Graduate Program

The Department of Curriculum and Instruction offers graduate studies leading to:

• Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Curriculum & Instruction
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree with a major in Curriculum and Instruction

Each graduate student must concentrate in one of the department's Areas of Study.

The department also collaborates with certain other departments to provide joint programs of graduate work; depending on the field, these lead to either a joint Master of Arts (M.A.) degree or a joint Master of Science (M.S.) degree.

Master's Study

M.S. study in the department prepares students for advanced work in education. In some cases, master's degree work prepares students to enter a new career as an educational specialist (e.g., curriculum developer, content area specialist, school department head, curriculum supervisor, instructional technology specialist, early childhood specialist, community health educator, or reading teacher). In other cases, master's degree work prepares students to perform at a higher level in their existing job; the advanced degree leads to increased leadership within a job category but not to a change of job category. In these cases, the purposes of master's degree work include professional updating, maintenance of accreditation, acquisition of new perspectives and skills, specialized knowledge of particular importance in one's job, preparation to work with student teachers, and preparation for leadership among teachers. Find more information about this program here

Doctoral Study

Research-oriented Ph.D. study in the department prepares students for different forms of intellectual leadership in education. These different forms of intellectual leadership include research, teacher education and other teaching in higher education, and leadership positions in educational agencies. These different forms of leadership are not mutually exclusive, but the relative emphasis given to each varies among students and areas. Find more information about this program here

Advanced-Certification Programs

In addition to the master's degree and Ph.D. degree programs, the department offers three advanced-certification programs involving certificates that are only available at the post-baccalaureate level. These are: Bilingual Certification, English as a Second Language Certification, Instructional Technology Certification, Reading Teacher, and Reading Specialist. Descriptions of these programs are found in the Degrees Offered section.