College of Education

Admissions | Early Childhood Education

Ideal candidates for the Early Childhood: Inclusive Education master’s program are professionals who work with families, children, and communities, and who are eager to deepen their knowledge and expand their impact. Our students bring a rich array of experiences and perspectives—as early childhood educators, home visitors, early intervention specialists, children’s librarians, kindergarten teachers, program directors, advocates, and more.

This program prepares highly reflective and responsive educators and social service professionals with a deep understanding of child development, cultural and individual diversity, and the complex contexts that shape the lives of young children and their families.

Admissions Timeline
Program StartFallWinterSpringSummer
Final Application DeadlineAugust 15November 15February 15May 15
Final Application Materials Due*August 29November 29February 28May 29

Additional Timeline Information:

*Recommendations can sometimes take longer to arrive. You can submit your application before these have arrived. This deadline is to allow a short grace period for your recommendations to arrive, if necessary.

After submission, your application will be reviewed by staff and faculty. We make every effort to communicate admissions decisions within three to four weeks.

Admittance into the MA/MS in Early Childhood: Inclusive Education (online) is dependent upon completion of the application materials and admittance processes as follows.

Admissions requirements

Required Application Materials

Below is the list of the materials and information you will need to provide as part of your online application. We recommend preparing these materials in advance of submitting your application.

  • Unofficial Transcripts: from your bachelor’s degree-granting institution and from any institution at which you have earned graduate-level credit
  • English Language Proficiency: Automatically assessed in your application materials. Learn more about your options for proving proficiency.
  • Résumé including all experience working with children
  • Statement of Purpose: Please answer the following questions in no more than 250 words each. We recommend you provide examples when appropriate. Your answers should reflect how your background, beliefs, and experiences have prepared you for this program.
    • Our ideal student is inspired to construct knowledge, reflect, and work toward collaborative change; please provide examples of your experience with children (0-8), families, and/or early childhood communities that demonstrate how you meet these dispositional requirements.
    • What are your main personal and professional reasons for applying to the program and specialization in this application?
    • Share two experiences in early childhood education and care (ECEC) that highlight your key values, strengths, and aspirations as an educator, including your approach to equity and inclusion.
    • Share a specific experience in which your practice was changed by what you learned from children.
    • What do you see as your strengths and challenges in being a learner in an online graduate program? Beyond the flexibility of the program format, how do you plan to stay engaged in a relationship-based, reflective learning community?
  • Recommendations: Submit contact information for at least two references via the application. Portland State University will contact your references and provide them with instructions for submitting recommendation forms.

Admissions Review Process

We review your application for the following:

  • Academic Requirements: Via your transcripts, we assess whether you meet the university’s minimum admissions requirements. 
  • Two Recommendations: If possible, at least one of these should come from someone who has seen you work with young children (0-8 years of age). We are looking for professional references from an employer, supervisor, professor, advisor, etc. 
    • References will submit a questionnaire that you send them via the application portal. 
  • Experience working with young children: Experience working with young children and/or families is highly valued. We look for:
    • One or more years of work or volunteer experience in early childhood or related programs, or
    • Related fieldwork/practicum experience through a college program, or
    • The ability to organize and complete volunteer and/or work experience during your time in the ECE degree program
  • Résumé: We use your résumé to evaluate your relevant work and/or volunteer experiences in early childhood education and care, your educational background, and how these factors align with your goals in pursuing this master’s degree.
  • Statement of Purpose: Your statement of purpose will be evaluated based on its content, your responses to the prompt questions, and your writing style and proficiency. Please restrict your essay to a maximum of 500-750 words.

Ready to apply?

  1. Review PSU Graduate School Minimum Admissions Requirements.
  2. Create an account or sign into the Portland State University Admissions Application system.
  3. Select "Start New Application"
  4. Then select "Graduate Application"
  5. For the college, select "College of Education"
  6. For the program of study, select from:
    "Early Childhood: Inclusive Education, Masters, Constructivist Specialization"
    "Early Childhood: Inclusive Education, Masters, Distributed Pathway"
    "Early Childhood: Inclusive Education, Masters, ITMH Specialization"
    "Early Childhood: Inclusive Education, Masters, Special Education Specialization"
  7. Select the term you plan to start the program
Questions? Contact Tatiana! about this content

Post-Admissions

You will be notified of your admission decision to the program via an email and a formal digital letter from the Graduate School. After admission, you will be assigned a faculty advisor and a staff student success advisor, both of whom will support you through your program. The college provides an online orientation module to help you take your next steps to begin your program. You will also be invited to a live orientation session to ensure that you’re fully prepared to begin.

A few additional things to keep in mind:

  1. All students must submit their official transcripts to the Graduate School after admission.
  2. If you’re still completing a bachelor’s degree, you must apply for your degree, and it must be awarded by the term before you begin your graduate program. (Ex: if the program begins summer, the degree must be awarded by the end of spring term).
  3. You must register for coursework in the term that you are admitted in order to validate admission to the program. If you do not, your admission status will be canceled.
  4. If you’re unable to begin in your term of admission, you may request a deferral by emailing askcoe@pdx.edu for up to 4 terms (one year). This request must be made before the start of the program.

Program advising

Admitted Students can find the schedule of classes, course descriptions, program handbook, announcements, and other information on the Program Google Site.

For program advising, contact one of the following faculty members to schedule an appointment:

Dr. Will Parnell, Professor, Early Childhood: Inclusive Education, parnellw@pdx.edu
Advising for the Online Early Childhood Master’s Degree: Specialization in Constructivism and Distributed Pathway.

Dr. Sally Guyon, Assistant Professor of Practice, Early Childhood: Inclusive Education, skguyon@pdx.edu
Advising for the Online Early Childhood Master’s Degree: Specializations in Infant Toddler Mental Health and Special Education, and Distributed Pathway.

Dr. Ingrid Anderson, Associate Professor of Practice, Early Childhood: Inclusive Education, ianderson@pdx.edu
Advising for the Graduate Certificate in Infant Toddler Mental Health and the 12-credit Indigenous First Steps Early Childhood Certificate