Curriculum & Instruction
A graduate program leading to the Master of Education degree with emphasis on Curriculum & Instruction is offered for fully certified elementary and secondary school teachers. (Certification is an option in the Early Childhood Cluster only.) Its purpose is to foster teacher growth through exploration of principles of theory and practice that enhance teaching. This degree program requires a completion of 36 graduate semester hour credits.
The Curriculum & Instruction Master's Degree Program fosters teacher growth through exploration of principles of theory and practice that enhance teaching. The program consists of a core of 18 credits that focus on four critical areas embedded in effective teaching:
- Curriculum and Assessment (3 credits);
- Effective Teaching & Leadership (6 credits);
- The Learner (6 credits); and
- Research (3 credits).
An additional cluster of courses (18 credits) allows each student to tailor his/her program toward his/her teaching interests and/or situation.
Clusters include:
- Early Childhood Education
- Elementary Education
- Middle-Level Education
- Secondary Education Biology
- Secondary Education English
- Secondary Education Geography/Earth Science
- Secondary Education Foreign Languages
- Secondary Education History
- Secondary Education Mathematics
Admission into the Curriculum & Instruction program will be offered three times during each academic year. Application reviews are September 1 for students beginning study in spring semester, February 1 for students beginning study in summer sessions, and June 1 for students beginning study in fall semester.
To be considered for admission, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Hold a degree in education (or other major for Early Childhood) from an accredited college or university.
- Have an undergraduate overall grade point average of 2.75 or an approved score on the Miller Analogies Test.
- Submit an application to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
- Provide official transcripts of all undergraduate/graduate work.
- Submit three letters of reference
- Appear for an interview and a planning review with department faculty during which a program plan will be completed.
- Complete a questionnaire concerning teaching background and future goals
Degree Requirements
Program Core (18 credits)
- Focus on Curriculum and Assessment (3 credits)
- ECH 577 Early Childhood Curriculum and Assessment*
- TCH 511 Elementary School Curriculum and Assessment
- TCH 524 Middle School Curriculum and Assessment
- ELP 512 Curriculum for the Modern Secondary School
- Focus on Effective Teaching and Leadership (6 credits)
- Effective Teaching (3 credits)
- TCH 501 Strategies for Effective Teaching
- TCH 502 Strategies for Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
- Leadership (3 credits)
- ECH 563 Leadership in Early Childhood Education*
- ELP 592 General School Supervision
- Focus on the Learner (6 credits)
- Development (3 credits)
- TCH 575 Advanced Child Development*
- PSY 527 Studies in the Psychology of Adolescence
- Individual Differences (3 credits)
- ECH 510 Including Young Children with Special Needs in Early Childhood Education*
- EEC 411 Introduction to Exceptionality
- ELP 569 Seminar: Diversity in Education
- TCH 475 Inclusive Education: A Practical Approach for Educator
- Focus on Research (3 credits)
- TCH 600 Elements of Research*
- BIO 600 Elements of Research
- ENG 600 Elements of Research
- GEO 546 Geoenvironmental Research I
- HIS 600 Computerized Historical Research Methods
- MAT 600 Elements of Research
- (Note: TCH 609 does not meet this core requirement; TCH 600 is a prerequisite for TCH 609.)
Cluster Requirement (18 credits)
Each student will choose the program cluster most closely related to their personal/educational needs.
*Early Childhood Cluster requirements
Early Childhood Cluster
Option A : Master of Education Degree
- Early Childhood Education Specialization Courses (12 credits)
- ECH 520 Social and Emotional Development in Early Childhood
- ECH 530 Cognitive and Language Development in Early Childhood
- ECH 540 Families and Early Childhood Education
- TCH 609 Internship and Action Research Seminar
- Electives with Advisement (6 credits)
- ECH 460 Family, School & Community Partnerships
- ECH 470 Language Development, Literacy and Play
- RDG 528 Foundations of Literacy Development
- TCH 410 Perceptual-Motor Development
- TCH 440 Gender Equity in Education
- TCH 445 Strategies for Effective Classroom Management
- TCH 490 Special Topics
- TCH 612 Thesis I (3 credits) and
- TCH 613 Thesis II (3 credits)
Option B : Master of Education and Certification
For students who have certification in Elementary, Middle School or Special Education. Meet all requirements for Option A (36 credits - includes core courses). Must select RDG 528 and EEC 411 unless similar courses are on transcript.
