The faculty of the Division of Curriculum and Instruction offer the M.A., Master of Education, and Doctor of Education degree programs in Curriculum and Instruction.
The Ph.D. degree in Curriculum and Instruction is offered by the Interdisciplinary Committee on Curriculum and Instruction. See “Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction.”
Graduate-level endorsement programs in bilingual education, English as a second language, and reading are available and may be completed in conjunction with a M.Ed. or the Postbaccalaureate Program for Teacher Certification.
M.A., M.Ed., and Ed.D. students majoring in Curriculum and Instruction complete requirements by choosing one of the following concentrations: bilingual education, communication arts, early childhood education, elementary education, English as a second language, Indian education, mathematics education, multicultural education (currently applications are not being accepted), reading education, science education, secondary education, and social studies education. An additional concentration in curriculum studies is available in the Ed.D. program.
Admission. Applicants for admission to the M.Ed. and M.A. degrees are required to
Applicants who have junior-senior GPAs of 3.00 or higher, have an acceptable application package, and have proof of teacher certification are not required to take the Graduate Record Examination or Miller Analogies Test. Applicants who do not meet this minimum GPA requirement should contact the Division of Curriculum and Instruction graduate programs office for more information.
For admission to the Ed.D. degree, contact the Division of Curriculum and Instruction graduate admissions secretary for information regarding specific test scores and materials that need to be submitted with applications.
Applicants should note that meeting minimal admissions requirements does not guarantee admission. In addition, international students are required to submit Test of English as a Foreign Language scores.
Programs of Study. The M.Ed. degree requires 30 semester hours of graduate course work and completion of a culminating activity. Students have two options for a culminating activity: either an applied project and an oral defense or a written comprehensive exam. Students should meet with their advisor early in their program to discuss the culminating activity.
The M.A. degree requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate course work, including a thesis. An oral examination in defense of the thesis is required.
Candidates for the Ed.D. degree are required to complete at least 90 hours of graduate course work and research and dissertation credit.
Endorsements. The Arizona Reading endorsement requires 18 semester hours of upper-division or graduate-level course work in reading. The teaching endorsements in bilingual education and English as a second language require 21 semester hours and the middle school endorsement requires six semester hours of upper-division or graduate course work in middle level education along with student teaching within fifth through ninth grades or one year of verifiable, full-time teaching experience within fifth through ninth grades. A valid Arizona teaching certificate is required to secure each of the above endorsements. Those interested in qualifying for one of these endorsements should seek advisement from a faculty member in the program area.
Postbaccalaureate Program for Teacher Certification. The postbaccalaureate initial teacher certification program offers, to those who have completed baccalaureate degrees outside the College of Education, course work needed to qualify for Arizona teacher certification. Postbaccalaureate programs are offered in bilingual education, early childhood education, elementary education, secondary education, and special education. Concurrent postbaccalaureate teacher certification and admission to the M.Ed. program in special education is required for those seeking certification by the State of Arizona. This requirement is waived for Postbaccalaureate Program for Teacher Certification applicants in special education who have already completed a master’s degree.
Two options are provided to Postbaccalaureate Program for Teacher Certification students in bilingual education, English as a second language, early childhood education, elementary education, and secondary education: (1) a nondegree option leading to teacher certification only and (2) a joint certification/master’s degree option leading to completion of certification requirements and an M.Ed. degree.
A maximum of nine semester hours completed after receiving a bachelor’s degree and before formal admission to a graduate program may be applied to an M.Ed. or M.A. degree. The maximum time limit for the program of study is six years.
Prospective Postbaccalaureate Program for Teacher Certification students should contact the Office of Student Affairs (EDB 7) for information about specific admission requirements. Those interested in combining preparation for initial teacher certification with pursuing a master’s degree should also contact the Curriculum and Instruction Graduate Programs Office (ED 412).
MASTER OF ARTS
See “Master’s Degrees” for information on the M.A. degree.
MASTER OF EDUCATION
Those who are seeking a master’s degree and initial certification by the State of Arizona are admitted concurrently to the respective M.Ed. degree and corresponding Postbaccalaureate Program for Teacher Certification option.
M.Ed. students in the secondary education concentration who are certified teachers may select a general or academic specialization option. Those selecting the academic specialization option complete 15 semester hours of core and secondary education course work and 15 hours in their academic specialization. The 15 hours of course work in the academic area must be selected in consultation with a member of the academic area faculty. This person serves as cochair of the student’s supervisory committee.
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
Ed.D. students with a concentration in secondary education may select a general program of study or an option which emphasizes art education, business education, music education, or physical education. A faculty member from the option selected serves as co-chair of the student’s supervisory committee.
See “Doctor of Education” degree.
RESEARCH ACTIVITY
The research activity of faculty and graduate students emphasize the following areas of study.
Bilingual/Multicultural Education. Identification, assessment and evaluation of minority language populations; Native American education; parent and community involvement; second language acquisition; literacy/biliteracy development in school settings; sociolinguistics; development and education of children and youth from diverse cultural, linguistic, and racial/ethnic populations; professional preparation in bilingual and English as a second language.
Early Childhood Education. Cross-cultural differences in child-rearing expectations and parent-child relations; professional preparation of early childhood education personnel; teacher preparation practices; infant and toddler development; constructivist approaches to content area learning and play education.
Educational Media and Computers. The faculty in educational media and computers maintain an active program of research and development that has been supported by funds from federal agencies, private corporations, and the university. General research areas include (1) the design of effective multimedia and computer-based instruction and (2) the effective utilization of multimedia and computers in schools. Students participate in research and development activities as an integral part of their degree programs.
Elementary Education. Pedagogical practices in elementary education; policy and sociological concerns; mathematics discourse and instructional methods; outdoor education; school, technology, and society education (STS); science education methods and materials; language learning; sociolinguistics; school-university collaboration; cognition; social studies pedagogy; middle school teaching practices.
Reading Education. Development of literacy; children and adolescent literature; discourse analysis; psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic aspects of reading; content area reading; developmental reading; assessment and remediation of reading problems; children’s play and literacy development.
Secondary Education. Critical theory; curriculum development; equity and diversity; pedagogical practices in the sciences; social studies education; learning theory; issues and trends in secondary education; business education; essential elements of effective instruction; teacher-student interactions; collaborative instructional techniques.
Special Education. Faculty and student research and development activities focus on (1) improving instructional opportunities for exceptional individuals and those at risk for school failure, and (2) increasing the effectiveness of teachers of exceptional and at-risk individuals. Recent research has included the following: academic precocity; the cognitive development, linguistic proficiency, and academic achievement of minority students. Research focused on improving the preparation of teachers has included projects on field-based instruction, violence prevention, academic and behavioral interventions for students with disabilities and those at risk of school failure, and evaluation of alternative forms of technology integration. Program research efforts receive support from federal, state, and private sources.
Omnibus Graduate Courses: See omnibus graduate courses that may be offered.
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