The MPEd in the Field of Early Childhood Education is professional graduate degree program. All of your courses are taken online. In your final term, your internship will include a combination of onsite (at your internship site) and online work. Additional internship details are available in the 'Courses' section below.
The MPEd in the Field of Early Childhood Education is the first program in Canada dedicated to the education of pedagogists . As vital provocateurs, pedagogists enact situated, dialogical and transformative pedagogical projects, and co-construct curriculum with educators and children in early childhood programs. Graduates of the program are at the forefront of the field of early childhood education.
The MPEd in the Field of Early Childhood Education provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to confidently enter the new role of pedagogist in British Columbia and Ontario, as well as work in leadership positions in early childhood education across the globe.
Important Note
The successful completion of a Master of Professional degree does not lead to certification with the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) or the College of ECE.
The MPEd is designated as a 2-year, full-time program. Full-time status requires that students complete four half-courses per year. MPEd students will complete one course per semester (fall, winter, intersession, summer) for two years. Full-time students have access to all student services at Western. See SGPS for details.
This program of study is a course-based cohort model. Approximately 20 students will be admitted to each cohort. This cohort structure will provide ongoing support within the course work, enabling students to develop a professional community of practice. To ensure the integrity of the cohort model, continuous enrollment is required, and will necessitate that students complete all the required courses within the timeframe stipulated.
The MPEd in the Field of Early Childhood Education includes a culminating internship in your final term. Additional internship details are available in the 'Courses' section below.
All courses are online and will primarily be delivered in an asynchronous format. Some may have synchronous components depending on the topic and Instructor. Please refer to the course outline for additional information about such details.
The internship (Summer Term of second year) will include a combination of onsite (at your internship site) and online work.
Students beginning September 2022 and later:
Year 1 Fall
ED 9400 Discourses on Childhoods
Critical examination of discourses on childhood. Critical analysis of the dominance of child development in early childhood education. Considers historical, philosophical, and contemporary debates and innovations in the field (e.g., children in colonial and neoliberal contexts) with implications for pedagogists.
Year 1 Winter
ED 9407 Pedagogy and Curriculum in Early Childhood Education
Critical examination of curriculum and its relation to pedagogy in early childhood education, with special focus on curriculum-making. Considers historical, philosophical, and contemporary debates with implications for pedagogists.
Year 1 Summer - Intersession
ED 9408 Pedagogical Documentation and Narrations
Historical and contemporary study of pedagogical documentation and pedagogical narrations. Emphasis on thinking documentation and narrations as processes of curriculum making and evaluation.
Year 1 Summer - Summer Session
ED 9409 Discourses of the Early Childhood Educator
Critical examination of the role of the early childhood educator. Analysis of the role of educators in relation to the purpose of early education. Considers historical, philosophical, and contemporary debates and innovations in the field (e.g., education in colonial and capitalist contexts) with implications for pedagogists.
Year 2 Fall
ED 9429 Research in Early Childhood Education Pedagogy
A critical introduction to research as an innovative process. Emphasis on transformative research involving young children, educators, community members, and/or others. Provides opportunities for developing pedagogical inquiries, and interpreting research.
Year 2 Winter
ED 9439 The Pedagogist in Early Childhood Education
Focus on pedagogists leading the development and enactment of pedagogical projects. Emphasis on pedagogical leadership to promote livable worlds for all. Gives students opportunities to engage in the transformation of early childhood programs.
Year 2 Summer - Intersession
Year 2 Summer - Summer Session
ED 9495 Pegagogist Internship
The completion of an internship placement in an early childhood education organization that allows students to lead a pedagogical project. The internship entails:
- 5 days of instruction, in-person (London, Ontario) or virtual, for 3 hours/day, followed by
- 10 weeks working as a pedagogist, alongside other educators, in an early childhood centre chosen by you and approved by your internship instructor
- the internship requires 10 hours/week, divided between time spent at the centre and work done online
- it is preferred that your internship not be done at your place of employment
Students who started in September 2021:
Year 1
ED 9400A Understanding the Young Child
ED 9407B Understanding Early Childhood Education Curriculum
ED 9408L Understanding Assessment and Evaluation in Early Childhood Settings
ED 9409L Understanding the Early Childhood Educator
Year 2
ED 9429A Research in Early Childhood Education Pedagogy
ED 9439B The Pedagogist in Early Childhood Education
ED 9495 Capstone, ECE
Students who started prior to September 2021:
Year 1
ED 9400A – Understanding the Young Child
ED 9407B – Understanding Early Childhood Education Curriculum
ED 9408L – Understanding Assessment and Evaluation in Early Childhood Settings
ED 9409L – Understanding the Early Childhood Educator
Year 2
ED 9496A – Understanding Research Methods for Educational Practice
ED 9497B – Understanding Curriculum Leadership for Educational Practice
ED 9495 – Capstone, ECE
