The Department of Curriculum & Instruction offers three graduate degrees:
Each degree serves a different audience with differing career goals and academic aspirations.
Master's in Education (M.Ed.)
A M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction is designed for students who wish to enhance their professional competence in education. Therefore, M.Ed. students must prepare themselves to address the practical problems of education more intentionally and systematically. In consultation with an advisor, students outline a plan of study under the following conditions:
Completion of a nine-credit core:
- One course in curriculum
- One course in educational research (e.g., C I 400 or C I 501)
- One course in philosophical, social, psychological or historical foundations of education
Completion of the major as required by the selected emphasis area.
- All credits must be from graduate courses – 400 level or above – with 18 credits at the 500 level.
- At least six credits must be completed outside of the C I Department (not C I, EDLDR, ECE, LLED, MTHED, SCIED or SSED)
- Must complete at least 30 credits in the M.Ed. program.
M.Ed. students must complete a master’s paper or project in which some practical education problem or issue is carefully addressed. The paper may be a report of a completed project, a review of the literature concerning a problem, a survey of practices, an essay or any similar effort acceptable to the M.Ed. paper advisor. Projects may include curriculum design or reform, development of software, pedagogical performance, or other creative work acceptable to an M.Ed. project advisor. All projects must be accompanied by analytical and theoretical written commentary. If human subjects are involved in providing data for the paper or project, University policy requires that approval of the research plan and procedures be secured from the University Office of Regulatory Compliance prior to beginning the study. Contact the ORC at 212 Kern Building or at www.research.psu.edu/orc.
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Master’s in Science (M.S.)
A M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction is intended for students who desire to strengthen their abilities to do scholarly work and research in one C I specialty emphasis area. Therefore, M.S. students must prepare themselves to conduct original research for a thesis. In consultation with their advisor, M.S. students outline a plan of study under the following conditions. Consult the Master’s Degree Manual for further explanation.
Completion of a nine-credit core:
- One course in curriculum
- One course in educational research
- One course in philosophical, social psychological or historical foundations of education
Completion of the major as required by the selected emphasis area
Completion of six credits of C I 600 – Thesis Research
- All credits must be from graduate courses – 400 level or above – with at least 18 credits at 500 or 600 levels.
- At least six credits must be completed outside of the C I Department (not C I, EDLDR, ECE, LLED, MTHED, SCIED or SSED)
- Must complete at least 36 credits in the M.S. program.
M.S. students must complete a research-oriented thesis in which a formal questions(s) has been answered through appropriate methods of inquiry. The thesis may be a presentation of empirical, theoretical or philosophical work which has some direct relationship to some aspect of curriculum and instruction broadly defined. . If human subjects are involved in providing data for the thesis, University policy requires that approval of the research plan and procedures be secured from the University Office of Regulatory Compliance prior to beginning the study. Contact the ORC at 212 Kern Building or at www.research.psu.edu/orc.
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Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
A Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction is intended for candidates who have a master’s degree and desire to strengthen their abilities to do scholarly work and research in one or more of the emphasis areas. Ph.D. candidates are characterized as those individuals who will add to the knowledge base in their fields through intensive, systematic investigations of original questions. In preparation for this work, candidates and their doctoral committee design a series of courses, readings and experiences which will enhance the candidate’s understandings of the traditions, research, and practices in their field and preparation to conduct original research.
The Ph.D. policies and procedures are intended to assure high academic performance while permitting flexibility in what is required of each student to achieve that standard. Advisors and doctoral committee members are expected to use their professional judgment in setting specific requirements for each doctoral student based upon their understanding of the students’ individual goals and needs. Consequently, seldom do any two students complete their programs in the same way – even those who choose the same emphasis area. All students will be admitted to the Graduate School, College, and Department through standard procedures. Each student must complete a candidacy examination, oral and written comprehensive examinations, residency requirements, and a dissertation within an eight-year period. Consult the Doctoral Degree Manual for further explanation.
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