Preschool students

Master of Education (Early Childhood)

Master (Coursework)

Provided by

Programme Type

Full-time, Part-time

NIE Graduate Programmes

[email protected]
Enquire here Apply now

The Master of Education programme is primarily designed for educators working in Singapore schools and the Ministry of Education. University graduates with a background in education and wishing to advance your knowledge and skills in education are also welcome to apply.

The programme offers the degree in 16 areas of specialisation. The different specialisations allow you to choose the area that best fits your interest as well as your career path, whether that path is towards the Master Teacher track, Specialist track or a general desire to update your knowledge and skills.

The Master of Education (Early Childhood) makes an in-depth study of theories and practices in early childhood education.

Curious to know what our faculty and students think about our programmes? Click here to find out!

The focus is on knowledge and understanding of issues in the art of teaching children in their early years, appreciating their social contexts, early childhood curriculum and pedagogy, and meaning-making through linking related education theories and practices. Issues are addressed across varied paradigms and perspectives in contemporary ideas of teaching and learning. It extends the knowledge and expertise of early childhood professionals, enabling them to develop innovative teaching programmes for young children.

  • A good Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university, or a relevant NTU FlexiMasters with good grades;

  • A teaching qualification such as the NIE's Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the National Institute of Education, Singapore and at least ONE year of teaching experience
    or
    Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education approved by the Early Childhood Development Agency, Singapore and at least THREE years of teaching experience in pre-schools and/or other children-related teaching institutions / organizations. 

See detailed requirements for competency in English Language here.

There are generally two intakes for this programme in a year (January and August). You are advised to visit the website and look out for NIE’s announcements in May/June and November/December to confirm if the programme will be open for application at any particular intake.

Applicants who are currently working with sponsors, donors or financial institutions to fund their studies, are encouraged to submit their applications early to NIE so as not to miss out on our application period.

Applications are to be made online. Click here to sign up for an ISAAC (Integrated Student and Academic Administration System) account to apply with us. For those with an existing account, login to apply.

More information on required documents for application can be found here.

The coursework for this specialisation comprises 1 core course, 3 required specialisation courses, 2 specialisation elective courses plus either:

  • a dissertation or
  • two additional courses (one open elective course and MED 902 Integrative Project)

MED 902 Integrative Project is open only for applicants pursuing the degree totally by coursework.

Important note for matriculated students: 

Please refer to the ISAAC system for the programme structure relevant to your intake during Course Registration or consult Dr Rebecca Chan, your programme leader if you need clarifications.

Note: Programme structure is subject to changes

The degree of Master of Education is generally offered on a part-time basis although full-time studies are also available for some specialisations. The candidature periods are as follows:

Full-time

Minimum

1 year

Maximum

2 years

Part-time

Minimum

2 years

Maximum

4 years

The following is the detailed list of courses students have to complete:

Core Course

  • MED 900 Educational Inquiry


Required Specialisation Courses

  • MEC 901 Child Development (0-8 years)
  • MEC 902 Issues and Trends in Early Childhood Education
  • MEC 903 Research Investigations in Early Childhood Education


Specialisation Elective Courses

  • MEC 904 Assessment in Early Childhood Education
  • MEC 905 Curriculum Design for Infants and Toddlers
  • MEC 906 Curriculum Design and Development in Early Childhood Education
  • MEC 907 Diversity in Early Childhood Education
  • MEC 908 Early Intervention
  • MEC 909 Professionalism in Early Childhood Education
  • MEC 910 Pedagogy in Early Childhood Education

Open Elective Courses

Other than the core and specialisation courses, you may select open elective courses offered across all NIE Master's Degree programmes. The offer of electives is reviewed regularly to reflect developments in education and the respective fields. You are advised to take note of the prerequisites (if any) before registering.

Optional Specialisation Courses are offered subject to demand and availability of faculty expertise.  Hence, not all specialisation courses are available for selection to every intake.

 

Course Descriptors

MEC901 Child Development (0-8 years) (4 AUs)
The MEC901Course which is the first specialisation course in the MEd (EC) Program, provides the foundation for all the other specialisation courses. 

This course will help participants conceptualize children's development across infancy, pre-school and primary school years (birth to 8 years) through the critical review of/reflection on various developmental theories, models, approaches and scholarly works.

MEC902 Issues and Trends in Early Childhood Education (4 AUs)
This course aims is to empower participants to explore and reflect critically on key current and historical issues and trends underpinning the developments of early childhood education (ECE), and through this, to examine and discuss how ECE in the Singapore context can benefit from developments in the wider field, and yet stay relevant to its contextual demands.

MEC903 Research Investigations in Early Childhood Education (4 AUs)
This course introduces students to the research design process in early childhood related topics. This course is essential in preparing students for their dissertation and MMM800 (Critical Inquiry) course which would require them to conduct a small research study within a single semester. This course provides the necessary preparation by allowing students to craft a coherent research design  gathering literature, sifting through theories, identifying a focused topic and honing in on the study's purpose as well as selecting the specific research methodology for their study which is centered in the early years and commonly used in early childhood education.

