Program Overview

Education - Curriculum and Instruction - Master of Arts (MA)

The Curriculum & Instruction (C&I) master's degree requires one academic year or more of graduate work beyond the bachelor's degree.

Program Tracks

• Reading Instruction and Literacy Leadership Track: This track supports teachers who are interested in becoming knowledgeable in reading instruction and assessment for students experiencing reading difficulties in K–12 classrooms. Once they meet the requirements established by Colorado Department of Education, graduates are eligible to apply for a K–12 Reading Specialist endorsement with the state of Colorado.
• STEM Education Track: The CU Boulder School of Education offers this program to support educators and other education professionals who are interested in developing greater understanding of and expertise in education related to STEM (particularly science, mathematics, and computational thinking).
• MA+ Teacher Licensure: The MA+ teacher licensure program leads to a Colorado initial teaching license in Secondary Math, Science, English, or Social Studies plus a master's degree in C&I.

Requirements

General Requirements

Program Requirements

Students must successfully complete 30 credit hours of approved coursework while maintaining at least a B (3.0) average in all work attempted while enrolled.

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit is defined as any credit earned at another accredited institution, credits earned on another campus of the CU system, or credits earned as a nondegree student within the CU system including the Boulder campus.

Time Limit

The master's degree must be completed within four years.

Program Tracks

Reading Instruction and Literacy Leadership Track with Colorado Reading Specialist Endorsement

• Course Requirements:
  • EDUC 5220: Curating and Evaluating Reading Materials for K-12 Classrooms (3 credit hours)
  • EDUC 5245: Foundations of Reading Instruction K-12 (3 credit hours)
  • EDUC 5255: Digital & Disciplinary Literacies (3 credit hours)
  • EDUC 5265: Processes & Skills in Writing (3 credit hours)
  • EDUC 5275: Diagnostic Reading Assessment & Intervention (3 credit hours)
  • EDUC 5285: Literacy Coaching & Leadership (3 credit hours)
  • EDUC 5465: Introduction to ELD/Bilingual and Special Education (3 credit hours)
• Electives: An additional 9 credit hours of electives are required.

STEM Education Track

• Course Requirements:
  • Learning and Development: Choose at least 3 credit hours of learning and development courses.
  • Foundations of Education Curriculum: Choose at least 3 credit hours of foundations of education curriculum courses.
  • Curriculum and Instruction in Mathematics and Science: Choose at least 12 credit hours of curriculum and instruction in mathematics and science courses.
  • Capstone Course: Students are required to take one of the seminar courses in the spring before graduation to complete their capstone.
• Electives: Choose at least 9 additional credit hours of courses at the 5000 level or above from within the School of Education.

Learning Outcomes

By the completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate expertise in teaching and learning within and/or across content domains (e.g., Literacy, STEM Education).
• Demonstrate knowledge of research and practitioner inquiry for evidence-informed teaching and equitable learning experiences within and/or across content domains (e.g., Literacy, STEM Education).
• Demonstrate knowledge of research, scholarship, principles, and practices for broadening participation among youth, families, and communities in the design of equitable learning opportunities within and/or across content domains (e.g., Literacy, STEM Education).