Education MEd, Curriculum and Instruction Emphasis

Program Overview

The Master's Degree in Education is an accredited program designed for K-12 educators and those in informal learning or international educational settings. Candidates choose electives to support their growth as educational leaders and impact their communities. The program includes required core courses, research courses, and an emphasis area in Curriculum and Instruction, which explores curriculum design, implementation, and leadership in K-12 environments.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Master’s Degree in Education is an accredited program appropriate for K-12 teachers, specialists, department chairpersons, and those who work in informal learning or international educational settings. Candidates choose electives that will support their personal growth and development as an educational leader to impact the communities with which they work. Diverse candidates will engage in a learner-centered environment committed to the success of historically marginalized and diverse students, research, and community engagement. Within diverse education settings, candidates will: advance pedagogical knowledge, recognize inequalities in educational opportunity, design differentiated assessments to inform practice, critically examine professional practice, and demonstrate commitment to ethical professional practice. It is important that both candidates and advisors plan ahead to ensure courses are taken when they are offered in the schedule. Programs must be planned with an academic advisor and meet the approval of the faculty advisor, adhering to the College of Education and UMSL Graduate School policies. The M.Ed. with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction is designed for graduate candidates who wish to further their competencies as educators, curriculum specialists, or instructional leaders. Educators must develop evidence-based, socially just, and differentiated curriculum to prepare all learners for a digital, global society. This emphasis area explores common issues in curriculum design, implementation, and leadership in K-12 environments. Candidates will create cutting-edge curriculum and design innovative instruction for their educational settings.

Outline:

Curricular Program

The M.Ed. in Education consists of 4 required courses (12 hours) plus candidate choice from emphasis areas and electives (18 hours) for a total of 30 hours. Program requirements are met by: (a) completing 2 required foundation courses (6 hours) toward the beginning of the M.Ed. program (b) completing the coursework for an emphasis area and/or electives (18 hours) (c) completing the 2 exit research capstone classes (6 hours) Most emphasis areas indicate 3-6 required courses. In addition, electives allow candidates to construct an individualized set of target courses. Transfer graduate credit from another institution may also fit into elective hours. Candidates seeking certifications with the master’s program may require additional coursework and State of Missouri assessments (Reading, TESOL, initial teacher certification).

Required Core

Students are required to complete the following courses within the first 15 hours of study. TCH ED 6010Examining History, Community and Social Justice in Education3 TCH ED 6030Instruction, Learning, and Assessment 13

Required Research Courses

These two research courses should be taken in sequence (not concurrently) at the end of the program. Candidates will design and execute a piece of original practitioner research and present their findings in a public forum. TCH ED 6909Teacher Action Research I3 TCH ED 6910Teacher Action Research Capstone3

Total Hours

12 Specific Requirements for the Emphasis Area In addition to the required courses above (12 hours), candidates seeking an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction are required to complete the following coursework (18 hours) for a program total of 30 hours. ELE ED 6411Curriculum Leadership Elementary Programs3 TCH ED 6422Curriculum Design of K-12 Programs3 TCH ED 6423Learning Through Inquiry3

Graduate Electives

9

Total Hours