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.
Student learning outcomes
- Learner and learning: Understand human development and learning theory appropriate to the age group they will teach and acquire an awareness of the diversity of the school-age population in cultural backgrounds and styles of learning
- Content: Demonstrate knowledge of the subjects they will teach
- Instructional practice: Demonstrate an ability to plan and implement effective teaching and measure student learning in ways that lead to sustained development and learning
- 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
This concentration is intended for students who initially pursue a licensure program at the VCU School of Education, but for whom that is no longer appropriate. Admission is by special action approved by the dean of the School of Education. Students may not apply directly to this concentration. Please contact your assigned faculty adviser and/or the school’s dean for further details.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations | ||
| EDUS 660 | Research Methods in Education | 3 |
| EDUS 673 | Democracy, Equity and Ethics in Education | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Advanced Educational Psychology for Elementary Teachers | ||
| Introduction to Social Statistics | ||
| Curriculum Development | ||
| Instructional Models and the Curriculum | ||
Other course as approved by adviser | ||
| Core courses | ||
| 18 hours of graduate course work with TEDU, EDUS or SEDP prefix as approved by adviser | 18 | |
| Approved electives | ||
| Any graduate courses with TEDU, EDUS or SEDP prefix | 6 | |
| Other courses as approved by adviser | ||
| Total Hours | 33 | |
The minimum total of graduate credit hours required for this degree is 33.
Contact
Communications and Enrollment Management
soeinfo@vcu.edu
(804) 827-2670
Additional contact
Hillary Parkhouse, Ph.D.
Assistant professor and graduate program director
heparkhouse@vcu.edu
(804) 828-1305