EARN YOUR MASTER’S DEGREE IN CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION FROM SC!
Total Credit Hours: 36
Transfer Credits: Up to 6
The master’s level curriculum and instruction program will have you ready for career advancement in education. Learners choose from five areas of emphasis and learn from experienced education professionals who bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the virtual classroom setting. Education students at Southwestern experience flexible online classes taught in 12-week sessions, granting them the ability to work toward their degree while they balance their teaching career and home life.
THE SC DIFFERENCE
Recently ranked as one of the Top Accredited Online Colleges, Southwestern College offers quality online degrees to adult learners. With courses taught by expert faculty and access to a variety of student resources, SC learners are provided with the tools and flexibility needed to succeed in their education while preparing for professional advancement.
- Choose from five areas of emphasis
- Nonprofit, regionally accredited
- Graduate with the same diploma as traditional students from our physical campus
- Discover more reasons to choose SC!
CAREER OUTLOOK
Projected Job Growth (BLS): 10%
Average Salary (PayScale): $61k
View Courses & Program Details
STUDENT SUCCESS STORIES
“I looked at different colleges to begin my degree program… Southwestern was one of the colleges that transferred most of my previous college work with me and that’s why I chose Southwestern.”
Donna, 2015 Curriculum and Instruction Graduate
FACULTY
Visit our faculty page to view current education program instructors.
RELATED PROGRAMS
Special Education – Low Incidence
Special Education – High Incidence
Teaching
MASTER OF EDUCATION CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION PROGRAM DETAILS
Southwestern College offers degree programs to advance careers within the field of education and training. The Curriculum & Instruction Masters Degree has two foci: First, it helps the professional educator develop needed skills to continue to refine the craft of teaching in a rapidly changing and evolving field of education. Second, it helps school districts and other training providers to build needed leadership capacities within their organizations. Course projects are designed to apply knowledge to issues within the organizations graduate students currently serve.
The Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction program at Southwestern College includes courses for P-12 grade teachers and other professionals seeking to enhance their knowledge and skills in curriculum, teaching, and assessment. It is organized through a four-dimensional approach designed to prepare educators for the 21st century. The program is grounded in the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards’ (NBPTS) five core propositions, which suggest that teachers are committed to students and their learning, know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students, are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning, think systematically about their practice and learn from experience, and are members of learning communities.
Admission Process
- Complete graduate application forms
- Provide current resume
- Submit two professional letters of recommendation (at least one from a current or former employer)
- Turn in one-page personal essay
- Submit unofficial transcript from a bachelor’s degree-granting institution. Official transcripts must be received within 8 weeks following the start of class.
In the Professional Core
EDUC501: Current Educational Trends
Analysis of issues and trends in terms of their applications to current educational structures and implications for educators and their professional development.
EDUC518: Educational Practice and Innovation
Develops an understanding of the context and nature of educational practice and innovation in schools and classrooms; identifies different forms of innovation in learning and teaching and enables teachers to take a critical approach to integrating innovative practices; enables informed judgments and critical thinking in the context of educational practice.
EDUC530: Curriculum Development
Focus of the course is on the development and implementation of performance‐based learning activities throughout the curriculum.
EDUC542: Instructional Design
Students will cover typical instructional design models and learning theories. Students will complete an entire instructional design unit including curriculum, instruction, and assessment of student learning.
EDUC549: Race, Class and Power in Schools
Students will explore theoretical frameworks for understanding cultural difference as it impacts teaching and learning in the classroom. They will examine ways to provide equity in education for all students.
Areas of Emphasis
GENERALIST
EDUC520: Instruction and English Language Learners
Students will investigate different educational models for language minority learners, and the instructional methods that work for ELL students.
EDUC540: Creating Community in the Classroom
Students will discuss topics such as the structure and management of the classroom. The curriculum includes: interdependence, cooperation, trust, responsibility, and active participation. Teaching strategies include techniques, and activities that emphasize decision‐making, critical thinking, cooperation, responsibility, and empowerment.
EDUC560: Investigating Student Work
Students will investigate ways in which the things students make in and for school can be studied as evidence of teaching and learning.
EDUC615: Reading Assessment and Intervention
The course develops an overview of the varied pathways of reading development and prepares learners to analyze reading achievement as well as administer and interpret diagnostic measures of reading. Through case studies, learners will use progress‐monitoring data processes to analyze specific instructional strategies and interventions.
ESOL
EDUC520: Instruction and English Language Learners
Students will investigate different educational models for language minority learners, and the instructional methods that work for ELL students.
EDUC560: Investigating Student Work
Students will investigate ways in which the things students make in and for school can be studied as evidence of teaching and learning.
EDUC550: Introduction to Language and Linguistics
This is an introductory course in language and linguistics, which explores the nature, structure and diversity of language, emphasizing the phonological, syntactic and semantic patterns of English. Prospective teachers will explore the principles of linguistic systems and major theorists and schools of linguistic thought in anticipation of working with communities of nonnative English‐speakers. This course is designed as one in a series of three courses to enable the learner to successfully pass the ESOL praxis.
