Master of Science (M.S.) in Curriculum and Instruction
The Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction program is offered through the Adrian Dominican School of Education, Leadership and Human Development in collaboration with the College of Arts and Sciences. The program is a 36 credit hour program leading to a Master of Science degree. The program was designed to specifically meet the needs of educators currently working in schools who desire to strengthen their knowledge in the content areas. Working collaboratively with faculty in the ADSOE and the College of Arts and Sciences, graduates are provided with a solid foundation in a content area, along with advanced study in curriculum and pedagogy. The Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction offers professional development opportunities for teachers. The aim of this program is to provide graduate courses which will lead to degrees in critical shortage areas where there is a need for highly qualified teacher leaders with content area expertise.
Program Goals
The Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction Program has six programmatic goals identified to be met throughout the program. Aligned with each programmatic goal, specific Student Learning Outcomes were identified. The Program Goals are as follows:
- design, develop, implement and evaluate effective, collaborative, and innovative P–12 learning contexts through an engaging, discipline-specific curriculum that incorporates evidence-based practice, appropriate materials, resources, and technologies;
- engage in on-going professional development for oneself and provide professional development opportunities for peers to ensure continuous improvement in their discipline and pedagogical practice;
- consider, reflect upon, and respect social and cultural influences on student learning within richly diverse educational settings and adapt curricular, instructional, and assessment practices using a social justice framework;
- continuously evaluate curricular, instructional, and assessment decisions as they impact the intellectual, social, emotional, and personal development of diverse learners;
- practice on-going interpretation and application of research as educational leaders; and
- continuously develop knowledge and expertise in the chosen disciplinary area(s).
Student Learning Outcomes
The twenty-nine Student Learning Outcomes for the Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction are fully articulated to each of the Program Goals identified above. Below is a brief sampling of Student Outcomes. The fully articulated alignment of Student Learning Outcomes to Program Goals is available by contacting the Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction Program Director.
- compare and contrast processes and/or approaches to curriculum development;
- implement innovative curriculum in tune with learning context;
- participate in professional development as related to one’s goals;
- coordinate, mentor, and coach other teachers so as to provide professional development in specific content areas;
- foster awareness of social justice issues in education, taking purposeful action to advocate when necessary;
- critique and analyze historical, political, and social influences that impact curricular and instructional decisions;
- continuously meet learners’ needs by supporting a responsive curriculum;
- evaluate multiple models for analyzing the curriculum and determining needed curricular changes;
- examine and evaluate current research in education and determine applicability to particular settings;
- apply knowledge of appropriate research methodology when evaluating curriculum and making instructional decisions; and
- apply disciplinary thinking to the development of rich conceptual subject matter understanding.
Admissions Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited Institution;
- Minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 and minimum of 3.0 in the content major for GRE/MAT waiver;
- Application, transcript, and portfolio review by interdisciplinary admissions committee; and
- Writing sample (for English & Social Science specializations).
Prerequisites for Entrance into English and Social Sciences Content Area Specializations
English
- 30 credits in literature and/or writing at the 300 level or above,
OR
- 12 credits in literature and/or writing at the 300 level or above
- And a passing score on the FLDOE Subject Area Examination for English*
Social Sciences
- 30 credits in Social Sciences with at minimum:
- 15 credits in Sociology (including Introductory and Social Problems courses)
- 9 credits at the 300 level or above
- 3 credits in American History
- 3 credits in American Government,
OR
- 15 credits in Social Sciences
- 3 credits in Sociology, including Introductory and two courses at the 300 level or above
- 3 credits in American History
- 3 credits in American Government
- And a passing score on the FLDOE Subject Area Examination for English*
*National Board Certification in a content area may be considered to supplant certain requirements for English and Social Sciences specialization
Master of Science (36 credits)
Required Courses (21 credits)
| EDR-601 | METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH | 3 |
| EDU-513 | CURRICULUM DEV & RENEWAL | 3 |
| EDU-628 | HISTORICAL/CONTEM ISSUES CUR/INSTRUCT | 3 |
| EDU-633 | PEDAGOGICAL PRIN/PRACTICES | 3 |
| EDU-640 | MENTORING & COLLEGIAL COACH | 3 |
| EDU-651 | INST ASSESS/DECISION MAKING | 3 |
| EDU-605 | ACTION RESEARCH PRACTICUM: CUR & INSTR | 3 |
Choose one area of specialization
Early and Middle Childhood Specialization (15 credits)
| EDU-551 | PROBLEM SOLV EARLY/MID CHLD MATHEMATICS | 3 |
| EDU-566 | TEACH EARLY/MID CHLD SOC STUDIES | 3 |
| EDU-594 | TEACHING EARLY/MID CHILDHOOD SCIENCE | 3 |
| EDU-611 | READING, LITERACY AND THINKING SKILLS | 3 |
| EDU-661 | COMMUNITY-BASED TEACHING/LEARNING | 3 |
English Specialization (15 credits)
Mathematics Education Specialization (15 credits)
| EDU-679 | TEACH & LEARN NUMBER & OPERATIONS | 3 |
| EDU-681 | TEACH & LEARN DATA AND MEASUREMENT | 3 |
| EDU-688 | TEACH/LEARN ALGEBRAIC THINKING | 3 |
| EDU-689 | TEACHING/LEARNING GEOMETRY | 3 |
| EDU-690 | TCH & LRN DATA ANALY/STAT/PROBABILITY | 3 |
Montessori Early Childhood Specialization (17 -20 credits)
Montessori Secondary Specialization (17 - 20 credits)
| EDM-604 | SECONDARY MONTESSORI PHILOSOPHY | 3 |
| EDM-606 | ADOLSECENT PSY MONTESSORI EDUCATOR | 3 |
| EDM-608 | MONT SEC CUR DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION | 3 |
| EDM-609 | COM & PARTNERSHIP WITH MONT FAMILIES | 3 |
| EDM-610 | LEADERSHIP SECOND MONT ENVIRONMENT | 3 |
| EDM-641 | MONTESSORI ELEM CURRICUL | 3 |
| EDM-661 | MONTESSORI SECONDARY PRACTICUM I | 1 |
| EDM-662 | MONTESSORI SECONDARY PRACTICUM II | 1 |
Social Sciences Specialization (15 credits)
| SOC-504 | ETHICAL ISS IN SOC SCI | 3 |
| POS-515 | AMERICAN POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: LEGACY OF THE FRAMERS | 3 |
| SOC-526 | SOCIOLOGY OF VIOLENCE | 3 |
| SOC-555 | SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY | 3 |
| HIS-556 | AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE RECONSTRUCTION | 3 |
| HIS-576 | TCH SOC SCI GRADES 6-12 | 3 |