Mar 29, 2024  
2016-2017 Undergraduate and Graduate Academic Catalog 
    
2016-2017 Undergraduate and Graduate Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Curriculum and Instruction, M.Ed.


CIP Code: 8377 (130301-01)

The Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction program is a 36-39 graduate credit hour program. It is comprised of the following components: 

  • Core Courses (18 hours)
  • Concentration Courses (15-18 hours)
  • Research Capstone (3 hours)

There are five concentrations available:

  1. Instructional Specialist
  2. K-8 Mathematics Education
  3. Non-Public Schools Administration
  4. Special Education Diagnostics
  5. Teacher Researcher

The program and its concentrations are delivered in 100% online, accelerated 7-week terms, with the exception of SPED 482(G) . The hybrid Special Education Diagnostics concentration courses are delivered in a face-to-face format in regular semesters, while all other concentrations are delivered in the 100% online, accelerated in 7-week terms. Two 7-week terms are offered during the regular Fall and Spring semesters and one term is offered during the regular summer session. New students may begin the program only in the terms that correspond with the start of a regular Fall, Spring, or Summer semester.

Admissions Requirements


In addition to the general admission requirements from the Graduate School, admission to the graduate program in the Curriculum and Instruction program requires:

  • a valid teaching certificate
  • that two of the three required letters of recommendation address the applicant’s potential to become a teacher leader

The Graduate School’s GRE requirement for admission will be waived for applicants to this program who possess an undergraduate (adjusted or cumulative) GPA of 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale).

  • Applicants who receive the GRE waiver will be required to submit an essay of not less than 500 words that speak to the applicant’s potential to be a teacher leader.  The essay is purposely non-prescriptive but must include a representative narrative that addresses how the applicant epitomizes or envisions the role of teacher leaders.

Required Courses


Course requirements vary according to the concentration and cognate options desired by the student. The major requirements are:

Research Capstone Course


Students are required to take:

Concentrations


Some concentrations have suggested sequences. Concentrations offered are outlined below.

Instructional Specialist Concentration - 15 Hours


The Instructional Specialist concentration positions students to refine, reform, or develop curricula and instruction for themselves and pre-service, novice, or veteran peers. Students should already be skillful at their craft and should be seeking demonstrative ways to share their expertise beyond their own classrooms. This concentration leads to a Louisiana state certification as an Instructional Coach, and thus students will be well positioned to assume roles as content coaches, lead teachers, curriculum coordinators, department chairs, peer evaluators, and induction specialists, among others.

K-8 Mathematics Concentration - 18 Hours


The K-8 Mathematics concentration is anchored in intensive content and pedagogical courses. Students earn 21 graduate hours through this concentration en route to earning the Elementary Mathematics Specialist Certification (EMS). The EMS certification is available to mathematics educators in grades K-12 and is intended to signify the holder’s ability to provide instructional leadership in mathematics. EDCI 595  serves as the capstone course for this concentration.

Non-Public Schools Administration Concentration - 15 Hours


The Non-Public School Administration concentration meets the educational leadership needs of the private/parochial sector, and as such it is offered both as a concentration of the M.Ed. program and as a Graduate Certificate in the College of Education. Students who successfully complete the requirements of this concentration will be eligible to apply for a Graduate Certificate, issued by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, as well as the Master’s in Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction.

Special Education Diagnostics Concentration - 15 Hours


The Special Education Diagnostics concentration provides teachers and, in particular special education teachers, more training and in depth skills in diagnosing learning and behavior challenges of students with exceptional learning needs. The coursework focuses on using diagnostic assessment data to develop appropriate instructional plans to meet students’ learning needs in reading and other core subject areas as well as behavior.

Teacher Researcher Concentration - 15 Hours


The Teacher Researcher concentration accelerates the students’ transition from classroom teacher to teacher-scholar. This concentration focuses on research endeavors designed to position students for matriculation to a doctoral degree program in education. Students will be encouraged to become “budding experts” in their chosen field by way of the intellectual inquiry embedded in this concentration’s curriculum.