- Early Childhood Block (12 credits)
- ECH 340 Preschool and Kindergarten Curriculum
- ECH 460 Family, School & Community Partnerships
- ECH 462 Practicum in Early Childhood Education
- ECH 470 Language Development, Literacy and Play
Option C : Master of Education and Certification for students without any existing certification
For students who wish certification in Early Childhood Education, but do not possess certification in Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School or Special Education.
- Meet all requirements for Options A and B. Additional courses:
- ECH 330 Primary Curriculum
- ECH 360 Assessment in Early Childhood Education
- ELP 495 Student Teaching (15 credits)
Elementary Education Cluster
- Elementary Content Area Courses (9 credits)
- RDG 528 Foundations of Literacy Development
- TCH 542 Modern Elementary School Mathematics
- TCH 546 Teaching Science in the Elementary School
- TCH 560 Making Social Studies Dynamic
- Elementary Electives (6 credits)
- TCH 440 Gender Equity in Education
- TCH 445 Strategies for Effective Classroom Management
- TCH 490 Selected Topics in Teacher Education
- TCH 505 Technology for Today's Educator
- Required Internship
- TCH 609 Internship and Action Research Seminar
Middle School Cluster
- Middle School Content Area Courses (9 credits)
- TCH 423 Integrating Literature in Middle Grades
- TCH 445 Strategies for Effective Classroom Management
- TCH 505 Technology for Today's Educator
- Middle School Electives (6 credits)
Six credits from any content area; i.e., Biology, English, Geography/Earth Science, History, Math
Required Internship (3 credits)
- TCH 609 Internship and Action Research Seminar
Secondary Biology Cluster
Eighteen credits in Biology from 400 and 500 level courses including those courses offered by the Marine Science Consortium at Wallops Island. For further information, contact Dr. Gregory Paulson, Department of Biology, at 477-1401 or gspaul@ship.edu.
(With approval of the Biology advisor, a maximum of 6 credits may be selected from Geography, Earth Science, Physics and Chemistry.)
Students may structure their course work to meet individual sub-disciplinary interests.
At least 12 credits must be taken in the Biology Department.
Secondary English Cluster
18 credits in the content area of English.
- Students may choose up to 6 credits from the following 400-level courses:
- ENG 420 Teaching Writing
- ENG 426 Adolescent Literature
- ENG 428 Creative Writing II
- ENG 438 Technical/Professional Writing II
- ENG 464 Seminar in a Major Author
- ENG 467 Seminar in Drama
- ENG 468 Seminar in Fiction
- ENG 469 Seminar in Poetry
- ENG 465 Seminar in Non-fiction Prose
- ENG 466 Seminar in Literary Theory
- ENG 490 Seminar in Selected Topics
- Students must take at least 12 credits of 500-level courses:
- Literary Genre
- ENG 500 Graduate Seminar in Poetry
- ENG 503 Graduate Seminar in Fiction
- ENG 504 Graduate Seminar in Drama/Film
- Literary Traditions
- ENG 518 Seminar in Multicultural Literature
- ENG 523 Seminar in American Literature
- ENG 531 Seminar in British Literature
- ENG 532 Seminar in World Literature
- Approaches to Writing and Interpretation
- ENG 511 Seminar in Cultural Studies
- ENG 512 Seminar in Composition & Rhetoric
- ENG 521 Seminar in Teaching English/Language Arts
Secondary Geography/Earth Science Cluster
- 18 credits in Geography/Earth Science from 400 and 500 level courses.
- Students must take one course from each of the following categories
(15 credits)
- GEO 524 The Geologic Environment
- or
- GEO 561 Geomorphology
- GEO 522 Geoenvironmental Hydrology
- or
- GEO 446 Water Resource Management
- GEO 526 The Atmospheric Environment
- or
- GEO 536 Problems of the Atmospheric Environment
- GEO 444 Environmental Land Use Planning
- or
- GEO 542 Land Use Regulations
- or
- GEO 528 Geography of Economic and Environmental Systems
- GEO 420 Geographic Information Systems
- or
- GEO 530 Mapping Sciences
- Three credits may be taken with advisement from Geography/Earth Science, Biology, History, Political Science, Chemistry or International Studies.
