Leadership in Curriculum and Instruction M.Ed.

Major in Leadership in Curriculum and Instruction (30 hours)

(Major Code: 5452)

The Leadership in Curriculum and Instruction M.Ed. is a 30-hour program with five emphasis areas:

Curriculum and Instruction
Literacy Education
Special Education
Early Childhood
Content Area

Admission Requirements:

A candidate must:

Meet University Graduate School admission requirements.
Have 2.75 undergraduate grade point average.
Hold a valid teaching certificate.
Verify completion of at least eighteen (18) hours of previous education coursework.
Provide documentation of two years of creditable teaching experience (service record).
Complete and submit program application form.
Submit 2 professional references.
Submit a professional resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Submit screening requirements as determined by department.

Conferred Master’s Degree: Completion of prescribed course work and successful completion of the master’s comprehensive exam is required for the conferral of the M.Ed.

Certification Options: Texas Principal Certification Route or Non-Certification Route

Texas principal certification is available for Texas residents who elect to pursue principal certification and meet these requirements in addition to completion of the master’s degree:
- Completion of a 160-clock hour practicum in a school accredited by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and approved by WTAMU, and
- Passing the Principal as Instructional Leader TExES examination and the Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL).
A non-certification option is available for candidates whose residency is outside the state of Texas or Texas residents who do not wish to pursue a Texas principal certification.

Note: Texas Administrative Code changes can impact program requirements.

Required course work for all Leadership in Curriculum & Instruction candidates (21 hours):

Leadership Core courses (9 hours):

Competency-Based Credit:

Three competency-based semester credit hours may be accepted based upon official documentation of a candidate’s successful completion of an approved Leadership Academy or individual professional leadership experiences in an area of instructional leadership and professional development.

All requests for competency-based credit must be approved through a Department of Education Competency-based Credit Faculty Review committee.

Research course (3 hours):

EDPD 6303 - Education Research 3

Curriculum & Instruction Core cross-listed courses (9 hours):

EDPD 6305 , EDRD 6305 , EDSP 6305 , EDEC 6305 - Curriculum Theory and Analysis
EDPD 6341 , EDRD 6341 , EDSP 6341 , EDEC 6341 - Assessment, Intervention, and Differentiation
EDPD 6345 , EDRD 6345 , EDSP 6345 , EDEC 6345 - The Science of Teaching Reading

Note: Students register for courses using the selected emphasis-area prefix.

Emphasis-Area Course Work (9 hours)

Students take the required courses listed above and an additional 9 hours of course work from the selected emphasis area.

Emphasis 1: Curriculum and Instruction

Required Curriculum and Instruction Courses (9 hours):

Emphasis 2: Literacy Education (9 hours):

Required Literacy Education Courses (9 hours):

EDRD 6340 - Theoretical Foundations of Literacy 3
EDRD 6348 - Evaluating Writing Programs EC-12 3
EDRD 6392 - Special Topics in Literature for Children and Adolescents 3
- EDRD 6399 Reading Specialist Practicum [Note: This is an additional three (3) hour course that is required if you choose the Reading Specialist certificate instead of the Principal certificate.]
Certification Options: Texas Reading Specialist certification option (only one certificate may be earned from this program. You must choose either Principal certification OR Reading Specialist certification).

NOTE: An additional 3 hours is needed to complete requirements for the Reading Specialist certification route. Texas Reading Specialist certification is available for individuals in the Literacy Education emphasis area who elect to pursue the Reading Specialist certification (instead of the Principal certification), and that meet all the certification requirements in addition to completion of the master’s degree.

Completion of a 160-clock hour practicum in a school accredited by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and approved by WTAMU, and passing the TExES Reading Specialist exam.

Competency-Based Credit

Six competency-based student credit hours may be accepted from an accredited International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council (IMSLEC) program. The IMSLEC courses will be accepted for:

To confirm evidence of learning, a candidate seeking competency-based credit will:

Provide documentation that graduate level training from an IMSLEC accredited program has been successfully completed.
Score 80% or higher on a WTAMU competency-based exam which will assess the candidate’s knowledge of phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, comprehension, and the candidate’s understanding of explicit, systematic, sequential, and multisensory instructional strategies.

All requests for competency-based credit must be approved through a Department of Education Competency Credit Faculty Review committee.

Emphasis 3: Special Education

Leveling Courses

Students who do not have a special education background at the undergraduate level are required to take one of the following leveling courses in addition to 30 semester hours of required course work.

EPSY 3350 Children with Special Needs 3
EDSP 4351 Exceptionality in Children 3
EPSY 6350 Exceptional Children in the Mainstream of Society 3

Required Special Education Courses (9 hours)

Emphasis 4: Early Childhood Education

Required Early Childhood Education Courses (9 hours)

Emphasis 5: Content Area

Candidates select three graduate-level classes (9 hours) in their respective teaching field as approved by their adviser.