Program goal
The Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction program is designed to provide education professionals with a deeper understanding of pedagogy, curriculum design, philosophies of education, theories of learning and strategies for meeting the needs of diverse learners. Concentration courses within the program are selected in consultation with an adviser. This program is available in an online format.
Student learning outcomes
- Learner and learning: Understand learning theory appropriate to the age group they will teach and/or for which they will design curriculum and acquire an awareness of the diversity of the populations’ cultural backgrounds and styles of learning
- Content: Demonstrate knowledge of the subjects they will teach and for which they will design curriculum
- Instructional practice: Demonstrate an ability to plan and implement effective teaching and measure learning in ways that lead to sustained development and growth
- Professional responsibility: Develop an understanding of purposes for education and a defensible philosophical approach toward teaching and demonstrate professional dispositions
VCU Graduate Bulletin, VCU Graduate School and general academic policies and regulations for all graduate students in all graduate programs
The VCU Graduate Bulletin website documents the official admission and academic rules and regulations that govern graduate education for all graduate programs at the university. These policies are established by the graduate faculty of the university through their elected representatives to the University Graduate Council.
It is the responsibility of all graduate students, both on- and off-campus, to be familiar with the VCU Graduate Bulletin as well as the Graduate School website and academic regulations in individual school and department publications and on program websites. However, in all cases, the official policies and procedures of the University Graduate Council, as published on the VCU Graduate Bulletin and Graduate School websites, take precedence over individual program policies and guidelines.
Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on academic regulations for graduate students.
Degree candidacy requirements
A graduate student admitted to a program or concentration requiring a final research project, work of art, thesis or dissertation, must qualify for continuing master’s or doctoral status according to the degree candidacy requirements of the student’s graduate program. Admission to degree candidacy, if applicable, is a formal statement by the graduate student’s faculty regarding the student’s academic achievements and the student’s readiness to proceed to the final research phase of the degree program.
Graduate students and program directors should refer to the following degree candidacy policy as published in the VCU Graduate Bulletin for complete information and instructions.
Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on degree candidacy requirements.
Graduation requirements
As graduate students approach the end of their academic programs and the final semester of matriculation, they must make formal application to graduate. No degrees will be conferred until the application to graduate has been finalized.
Graduate students and program directors should refer to the following graduation requirements as published in the Graduate Bulletin for a complete list of instructions and a graduation checklist.
Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on graduation requirements.
Admission requirements
| Degree: | Semester(s) of entry: | Deadline dates: | Test requirements: |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.Ed. | Fall | Feb 1 | |
| Spring | Oct 1 | ||
| Summer | Feb 1 |
In addition to the general admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School, the following requirements represent the minimum acceptable standards for admission:
- Bachelor’s degree
- Three letters of recommendation addressing the student’s potential for graduate study in education
- Statement of intent
- Transcripts of all previous college work
Please visit the School of Education website for further information.
Degree requirements
In addition to the VCU Graduate School graduation requirements, students are required to complete course work in core and elective courses.
- Credit hour requirements: Students are required to complete a minimum of 33 credit hours.
- Grade requirements: Receipt of a grade of C or below in two courses constitutes automatic dismissal from the program. Courses with a grade below C cannot be used to satisfy degree requirements.
Curriculum requirements
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core courses | ||
| EDUS 660 | Research Methods in Education | 3 |
| EDUS 665 | Assessment Issues and Design for Classroom Practice and Education Policy | 3 |
| EDUS 673 | Democracy, Equity and Ethics in Education | 3 |
| SEDP 531 | Educational Foundations for Collaboration and Universally Designed Learning | 3 |
| TEDU 552 | Methods for Teaching Multilingual Learners | 3 |
| TEDU 615 | Curriculum Development | 3 |
| TEDU 681 | Investigations and Trends in Teaching | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select graduate course work with ADLT, CNSE, EDLP, EDUS, READ, SEDP or TEDU prefix or other as approved by the adviser. | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this degree is 33.
Contact
Office of Strategic Recruitment
soeinfo@vcu.edu
(804) 827-6847
Additional contact
Hillary Parkhouse, Ph. D.
Associate professor and graduate program director
mailto:heparkhouse@vcu.edu
(804) 827-2667