Graduate level programs support the professional needs of educators by providing opportunities for enhanced professional practice and school improvement.  The Master of Education is a 33-36 hours degree program. Students choose an area of concentration from either Curriculum and Instruction or Intervention Specialist.  The Intervention Specialist Ed program also results in a license to teach special-needs learners with mild/moderate disabilities in grades K-12.  Both programs are offered through evening, weekend, and summer classes, using a blend of traditional and technological delivery approaches.

The M.Ed. with a concentration in Curriculum & Instruction is a 33 semester hour program intended for licensed educators or those in professional positions that involve planning, instruction and assessment.  Program candidates who desire National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification will be supported in this process through an optional specially-designed course. The program includes the M.Ed. core with an additional 15 semester hours in Curriculum and Instruction. 

The M.Ed. with a concentration in Intervention Specialist is a 35 semester hour program is designed to provide the graduate student who is a licensed teacher with both the M.Ed. degree and an additional license in the area of Intervention Specialist (Mild/Moderate K-12).  The program includes the M.Ed. core with an additional 17 semester hours in Intervention Specialist courses that lead to the Intervention Specialist license.

The five program goals of the graduate program are:

1. Graduates apply their content/discipline area knowledge to create meaningful learning experiences.
2. Graduates apply their understanding of human development, learning, and diversity to inform their professional practice.
3. Graduates apply their knowledge of environmental influences to create learning environments that support the learning outcomes.
4. Graduates apply their knowledge of effective curriculum and instruction to ensure students’ learning outcomes.
5. Graduates model ethical, reflective, and inquiring professional practice.

Admission Criteria

The admission requirements for the M.Ed. program follow the University’s general requirements for graduate programs, as described in the Graduate Program Policies and Procedures Manual.    There are 6 different types of degree status: Regular; Conditional; Provisional; Non-Degree; Transient; and International.  Below are the requirements for the Regular Degree Status.  For more information regarding the other types, please contact the Department of Teacher Education.

Regular Degree Status

• Evidence of a B.S. or B.A. degree from an accredited institution.
• Evidence of an overall GPA of 2.75 for the B.S. or B.A. degree on a 4.0 system.
• Evidence of a teaching license or equivalency, in a specialized teaching field, e.g. Early Childhood (PK-3), Intervention Specialist Mild and Moderate (PK-12), Middle Childhood (4-9), Adolescent to Young Adult in Integrated Mathematics (7-12), etc.
• In-house writing sample (assessed with a standard rubric).
• Two letters of recommendation from educational or professional sources.