internship semester.
Practicum (EDEC 698) or Capstone (EDUC 696)
The practicum (EDEC 698) is an eight-week course designed for candidates who are pursuing a degree in the field of education but are not seeking state licensure.
The practicum must be completed in a preschool setting (with three- and four-year-olds) in a public school or an accredited nonpublic school. The candidate must have at least 45 instructional hours in these areas.
To request a practicum placement, please see the Field Experience: Requesting Procedures page.
If candidates are unable to complete EDEC 698 due to the required practicum hours, an alternate capstone (EDUC 696: Current Issues in Education Capstone) may be completed instead. EDUC 696 does not require field experience hours. Completion of EDUC 696 does not lead to add-on licensure.