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Curriculum and Instruction M.Ed.

Total Semester Credit Hours = 30

The Curriculum and Instruction M.Ed. allows educators to advance their understanding of teaching and learning. Students who complete this degree often move to curriculum and instruction positions in their school district or remain in the classroom to serve as highly effective teachers and lead teachers. The Curriculum and Instruction M.Ed. provides an option for candidates seeking initial teacher certification who have a minimum of an earned baccalaureate degree. Being admitted into the post-baccalaureate initial teacher preparation program and successfully completing Texas Education Agency and SBEC requirements for initial teacher certification requires additional activities and fees.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Master of Education Degree in Curriculum and Instruction, the individual must:

  1. Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
  2. Complete the online Graduate Admissions Application.
  3. Submit official transcripts from the undergraduate institutions attended.
  4. Be a certified teacher or be currently seeking certification.
  5. If required, send official scores (obtained within the past five years) on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
  6. Admission is determined based on undergraduate GPA and, if necessary, satisfactory scores on the GRE in combination with the undergraduate GPA, and the applicant's demonstrated commitment to his or her chosen field of study. See website for additional information.
  7. Only for applicants also seeking to obtain initial teacher certification, additional admission requirements are required to enter the educator preparation program. These requirements are:
    1. Have an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.25 in last 60 hours of coursework. Students may be accepted into the post-baccalaureate initial certification with a GPA of 2.5 with an acceptable Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score. 
    2. Provide evidence of satisfactory scores on one of the acceptable basic skills test such as the Texas Success Initiative, GRE, Accuplacer, and others. See the School of Education website for specific information regarding appropriate tests and scores.
    3. Have a minimum number of hours in the content area where applicant is seeking certification. 
    4. Pass the content area in the Pre-Admission Content Test (PACT). 
    5. Complete the admission screening survey. 
  8. Upon admission, post-baccalaureate initial certification students must
    1. Sign and submit through a provided survey link an acknowledgement of admission, the Handbook Agreement Form, degree plan, and FERPA Agreement Form within five (5) business days.
    2. Complete background check documents.
    3. Pay admission fee to the School of Education. This fee is separate from The University of Texas at Tyler’s Graduate School application.
NOTE: In accordance with Texas Administrative Code, all applicants must be fully admitted prior to taking any coursework in the area in which they are seeking certification. Therefore, no provisional admission is allowed.

Degree Requirements

Foundation Area (9 hrs.):

EDUC 5301Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences
EDUC 5352Curriculum Foundations
EDUC 5302Research Project in Curriculum and Instruction

*EDUC 5352 NOTE:  EDUC 5372 is required for individuals seeking initial teacher certification and can be used to meet this foundation area requirement.

Major Area (9 hrs.)

Curriculum and Instruction

Choose one from:

EDUC 5303Applied Learning Theories
EDUC 5370Historical and Philosophical Foundations of American Education
EDUC 5308Current Issues in Education
EDUC 5306Selected Topics in Education

Human Diversity

Choose one from:

EDUC 5356Education That Is Multicultural
EDSP 5350Overview of Special Education (Birth -21)

Educational Technology

Choose one from:

EDUC 5320World Wide Web Applications
EDUC 5359Educational Technology
EDCI 5335Current Trends in Educational Technology
EDCI 5334Learning Technologies and Disabilities

Individuals seeking initial teacher certification are required to complete 9 hrs. of Major Area courses (3 hrs. per area). Two of these courses, Diversity & Special Populations, Best Practices for C&I and are specifically designed for post-baccalaureate initial certification students.

Specialization Area (12 hrs.)

12 hrs. of specialization course work in STEM Education, Instructional Coaching, Educational Technology, post-baccalaureate initial teacher certification, or in a single content area. Students should contact the graduate advisor for courses that meet the requirements of the specialization.

During the final semester of the degree program, each student will engage in a comprehensive examination to document evidence of his or her learning throughout the degree program. Each student must pass the comprehensive exam in order to complete the degree.

Additional Requirements for Post-Baccalaureate Initial Teacher Certification

  1. Students must complete 30 hours of observation.
  2. Students must have a full time, full-year internship OR 16 weeks of full-day clinical teaching.
  3. Students must pay additional fees to cover the cost of their supervision in the internship or clinical teaching experience.
  4. Students must pass the appropriate PPR TExES (certification exam).