Overview
The early years of a child's life are critical years that play a major role in determining the child's developmental trajectory throughout life. A significant body of research literature has documented the importance of early childhood education and the difference that quality early childhood education makes in these early formative years. The Faculty of Education at UBC is fortunate to have a number of faculty members whose research and professional interests focus on children from birth to age 9. The strength of this group is in its breadth across disciplinary areas, the variety and the high calibre of its research, and its commitment to professional development. As a collective, this group represents a significant strength within the Faculty of Education that attracts outstanding students, new faculty, and research funding.
The Master of Arts (MA) in Early Childhood Education is a research-oriented degree, requiring the completion of a Master's Thesis. As such, it is the preferred route for individuals planning to pursue a doctoral degree after the Masters.
What makes the program unique?
Graduate programs in UBC's Early Childhood Education program are designed for educators and child care professionals who wish to explore issues in early childhood research, theory, and practice. The MA in Early Childhood Education program is an interdisciplinary, faculty-wide program that consists of core courses in early childhood education (ECED) and related courses in other Faculty of Education departments. Key areas of focus include: theorizing early childhood and early childhood education, research and research methodologies, issues in early childhood curriculum, instruction, assessment and evaluation, and cross-departmental inquiries in early childhood education.
Quick Facts
Research Supervisors
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for this program
Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors
These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.
This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.
- Bredin, Shannon (Medicine, nursing and health curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; Psychology, social and behavorial aspects; Indigenous health; Physical education and development curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; Psychosocial, sociocultural and behavioral determinants of health; Health promotion and disease prevention; Motor Behaviour (Motor Expertise, Learning, and Development); Human Performance; Physical Activity; Knowledge Translation and Mobilization; Indigenous Health and Physical Activity; Long-Term Athlete Development; Childhood Development; sport)
- Corella Morales, Meghan (Other languages and literature; Academic Discourse; Children and youth; Discourse Analysis; Language ideology; Sociolinguistics)
- Early, Margaret (Adolescent issues, English as a second Language, language education, literacy, teacher research)
- Ford, Laurie (Early Childhood Assessment, Youth and Families)
- Gerofsky, Susan (Curriculum Studies Research, Mathematics, Media, Semiotics, Text Studies, Pedagogy, Research Design and Method, Technology; gesture; genre; mathematics and the arts; Performance Theory)
- Gleason, Mona (History, archaeology and related studies)
- Gouzouasis, Peter (early childhood music education; computer literacy through fine arts and new media; music in mass media; especially jazz, guitar, Music education, Action Research, Artistic and Aesthetic Development, Arts Education, Assessment, Early Childhood Education, Educational Technologies, Literacy, Media, Semiotics, Text Studies, Music, Music Education Research, Non-Formal Learning, Pedagogy, Philosophy, Research Design and Method, Sociological Issues, Teacher Education Research, Teacher Research, Technology)
- Keenan, Harper (Curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; Gender, sexuality and education; Inter-disciplinary, trans-disciplinary learning and education; Colonialism; early childhood and elementary education; Educational Context; Gender; race; sexuality; teacher education; childhood; Transgender Studies; LGBT Studies; queer studies)
- Li, Guofang (longitudinal studies of immigrant children)
- Petherick, Leanne (Curriculum Studies Research; Children & Youth; Feminist Studies; Pedagogy)
- Renwick, Kerry (Curriculum, pedagogy and didactics, n.e.c.; Teacher education and professional development of educators; Critical Pedagogy; Educational Policy; Familial Contexts; Health Education; Home Economics; Human and Social Ecology; Public health; teacher education)
- Vadeboncoeur, Jennifer (cultural-historical psychology, child/parent relationships, student/ teacher relationships, play and performance based learning, bridging school and out of school contexts for learning, Alternative schooling and pedagogies, Critical theory, Discourse and critical discourse analysis, ethnography, Qualitative research, Socially constructing knowledge and identity, Sociocultural approaches to learning and teaching, Young people placed)
Program Enquiries
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Supervisor Search
Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.
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