MEC904 Assessment in Early Childhood Education (4 AUs)
Assessment had become an important aspect in the early years as teachers need to document and provide evidence of children's learning to various stakeholders such as parents and government authorities.

In this course, participants will examine discourses and issues in assessment in early childhood (0-8 years old), and critically evaluate and (re-)design the assessment framework and related practices at a particular setting.

MEC905 Curriculum Design for Infants and Toddlers (4 AUs)
The purpose of this course is to provide educators with an understanding of infant-toddler curricula, pedagogies and research within the larger field of early childhood education. Children from birth to three have unique needs in group care and require different pedagogical approaches and programs compared to children aged three to six. Knowledge in understanding the physical, cognitive and socio-emotional needs and developmental issues in these domains for infants and toddlers would be useful for the ongoing professional learning of all involved in early childhood education.

MEC906 Curriculum Design and Development in Early Childhood Education (4 AUs)
The course explores the theoretical and practical nature of various early childhood curriculum approaches across time and context. The discussion will closely examine the wide array of paradigms with the underlying conceptions about children and education in light of a range of practical implications.  In order to be able to prepare to be curriculum developer, theorizer, and advocator, the course enhances participants capacity to utilize multiple critical lens to rethinking and doing of educational complexity, equity, and diversity.

MEC907 Diversity in Early Childhood Education (4 AUs)
Early Childhood (EC) classrooms in Singapore are becoming more and more diverse in nature. Teachers need to learn to work with children and families from different cultures and backgrounds.

This course will introduce participants to the concepts of diversity and social justice in the early years. Participants will learn the importance of being aware as well as acquiring the necessary knowledge, skills, attitude, experience and dispositions to develop a personal pedagogy which promotes diversity and social justice to work with young children in EC classrooms. They will also learn the importance of promoting childrens voices in research, practice and policy in the field of early childhood care and education (ECCE).

MEC908 Early Intervention (4 AUs)
This course features a multi-disciplinary nature, which is crucial to transdisciplinary collaboration, a fundamental tenet within the early intervention of young children with disabilities as well as those at risk. A primary focus is the theoretical tenets, contextual elements in the practice of early intervention, and evidence-based intervention approaches. Participants will be guided through various formats of learning to be able to understand the history and theories of early intervention in the global literature, as well as to apply their understanding in the investigation of the contemporary early intervention programs, practices, policies, and future trends for development.

MEC909 Professionalism in Early Childhood Education (4 AUs)
This course is designed to review and reflect on current understandings of professionalism in the EC field both globally and locally.

It explores the twin concepts of leadership and professionalism with reference to early childhood education in the Singapore context. It also explores how leaders can create avenues for professionals to innovate, enriching optimal learning and meeting the needs of children and their families.

MEC910 Pedagogy in Early Childhood Education (4 AUs)
This course is designed to equip early childhood educators who are in teaching and mentoring roles to effectively design the curriculum and content to instruct adult learners who are preparing to enter the early childhood workforce. It will introduce participants to adult learning theories and scaffold their skills in teaching and instructing adult learners. The course enables participants to understand what motivates adult learners and be equipped with the needed skills to create content and instructional design that is conducive for the adult learner who is teaching young children. Hence, the course leverages on the participants existing knowledge on how young children think and learn. Participants will draw information from the various courses that they have previously undertaken, (e.g. child development, curriculum, assessment, diversity, etc.) for this course on Pedagogy in ECE. This course also has a practical element, which seeks to improve the participants instructional​ design and delivery in the context of teaching an early childhood course to adult learners.

MED900 Educational Inquiry (4 AUs)
This course introduces participants to the fundamental processes involved in conducting research such as formulating research questions, writing a review of the literature by synthesizing empirical studies, understanding various methodological approaches, collecting and interpreting research data. Participants in this course will have opportunities to develop the skills, knowledge and strategies needed to read, interpret, and evaluate the quality of research reports. In addition, participants will gain a critical understanding of quantitative, qualitative, and combined research approaches.

MED901 Academic Writing for Postgraduate Students (4 AUs)
This course will guide postgraduate students in studying the discourse and linguistic conventions of academic writing in their own discipline so that they can better manage the writing of their thesis/research paper. In addition to studying the discourse practices of academic writing, students will also examine the thinking processes underlying the production of those practices.

MED902 Integrative Project (2 AUs)
This capstone course requires participants to identify an education issue which forms the focus of inquiry, locate and read the most relevant literature to generate suggested potential solution to address the problem. The solution should show evidence that they are able to take the available information and restructure it in an appropriate way to deal with the issue.

For tuition fees, please click here.

For more information about scholarships, please click here. 

For programme-related matters, please consult the programme leader,  Dr Rebecca Chan for more information.

Related Programmes