Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction in Accomplished Teaching

Admission Requirements | Program of Study | Course Descriptions | Apply Now! | Get Financial Aid | Student Policies | Tier I Educational Leadership Certification Add-On

The M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction in Accomplished Teaching is offered through three nationally accredited Colleges of Education in the University System of Georgia: Valdosta State University (CAEP), Georgia Southern University (NCATE), and Columbus State University (NCATE). Top graduate faculty from each school teach the courses. This 12-course, 36 semester hour program can be completed in four consecutive semesters – about 16 months – with full-time enrollment. For students who are unable to enroll full-time, courses are offered on a continuous basis allowing for part-time enrollment. No campus visits are required to complete the program.

• Special Requirements: Students must be employed by a school system and have access to a classroom.
• Delivery: The program is fully online, with no on-campus attendance requirements. Students conduct all work online, including team projects, exams, discussion posts, and case studies. Students have access to online academic resources, such as the library. Courses are asynchronous; there are no scheduled online meetings except those you might make with peers for group work.
• Technology: Students must have access to a digital video camera to record performance for remote classroom observation. A webcam is an option for this requirement in some cases and can be useful for video conferencing with instructor or peers. Students must purchase the LIveText portfolio assessment application and should have high speed Internet access. Additional software may be required.
• Transfer credit: A maximum of 9 semester hours of graduate coursework may be considered; they must be less than 7 years of age at the point of completing this program. Requests for transfer credit prior to entering the M.Ed. program must be documented in the form of an official transcript during the admission process. Eligibility is determined by the student’s academic advisor.
• Cost: Please see the Fees / Aid link for details.
• Financial Aid: Student loans are available through the VSU Office of Financial Aid - 229-333-5935.

Certification: Students with a valid Level 4 Professional teaching certificate will be eligible for the Curriculum and Instruction (level 5) service certificate after completing the online degree and passing the appropriate Georgia content assessment. Prospective students interested in upgrading their certificates should consult the Upgrade Advisor on the Georgia Professional Standards Commission website. 

Admission Requirements

The M.Ed. collaborative program in Curriculum and Instruction in Accomplished Teaching (CIAT) utilizes a sequenced, two-semester admission process, which includes a Quick Admit followed by Full Admission. Quick Admit is a provisional admission decision and is only valid for the first semester of the program. To be reviewed for the semester one quick admission, applicants must submit the collaborative online education program application and application fee prior to the deadline for that term. Admission to the first semester is a provisional admission based on verification of teacher certification status. Full Admission is required to continue in the program. To be fully admitted for the second term, applicants must complete all admission requirements in full prior to the admission deadline for that term.

Full Admission Requirements:

1. Must hold a Bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited institution.

2. Must have a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) or combined undergraduate and graduate GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scalel. VSU has a “no forgiveness policy” when calculating GPAs. Applicants not meeting the required GPA may be eligible for admission by an alternative pathway. (See below).

3. A valid, Level 4 or higher Induction, Professional, Advanced Professional, or Lead Professional teaching certificate, leadership certificate, service field certificate, or Life certificate in the State of Georgia. Teachers certified in states other than Georgia may be eligible. To qualify, a teacher must hold the equivalent of a Georgia clear/renewable teaching certificate. VSU reserves the right to request additional documentation, if needed

Admission by Alternative Pathway Requirements

1. Must have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA or combined undergraduate and graduate GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale AND meet requirements for one of the following alternative pathways:

• Alternative Pathway 1: Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all coursework attempted while registered as an upper-division undergraduate student working towards a bachelor’s degree (i.e. 3000 and 4000 level coursework); or

• Alternative Pathway 2: Have a minimum GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale in all graduate coursework (must have completed at least 6 credit hours of graduate work in which a letter grade was awarded); or

• Alternative Pathway 3: Have an undergraduate GPA earned ten or more years prior to admission

2. Must hold a Bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited institution.

3. Must hold a valid, Level 4 or higher Induction, Professional, Advanced Professional, or Lead Professional teaching certificate, leadership certificate, service field certificate, or Life certificate in the State of Georgia. Teachers certified in states other than Georgia may be eligible. To qualify, a teacher must hold the equivalent of a Georgia clear/renewable teaching certificate. VSU reserves the right to request additional documentation, if needed.

4. Applicants seeking admission by an alternative pathway must also submit a writing sample. The writing sample should address how completing the Master of Education with a Major in Curriculum and Instruction in Accomplished Teaching program fits into the student's professional teaching and learning goals. The statement should be no longer than 300 words.