EDUC590: Teaching English as a Second Language and Assessing Language Competency
This course provides the foundation for second language instruction by examining a broad range of methodologies to provide academic experiences for English Language Learners. (SIOP model included.) Application of these “best practice” concepts will be used to plan, implement, and evaluate instruction for ESOL students. An opportunity to volunteer with ESOL students for 8 hours during the course will be included.
SPECIAL EDUCATION (TOWARD ADDITIONAL LICENSURE*)
EDUC514: Introduction to Special Education: Individual Educational Plan Development*
Course will provide training in the procedures for developing high quality individual education plans for students with disabilities, based on state curriculum standards and meeting all of the requirements of state and federal special education laws and regulations. This course can be taken in conjunction with EDUC524.
EDUC523: Instructional Strategies: Learning Difficulties*
The purpose of this course is to study the theories, content, methods, and materials for delivery of instruction to students with academic problems, to utilize evaluation procedures to deliver individualized instruction to students, to modify curriculum materials, and to develop instructional materials for use with students with academic difficulties.
EDUC524: Introduction to Special Education*
Designed to provide an overview of the fields of behavior disorders, learning disabilities, and mental retardation for present and future teachers, school psychologists, administrators, counselors, and other professionals preparing to work with students with mild disabilities. Emphasis on causes, identification, classification, characteristics, and recent trends and issues.
EDUC558 (K-6) or EDUC559 (6-12): Initial Practicum in Adaptive Special Education*
This is a field‐based course relating theory to application. Students will be placed in settings where they will obtain experiences working with students with mild disabilities.
Candidates not seeking additional licensure may substitute one or more of the following for above courses
EDUC615: Reading Assessment and Intervention
The course develops an overview of the varied pathways of reading development and prepares learners to analyze reading achievement as well as administer and interpret diagnostic measures of reading. Through case studies, learners will use progress‐monitoring data processes to analyze specific instructional strategies and interventions.
EDUC522: Instruction Strategies: Behavior Difficulties
The purpose of this course is to study the theories, content, methods, and materials for delivery of instruction to students with behavior disorders, to utilize evaluation procedures to deliver individualized instruction to students, to modify curriculum materials, and to develop instructional materials for use with students with behavioral disorders.
EDUC528: Collaboration with Parents and Professionals
This course focuses on the techniques of collaboration with general education teachers, parents, other professionals, and paraeducators in providing appropriate educational services to exceptional children of all ages. The course will explore instructional approaches that allow all students to be educated in an inclusive setting.
School Improvement Planning & Technology Integration
EDUC502: School Improvement Planning
This course focuses on the nature, context, and practice of teacher leadership in building a continuous school improvement framework. Its purpose is to provide students with an introductory understanding of the subject of research-based school improvement models. Beyond such introductory understanding, this course is designed to provide a foundation for students to use comprehensive data analysis and leadership structures to guide the process of effective school improvement.
EDUC505: Creating Networks of Collaborative Practice
This course will guide educators in acquiring new tools and strategies based on Robert J. Marzano’s meta-analysis of the research regarding effective teaching practices. Learners will explore the elements of effective teaching, questions to guide instructional planning, and application of new instructional strategies in through modeling lessons in class. Learners will also observe/ participate in collaboration and instruction in the school setting, then reflect on application of new knowledge to working with students.
EDUC510: Integrating Technology Across Disciplines
Graduate students will investigate and evaluate the significant impact technology has on learning, motivation, and pedagogy. Students will interpret and implement the Nation Education Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) and for students (NETS-S) and apply the NETS-T to construct valuable teaching experiences, as well as experiences to highlight student learning that reflect the NETS-S. Graduate students learn about technology integration across the curriculum to develop and design lessons to use the technology to support learning in an education environment.
EDUC532: Technology in Special Education
This course will provide an overview of the technology available for students with special needs. Included will be low‐tech devices, augmentative devices, and using technology to adapt instruction.
In Research & Assessment
EDUC512: Action Research
This course will introduce students to action research, a form of self‐reflective systematic inquiry by practitioners on their own practice. The primary objective of the course is to prepare students to do action research in schools. There are three other goals: (1) the development of professional community; (2) the illumination of power relationships; and (3) students’ recognition of their own expertise.
EDUC543: Assessment, Tests and Measurement
Provides classroom educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively measure student achievement and the reflective skills necessary to examine and improve upon practice.
Portfolio
EDUC562: Portfolio
The focus of this course will be the development of a purposeful collections of educational artifacts designed to provide tangible evidence of the candidate’s ability to reflect on and critically examine educational practices that improve instruction and enhance student learning. It is a capstone experience in the major.
Graduation Requirements
- Complete the specific program requirements for the master’s program
- Have an overall grade point average of 3.0, with no grade below a C (2.0)
- Complete 36 credit hours
All degree requirements are subject to change. Please see Southwestern College Catalog for the most current degree requirements.