Curriculum and Instruction (CUR) MS

Goals and Outcomes:

Admission

Submit an Application for Graduate Study with the non-refundable application fee, an official transcript verifying completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, and one reference form completed by a teaching colleague or supervisor. The student will receive an Initial Program Plan outlining the courses required to become a fully accepted graduate student.

Initial Admission

As an initially admitted graduate student in the Curriculum and Instruction program, the student must:

submit all documentation required for admission;
successfully complete 9.5 credit hours of graduate course work which must include CUR 501 Curriculum Trends and Issues, EDU 550 Introduction to Research Methodology,CUR 556 Introduction to Capstone Experience, and one other course (CUR 503 is recommended);
must remain in good standing by earning a grade of B or better in each of these courses.

Full Acceptance

After successful completion of the initial admission requirements, the candidate will develop a program plan of study with the assigned Academic Advisor.

Due to scheduling or course demands, a student may be delayed in successfully completing CUR 501 or EDU 550. In such cases, students will be allowed to complete these specified courses no later than the 5th course in the program of study. Registration will be blocked if CUR 501 and EDU 550 are not successfully completed at that point.

Courses

All candidates will complete eleven courses (34.5 credit hours) distributed over three categories: the Curriculum and Instruction Core, the Focus Area and the Capstone Experience.

Curriculum and Instruction Core:

Seven REQUIRED courses These courses provide the candidate with the foundation for curriculum design and the implementation of that design. These courses also provide for developing skills in designing and evaluating curriculum.

Focus Area:

Four courses to be selected by the student. The Focus Area is intended to extend the candidate’s abilities to apply the concepts and skills in a pedagogical or content area of interest. These areas include, but are not limited to:

Adaptations for Special Needs (EDU, PSY, SED)
Computer Applications in the Instructional Program (EDU, SLM)
Leadership in Curriculum and Instruction (ADM)
Online Teaching and Learning (OTL)
Reading and Language Arts (RDG)
Science (**BIO, **PHY)
Social Sciences (**HUM, PSI, SOC)
Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages (TSL)

(the course prefixes which are appropriate for these focus areas are in parentheses)

** available on campus ONLY

Capstone Experience:

Candidates will complete CUR 515 as the last course in the sequence of the Curriculum and Instruction Core. This course will encompass all previous academic work in the required Core.

Three capstone experiences are available for completion of the Curriculum and Instruction program. Students select one of the following 1.5 credit options:

Portfolio
Synthesis
Action Research