Explore the landscape of early childhood education from previously unseen angles. Understand more about children and the sociocultural communities they inhabit. Integrate these insights with examinations of classrooms and schools to better serve diverse populations of young children and their families.
UNT’s accelerated online Master of Science in Early Childhood Education program is designed for those who want to learn how to better respond to increasingly diverse populations through an inclusive, culturally responsive, and linguistically rich curriculum. Our master’s students critically examine the nature of early childhood classrooms, centers, and schools in order to reconceptualize what it means to teach and care for young children. This knowledge translates into skills that can be applied across research, policy, and practice settings, preparing our graduates to be advocates for children — whether it be better teachers, more reflective administrators, or more critical researchers and policymakers.
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Admission to the master's program in Early Childhood Education is a two-step process. Each applicant must first apply to and meet the general admission requirements of UNT's Toulouse Graduate School. Then, applications for students who meet initial admission standards are forwarded to the Early Childhood Studies Admissions Committee for review and final decision.
Program deadline dates
For Fall, July 15th
For Spring, Nov. 1st
For Summer, May 1st
Apply to Toulouse Graduate School
You must be admitted to the Toulouse Graduate School before enrolling in the accelerated online program. Conditional acceptance to the graduate school can be granted if you meet program requirements.
Submit your application at applytexas.org and choose the "Master of Science degree in Early Childhood Education" in the degree plan list. Confirm that you are applying for the accelerated online program when prompted near the end of the application process.
Request an official transcript of your records from each college or university that you have attended and have them sent to the Toulouse Graduate School. All transcripts are required but unofficial transcripts will be accepted with your application while official transcripts are being processed.
By U.S. Postal Service:
Toulouse Graduate School
1155 Union Circle #305459, Denton, TX 76203-5017
By UPS/FedEx:
Toulouse Graduate School
1147 Union Circle, ESSC 354, Denton, TX 76203-5459
Pay the $75 application fee at the time you apply.
You will be notified of your acceptance to the graduate school by mail and through my.unt.edu.
Admission decisions will be made based on a holistic review of applicant qualifications.
Submit the following documents electronically to MS-EarlyChildhoodEd@unt.edu for admittance to the College of Education's accelerated online master's program:
Three satisfactory letters of reference, on letterhead, from professionals who address the applicant's ability to successfully pursue graduate study.
A 3-4 page double-spaced essay explaining the purpose for undertaking graduate study at UNT, including professional plans or career goals and a discussion of professional interests related to early childhood education.
A resume detailing your professional experience.
Check Status Online
You can check your application status:
To check if your transcripts and entrance exam scores have been submitted:
The Toulouse Graduate School will send you an email and pin number to check online at my.unt.edu. You will need to activate your EUID with the pin number and click on Admissions Status.
Admission of International Students
Applicants who do not hold either U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent resident alien status should apply to the UNT Graduate International Admissions.
An international applicant's bachelor's degree should be equivalent to a U.S. four-year bachelor's degree.
All documents should be submitted at least six months before enrollment date.
We're here to help you every step of the way. Call 940-565-3290 or e-mail MS-EarlyChildhoodEd@unt.edu. with questions or to find out the status of your application.
Visit the Registrar's website for more information on course registration dates and payment deadlines.
The accelerated delivery provides five course start times per year. Courses will be offered in 8-weeks sessions during the long semester or shorter during the summer session. Students who maintain the accelerated 30-hour course sequence can complete course work in 12 months.
Required courses, 30 hours
Fall 8W1 (August to October)
EDEC 5513 - (3 hrs) Advanced Studies in Early Childhood Education
EDEC 5613 - (3 hrs) Curriculum Theory in Early Childhood Education
Fall 8W2 (October to December)
EDEC 5013 - (3 hrs) Research Strategies in Early Childhood Education
EDEC 5643 - (3 hrs) Leadership and Supervision of Programs
Apply for financial aid online at fafsa.gov. The application is required for all types of financial aid, including Pell and other federal grants, state grants and loans. The FAFSA and Renewal FAFSA are available annually.
You must enroll in 6 hours (over one or two online sessions) in order to be eligible for financial aid.
Financial aid awards will be disbursed 10 days prior to the first day of class. Awards will not disburse if you are enrolled in only 3 credit hours.
Contact Student Financial Aid and Scholarships at 940-565-2302 or by visiting online at financialaid.unt.edu
As a literacy educator at UNT since 1997, Janelle Mathis focuses her teaching and research on children’s and adolescent literature, especially works that are multicultural and international. She teaches both undergraduate and courses in children’s and adolescent literature, qualitative research, and literacy topics including multimodality and sociocultural issues. Her research interests, often focused on response to literature and critical content analysis of words and images, are also found in the areas of the transactional theory of reader response, socio-cultural contexts for literacy teaching and learning, critical literacy, and literacy through the arts. She received her doctorate at the University of Arizona in the Department of Language, Reading, and Culture in 1994. She was a teaching assistant and adjunct at the University of Arizona, and she also taught at Northern Illinois University prior to coming to UNT. Published in national and international journals, she is most recently a co-editor and author of "Critical Content Analysis of children’s and Young Adult Literature: Reframing Perspective" (Routledge, 2016) and "Critical Content Analysis of Visual Images in Books for Young People: Reading Images" (Routledge, 2019). Currently serving as co-editor of "Bookbird, An International Journal of Children’s Literature," her professional life outside UNT revolves around and within LRA, NCTE, IBBY/USBBY, and ALA. Her personal life involves traveling, hiking, and learning about “the Blues.”
