Early Childhood Education with Montessori Concentration, M.Ed.

Required credits [33]

Additional Information:

The Montessori Training Center of New England is responsible for the field placements of students. These placements are made in AMI-accredited Montessori schools in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Admission Requirements

1. Minimum of bachelor’s degree
2. Acceptance into the Montessori Training Center of New England
3. Official transcripts
4. Two letters of reference from professional or academic sources
5. Completed University of Hartford application for graduate study
6. An essay specifying the reasons for seeking admission in this area of study
7. An interview with appropriate program faculty (Faculty member will complete an interview summary form.)

The objectives of this concentration in Montessori Primary Education within the Early Childhood Education graduate program are as follows:

1. To expose the Montessori-prepared early childhood educator to various current and historical approaches to early childhood education;
2. To prepare Montessori-prepared early childhood educators to work with families;
3. To prepare Montessori-prepared early childhood educators to use a variety of current developmentally appropriate assessments and to plan appropriately for children based on those assessments;
4. To prepare Montessori-prepared early childhood educators to read current early childhood research as consumers of research as applied to children and families; and
5. To prepare Montessori-prepared early childhood educators to plan and administer early childhood programs.

This program creates the opportunity for graduate-level preparation with a concentration in the primary level of Montessori education. This program is established through a partnership with the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)–approved Montessori Training Center of New England. Prepared Montessori teachers interested in pursuing a graduate degree in early childhood education may take courses in early childhood education in addition to the courses undertaken for the Montessori preparation. This program concentration is part of the early childhood graduate offerings in the Department of Education and Human Services. The Montessori Concentration is not a certification program.

The Montessori concentration prepares professionals to address the changing needs of students in Montessori schools who may not have begun their education in a Montessori school. The concentration in Montessori recognizes the professional preparation of the Montessori-trained teacher and builds on that to provide the Montessori teacher with a well-rounded background in all areas of early childhood education.

Courses and practical experiences listed in the Montessori concentration, plus the other early childhood courses, lead to a master’s degree in early childhood education. The 33-credit program of study requires two semesters to complete the 15-credit Montessori portion of the program. The remaining early childhood courses are taken as available through a regular course rotation.

Field-Based Learning and Practicum

Through the integration of Montessori field study in course work as well as in the practicum (EDYM 540 ), candidates have opportunities to apply material from class to children in real teaching and learning settings. Candidates thus bring back authentic experiential information to their training experiences, which enriches graduate students’ learning.

Field experiences through the non-Montessori courses round out the Montessori experience, affording students the opportunity to observe and interact in programs and schools that follow various models of early childhood education.

Culminating Activity

As a culminating activity for the graduate degree, students are required to take the comprehensive exam that is part of the graduate program in early childhood education. The culminating activity for the concentration in Montessori consists of a series of oral exams.