The major in curriculum and instruction prepares knowledgeable, reflective practitioners to work in both formal and nonformal educational settings. Courses help educational practitioners clarify their professional purposes and improve the pedagogical environments in which they function. The major includes course work from curriculum leadership, environmental education, and secondary education. Students may choose to focus their course work on one of these or combine course work to meet their professional needs.
Curriculum leadership courses provide the student with information to develop competence in supervisory techniques, curriculum theory and practice, cooperative planning for improvement of instruction, and evaluation of programs of curriculum improvement.
Environmental education courses focus on methods of teaching the core concepts and skills that environmentally literate citizens need. Environmental education courses prepare formal and nonformal educators to use community and natural out-of-classroom resources to enhance the curricula and non-formal education programs. Students focusing in this area are encouraged to complete the certificate of graduate study in environmental education.
Courses in secondary education are intended for entering or practicing teachers who wish to develop the teaching skills and the informed understanding of the major issues and trends in secondary education that mark the master teacher.
Requirements
Programs of study must include a minimum of 33 semester hours, of which a minimum of 18 semester hours must be chosen from the major. Students elect either the non-thesis or thesis option.
Non-Thesis Option
One graduate-level course in research approved by adviser (3)
One graduate-level course in foundations of education approved by adviser (3)
Course work in the major approved by adviser (9-18)
Additional course work approved by adviser (0-9)
Successful completion of a comprehensive examination
Same as the non-thesis option except that a minimum of 6 semester hours of program course work must be devoted to TLCI 599A, Master’s Thesis: Curriculum Leadership, TLCI 599B, Master’s Thesis: Environmental Education, or TLCI 599C, Master’s Thesis: Secondary Education.
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