Triple Endorsement Master of Science in Early Childhood Education Licensure Program
One Master's. Three Endorsements.
Online and hybrid options available.
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Being a teacher today means leading classrooms defined by a multiplicity of languages, abilities, and life experiences. Teachers need specialized skills to know how to build on the strengths of every one of your students. You need to be attuned to individual family dynamics and have a comprehensive understanding of contexts for learning and opportunities to partner with families.
It's challenging, but the rewards are enormous – teachers can create inviting and caring classrooms. That’s why the Erikson Institute, the premiere graduate school for early childhood development fields, has created the only licensure program of its kind in Illinois: The Triple Endorsement Master’s Degree Program in Early Childhood Education.
Full-tuition grants are available to students who serve underinvested communities for four years and participate in professional learning communities for two years after graduation.
Accepting applications for fall and spring terms.
The traditional method of "stacking" endorsements is costly, time-consuming, and falls short of offering a holistic approach that every child needs. Complete your degree in 16, 24 or 28 months. Our full-time and part-time program integrates three endorsements in a single course of study: Early Childhood Ed, ESL, and Special Ed. You'll have the comprehensive preparation today's classrooms demand and you'll have a wider range of employment options.
The Triple Endorsement Program is designed to support every facet of your life as a student and a professional. You'll have full access to our Academic Success Center's writing course, study groups, and one-on-one tutors. Faculty will become your role models and mentors. After graduation, you'll join the program's online, monthly Professional Learning Community, so you can continue to connect with and learn more from colleagues who share your Erikson training and passion for equity in education. By caring about you as a whole person, Erikson prepares you to meet each student as a whole person, too.
The Erikson approach is developmentally informed, mindful in its approach, and expansive in its outlook. You'll learn how to forge deep connections with students, their families, and their communities. You'll know how to create a collaborative classroom environment, where teacher and student truly learn from each other. Erikson-trained teachers act with exceptional intentionality, create learning environments built on strengths rather than deficits and manage classrooms with fewer disciplinary restrictions.
I believe my work and personal contribution to early childhood education can make the world better. It is my goal to be the most informed teacher I can be, to build educational foundations rooted in access for all learners, and to always view my work through an equity lens.
- Brianna Brown, MSECE Triple Endorsement, '25