The Faculty of Education at UBC offers both a Master of Education (MEd) and a Master of Arts (MA) in Early Childhood Education. These programs are offered through the Centre for Cross Faculty Inquiry (CCFI). Individuals interested in pursuing a PhD related to early childhood education may do so through one of the programs offered by departments (Curriculum and Pedagogy, Educational Psychology and Special Education, Educational Studies, or Language and Literacy Education) or the Center for Cross Faculty Inquiry. Information on PhD programs

New: Online MEd in Early Childhood Education

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

MA/M.Ed Admissions Requirements and Procedures

Master of Arts and Master of Education Program Description

Graduate programs in ECE are designed for educators and child care professionals who wish to explore issues in early childhood research, theory, and practice. Early childhood graduate programs are interdisciplinary, cross-departmental programs that consist of core courses in early childhood education (ECED) and related courses in other departments.

To complement their programs, students have the opportunity to take additional courses in early childhood education, including 3-6 credits of ECED 565, explorations of special topics in early childhood education; additional credits in ECED 585; as well as many departmental offerings related to early childhood education. For example, approved elective courses might be found in child development and special education (Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education), in early language and literacy (Department of Language and Literacy Education), in early numeracy (Department of Curriculum Studies), or in the history of childhood (Department of Educational Studies), as shown in the chart further on this page.

Master of Education (MEd)
The MEd program in Early Childhood Education is designed for teachers, early childhood educators, and other early childhood education professionals who are interested in enhancing their knowledge of professional practice with young children.  Students may choose from either the course-only option (10 courses) or 9 courses plus ECED 590 (3 credits), which is recognized as a capstone experience by the Columbia Teacher Qualification Service (TQS). Please see the chart further on this page for M.Ed course requirements

Master of Arts (MA)
The MA program is designed for teachers, early childhood educators, and other early childhood education professionals who are interested in pursuing research about young children. The program is a 30-credit research-oriented degree consisting of seven courses plus the thesis/research study.  In addition to the three core courses (EDUC 500, ECED 508, ECED 585), MA students are required to take an additional three-credit research methodology course to prepare them for their thesis project (ECED 599, 9 credits).

Students should select additional electives in consultation with their supervisors. Supervisor’s approval is required for electives not listed above and for the additional research methods course for MA students. Please see the lists of pre-approved Electives.