Required Credit Hours/Tuition and Fees
- 36
- Visit the Paying for College website for detailed tuition information
Curriculum
Candidates for the Master of Science in education with a major in curriculum and instruction with an optional specialization in special education will complete a 36 semester hour program of study, including an option in one of 12 teaching fields planned in consultation with an advisor. Some programs of study may include more than 36 hours to satisfy content area prerequisites.
The program consists of the following components:
Curriculum & Instruction Requirements (no specialization)
Professional Core (12 hours)
- (3) Cl 510A Analysis of Instruction P-12
- (3) Cl 548A Action Research P-12
- (3) Cl 563A Curriculum Models: Curriculum OR (3) Cl 537 Early Childhood Curriculum
- (3) EPFR 515 Issues in learning Theory OR (3) EPFR 520 Analysis of Educational issues: Philosophical-Historical Foundations OR (3) EPFR 521 Analysis of Educational Issues: Socio-Cultural Foundations
Research Sequence including Final Project (6 hours)
- (6) Cl 596A-M Field Study in Curriculum and Instruction OR (6) Cl 599 Thesis
Curriculum & Instruction with a Specialization in Special Education Requirements
Professional Core (15 hours)
- (3) SPE 511 Individualized Educational Assessment
- (3) SPE 514 Legal Aspects of Special Education
- (3) SPE 522 Instructional Methods for Students with Mild/Moderate Disabilities
- (3) SPE 523 Instructional Methods for Students with Severe Disabilities
- (3) EPFR 515 Issues in learning Theory OR (3) EPFR 520 Analysis of Educational issues: Philosophical-Historical Foundations OR (3) EPFR 521 Analysis of Educational Issues: Socio-Cultural Foundations
Research Sequence including Final Project (6 hours)
- (3) SPE 500 Research in Special Education
- (3) SPE 595 Action Research in Special Education
Elective Options (18 hours)
Subsequent endorsements are sequences of courses established with the State of Illinois. Students take the sequence of courses, followed by a test, then petition the state (ISBE) for licensure in this area. These offerings are subject to chang based upon state requirements. Specific courses are required for all subsequent endorsements, please check with the graduate program director for more information.
- (18) Reading Teacher (K-12) Endorsement
- (18) Special Education LBS-1 (K-21) Endorsement*
- (18) Secondary Education (9-12) Endorsement
- Art
- Biology
- Chemistry
- English/Language Arts
- Foreign Languages (French, German, Spanish)
- History
- Geography
- Mathematics
- Music
- Physics
- Political Science
- Theater
Specialized Learning Opportunities
- (15) Adult Continuing Education
- (18) Advanced Teaching Strategies
- (12) Social Justice
- (15) STEM Education
Notes: To reach the required 18 hours of electives, students may either choose a subsequent endorsement or specialized learning opportunity (SLO). When choosing the SLO, additional courses will be required to complete the required 18 elective credits. Students may choose to supplement these credits with any other available course that is offered within any of the subsequent endorsements or specialized learning opportunities. Students are also able to choose a “multidisciplinary” sequence of electives, based on course availability, in which they individually select their 18 credits of courses based upon interest in specific content areas.
The secondary education elective courses should be chosen with consultation of the graduate program advisor in the Department of Teaching and Learning and a content faculty advisor, when appropriate.
*The special education LBS 1 K-21 subsequent endorsement is designed specifically for students only seeking the endorsement, without the CI MSED with a specialization in special education. For CI MSED students specializing in special education, we suggest electives such as SPE 514, SPE 515, SPE 517, CI 560, CI 561, CI 562, CI 563, or the reading teacher endorsement (K-12). Students pursuing a CI MSED without the specialization in special education can also pursue the LBS1 K-12.
Retention
Maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
