MA in Education, Nature-Based Early Childhood Education

Introduction

Technological obsession and the need for more environmental leaders have led experienced educators to pursue teaching options that harness the academic benefits of the outdoors. Antioch University Santa Barbara’s MA in Education, concentration in Nature-Based Early Childhood Education, provides the professional development to help children explore and grow in nature’s classroom. It is rooted in the belief that children who spend more time outdoors develop healthier bodies and creative, inquisitive minds. Whether you wish to create, develop, or instruct nature preschools and forest kindergartens, you can become a leader in the global nature-based education movement.

This degree is offered by AU Santa Barbara.

Program Overview

Our MA in Education with a concentration in Nature-Based Early Childhood Education (NBECE) has 15 required concentration units as a part of our 45-unit MA in Education program. The program prepares you to be on the forefront of advocacy in Pre-K through 12 school districts, non-traditional schools, higher education, or for-profit and nonprofit organizations. This program stands apart from other graduate education degrees in these ways and more:

• Streamline your degree with a fast-paced curriculum that can be completed in five quarters and begins in the summer quarter. Take advantage of flexible evening and Saturday course options that accommodate each student’s work schedule.
• Interactive courses in small classrooms are built around open dialogue and team participation, encouraging a high level of involvement. This format provides ample opportunity to share your own knowledge while learning from your peers.
• Engaged faculty with extensive experience bring a real-world perspective to the coursework that is immediately applicable and relevant. If desired, you will receive professional mentoring throughout the MA program and even after graduation.

Degree Requirements

Requirements:

Course Sequence

Quarter I (Summer):

• Social Justice and Education Reform
• Research Ethics for Human Subjects
• Nature-Based Early Childhood Curriculum

Quarter II (Fall):

• Foundations of Educational Research
• Nature-Based Early Childhood Curriculum

Quarter III (Winter)

• Critical Evaluation of Education Research
• Nature-Based Early Childhood Curriculum

Quarter IV (Spring)

• Research Practicum in Educational Inquiry
• Producing and Disseminating Educational Research
• Risk Management for Nature-Based Early Childhood
• Nature-Based Early Childhood Curriculum

Quarter V (Summer)

• Thesis Study
• Resilience and the School Community

Electives (4.5 NBECE Elective Units Required):

• Landscape Design for Nature Play & Learning (Fall)
• Music, Movement, and Storytelling for Early Childhood  Ecology of Imagination in Childhood (Fall)
• Natural History for Early Childhood (Winter)
• Ecology of Imagination in Childhood (Winter)
• Internship in Nature Preschools or Forest Kindergartens
• School Change Practicum – own classroom
• Independent Study

For detailed curriculum, degree requirements, and course descriptions, please visit the AUSB Course catalog.

How to Apply

Admissions information for the MA in Education programs

Scholarships

In Bloom

Antioch University Santa Barbara partnered with Antioch University New England, the Academy of Forest Kindergarten Teachers, and the Orfalea Family Children’s Center to offer In Bloom in Santa Barbara: Promising Practices in Nature-Based Early Childhood Education on November 3, 2018.

Download “A Forest Days Handbook”

Download Spring In Bloom Events