| Course Code | Name | Course Description |
| ECE7001-8 | Topics in Early Childhood Education | This course presents an overview of early childhood education in American society, including currently respected theories and practical applications for educating the young child. Specifically, Learners will explore basic educational concepts and developmentally appropriate practices for children, pre-k – grade three, including children with exceptional needs. Historical and contemporary models and delivery systems are presented and innovations in instruction are discussed. It is suggested that Learners pursuing a specialization in ECE should take this as their first specialization course. |
| EDU8002-8 | Educational Research Methodology | This Doctoral level course provides learners with an overview of the research process, and an opportunity to learn about educational research methodology and the components of a dissertation. The course will also provide the learner with the opportunity to identify and develop a research topic, define a research problem, describe the purpose of the research study, and establish associated research question(s). The learner will prepare a Topic Paper and a preliminary annotated bibliography for the dissertation topic in the Signature Assignment. |
| ECE7002-8 | Topics in Early Childhood Growth, Development, and Educational Programs | This Doctoral level course discusses theory and research related to the education of young children. The intellectual, social, emotional and physical development of infants, toddlers, and young children will be examined, and the impact of these factors on the development of quality early childhood education instructional programs will be explored. Societal changes and their influence on early childhood programs will also be examined. |
| EDU8003-8 | Statistics I | This course provides an introductory exploration of statistics for the graduate Learner. It includes instruction on the calculation, use, and interpretation of descriptive statistics, and introduces inferential statistical analysis. The emphasis of this course is on providing a working knowledge of basic statistical concepts to help the Learner understand statistical methodology used in education, and also more generally, developing a working knowledge of statistical usage in everyday life. |
| ECE7003-8 | Topics in Early Childhood Program Administration | This doctoral course focuses on the development and implementation of early childhood programs for a variety of age groups and purposes. Specifically, curriculum development, materials, teaching strategies, evaluation, budgets, hiring procedures and state guidelines/regulations are addressed. Skills and competencies to implement the aforementioned concepts will also be addressed.
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| EDU8202-8 | Research Design | In this course, the Learner acquires the basic skills necessary for the interpretation and application of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research. The Learner will examine the formal research process carefully, with an emphasis on practical applications and skill development. Critical concepts and principles intrinsic to research paradigms, study designs, and methods of inquiry are presented to empower the Learner’s ability to formulate and respond to research questions. The resources listed below from the Northcentral University Dissertation Center are critical resources throughout the whole research process – learners are highly encouraged to become deeply familiar with the resources from the Northcentral University Dissertation Center. |
| EDU8005-8 | Qualitative Research Design | This course is an examination of qualitative methods for studying human behavior including grounded theory, narrative analysis, ethnography, mixed methods, and case studies. |
| ECE7005-8 | Early Childhood Curriculum and Assessment | This course discusses theory, research, and trends related to the curriculum and assessment of young children enrolled in early childhood education programs. Developmentally appropriate early childhood lesson plans and activities will be explored, analyzed, and created. Standardized and classroom assessments will be researched and evaluated. |
| EDU8006-8 | Statistics II | This course is an intermediate examination of statistical analyses commonly used for research in education. It prepares the doctoral student with the skills required to plan, conduct (using SPSS), report, and interpret quantitative statistical analyses. Topics include: basic statistical knowledge, probability theory, exploratory date analysis, assumptions for statistical tests, parametric and nonparametric tests. Specific analyses include: correlation, regression (simple, multiple, and logistic), basic ANOVA and advanced ANOVA techniques. |
| ECE7007-8 | Early Childhood Literacy and Literature | This course discusses literacy development in early childhood education. Balanced literacy instruction including a comprehensive set of strategies designed to meet individual needs will be explored. Methods for developing reading and writing skills that are developmentally appropriate will also be investigated. Since knowledge of children's literature is essential for any early childhood educator, Learners will determine ways to select appropriate and motivating materials to enhance an early childhood literacy program. |
| EDU8007-8 | Quantitative Research Design | This course provides Learners with the skills essential for designing experimental, quasi-experiment, and survey studies; analyzing the data collected in these studies, and interpreting the results of data analyses. Learners will explore designs and statistical techniques to use with their envisioned dissertation research. |
| ECE7009-8 | Families, Communities, and Schools as Partners in Early Childhood Education | This course focuses on the development of partnerships between early childhood educators, families, and communities. Encouraging involvement and communicating with families and communities in early childhood education programs will be researched and analyzed. Societal trends and issues specific to diversity will be explored. Special topics in the course include child abuse, child advocacy, and formulating effective strategies for working with families of special needs children. |
| EDU8207-8 | Planning Dissertation Research in Education | Students in this course will begin the process of writing a dissertation for a research or professional doctorate. The course will address the University dissertation process and aids to successfully complete a dissertation, including self-care and time management. |