Secondary History Cluster
- 18 credits in History from 400 and 500 level courses.
- United States and North American History (3 credits)
- HIS 402 Revolutionary America
- HIS 419 Advanced Topics in Public History
- HIS 428 Issues in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era
- HIS 494 Introduction to Archives
- HIS 515 Seminar in 20th Century US Social History
- HIS 516 Seminar in African American History
- HIS 519 Seminar in International Relations
- HIS 525 Seminar in US Regional History
- HIS 526 Seminar in the Civil War Era
- HIS 513 Seminar in US Women's History
- World History (3 credits)
- HIS 410 The Islamic World
- HIS 421 Issues in 19th Century Europe
- HIS 423 Issues in 20th Century Europe
- HIS 534 Seminar in Modern German History
- HIS 535 Seminar in Medieval Studies
- HIS 550 Seminar in South Asia History
- HIS 555 Seminar in Russian, Soviet, and Post-Soviet History
- HIS 558 Seminar in East Asia and the Modern World
- HIS 562 Seminar in African History
- Comparative History (3 credits - preferably in student's final year)
- HIS 407 Women in Comparative Perspective
- HIS 512 Seminar in Comparative Labor History
- HIS 514 Population in History
- HIS 540 Comparative Latin American History
- HIS 545 History, Theory and Pre-Industrial Societies
- HIS 510 Seminar in the Social History of Education
- History Electives (9 credits)
- Any of the above courses or
- HIS 490 Selected Topics in History (1-3 credits)
- HIS 499 Historiography
- HIS 594 Selected Topics in History (1-3 credits)
- HIS 598 Independent Study (1-3 credits)
- HIS 599 Readings in History
Secondary Mathematics Cluster
- 18 credits in the content area of Mathematics. Students may choose up to 6 credits from the following 400-level courses:
- MAT 400 History of Mathematics
- MAT 410 Numerical Analysis
- MAT 413 Applied Statistics II
- MAT 420 Abstract Algebra
- MAT 428 Linear Algebra
- MAT 429 Applications of Linear Algebra
- MAT 430 Complex Variables
- MAT 441 Advanced Calculus I
- MAT 442 Advanced Calculus II
- MAT 444 Modern Geometry
- MAT 450 Combinatorics
- MAT 456 Deterministic Methods of Operations Research
- MAT 476 Probability
- MAT 486 Mathematical Statistics
- MAT 490 Selected Topics
- Students must take at least 12 credits of 500-level courses:
- MAT 516 Mathematical Modeling
- MAT 527 Number Theory Discovery
- MAT 528 Algebra for Teachers of Mathematics
- MAT 534 Geometrical Concepts
- MAT 538 Topics in Discrete Mathematics
- MAT 543 Concepts of Calculus
- MAT 551 Technology in the Teaching & Learning of Mathematics
- MAT 572 Probability for Middle & High School Teachers
- MAT 573 Statistics for Middle & High School Teachers
- MAT 594 Selected Topics in Mathematics
Note: A maximum of 12 credits of 400 level courses may be applied to the requirements for the Curriculum & Instruction Master's Degree. This limit includes both Core and Cluster courses.
While enrolled at Shippensburg University, you will find your professors to be a highly supportive group who respect your personal goals and treat you as a fellow scholar. You will also find that there are common interests and ambitions among your classmates which foster collaboration and support during your learning experiences. The combination of these two factors provides for a pleasant, challenging learning environment. Because of the nature of your studies, a portion of your on-campus time could be spent in Ezra Lehman Memorial Library. The library's education collection (whether pertaining to elementary, middle, or secondary school) is excellent. A Curriculum Materials Center provides a wide range of teaching resources: textbooks, multimedia kits, films and filmstrips, audio and videotapes and recordings, curriculum software, etc. Computer labs, which are open for your use, are located in the library and Shippen Hall.
The curriculum & instruction program is delivered by a diverse faculty representing both the College of Education and Human Services and the College of Arts and Sciences. Faculty from the following departments will sponsor courses in this program: Educational Leadership & Special Education, Biology, English, Geography/Earth Science, History, Mathematics, and Teacher Education.