Students are not permitted to register for Semester Two courses until they receive full, semester two admission and receive their full admission letter. Students who fail to fulfill all Semester Two requirements prior to the admission deadline will forfeit their place in the program, be required to sit out at least one semester, and will be required to submit a new application and fee for the following term.  Quick Admission for Semester One will not be offered more than once for the same program.

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Program of Study

Course Descriptions

EDAT 5999 Professional Orientation 0 cr. Required non-credit course that must be successfully completed at entry to advanced programs. Candidates are required to establish an electronic portfolio and provide evidence that all advanced entry requirements have been satisfactorily met.

EDAT 6000 Professional Decision Making 3 cr.
Preparation for making informed decisions about effective practices, assessment of learning, and professional actions that will enable educators to optimize both instructional performance and student achievement. This course will focus on the self-assessment of individual student understanding and application of master teacher outcomes based on National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

EDAT 6001 Using Assessment to Improve Teaching and Learning 3 cr.
Advanced study of the critical role of formative and summative assessment implementation and evaluation in an effective standards-based P-12 classroom. The course addresses knowledge of assessment theory and skill in effective practice.

EDAT 6115 Knowledge of Students and Their Learning 3 cr.
Requires students to participate in critical examination of research and theories relevant to effective teaching and learning, student and teacher motivation, at-risk students, classroom management, variability in student learning, self-esteem, behavioral learning, cognitive learning, social learning, brain-based learning, multiple intelligences, and assessment. Includes an action research planning project.

EDAT 6159 Multicultural Studies Across the Curriculum 3 cr.
An examination of professional literature, curricula, and teaching practices related to cultural diversity in education settings. The course critically examines how traditional education promotes or hinders student success and identifies elements of culturally responsive pedagogy and their application to curriculum development and learning. The course requires a 10-hour field experience in which teachers explore the cultural resources of the communities in which they work.

EDAT 6226 Curriculum Design for Student Achievement 3 cr.
An investigation of best practices in curriculum development, curriculum alignment reflecting state and national standards, and assessment in ensuring high student achievement. The course explores subject-specific pedagogical content, related content areas, and inclusion of resources and technology that enhance curriculum development and implementation in the classroom. The course requires a 30-hour field experience in the public school environment in activities related to curriculum development and alignment.

EDAT 7100 Research Methodology in Education 3 cr.
A survey of education and educationally-related research methods incorporating an applied approach to research design. The ability to read, interpret, conduct and report research is emphasized to improve practice in educational settings.

EDAT 7131 Enhancing Student Performance 3 cr.
Best practices for selecting and adapting curriculum instructions resources and assessments in order to maximize student learning. The course provides teachers with a way to identify, analyze, and use results from student assessments to plan instruction aimed at enhancing and demonstrating student learning.

EDAT 7132 Framework for Teaching 3 cr.
A study of teaching and learning strategies associated with effective teaching practices. Emphasis is placed upon the relationships that exist between student development, instructional practices, educational environments, continuous reflection and assessment, learning communities, and dispositions of the profession.

EDAT 7133 Trends, Issues, and Research in Education 3 cr.
Frameworks for designing and evaluating educational practices and programs within the context of current trends and issues in education. Emphasis is placed on specific research findings and their applications to practice, in addition to the development of analytical and communicative skills needed to improve teaching and learning. 

Tier I  Educational Leadership Certification Add-on
in Conjunction with the M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction

Our department and the Department of Middle, Secondary, Reading & Deaf Education, which offers the M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction, have provided a pathway to receiving a Tier I Educational Leadership Certificate added to the T-5 certificate.  Several courses offered in the Curriculum & Instruction program can be applied to the Tier I certification-only program.  
 
The following courses from the M.Ed. program can be applied to the respective leadership coursework:

1. EDAT 6226: Curriculum Design for Student Achievement (CSU) for CIED 7060: Curriculum, Instruction & Technology Integration
2. EDAT 6159: Multicultural Studies Across the Curriculum for LEAD 8030: School Culture, Change, and Organizational Dynamics
3. EDAT 7100: Research Methodology in Education (VSU) for RSCH 8000: Advanced Research Methodology

Three of the following five courses are to be taken to fulfill the elective portion of the M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction program of study.  The remaining course will become part of the Tier I certification add-on program:

1. LEAD 7120: Instructional Leadership & Supervisory Practices
2. LEAD 7130: Technology Leadership for School Improvement
3. LEAD 7310: Leadership for Community & Public Relations
4. LEAD 7420: Ethical & Legal Issues for Leadership
5. LEAD 8240: Managing Resources for School Improvement

Three additional courses beyond the M.Ed. program of study requirements are to be completed upon admission to the Tier I Certification Add-on program:

1. The remaining two courses noted above (as part of the elective requirement)
2. LEAD 7920: Leadership Field-Based Experiences I
3. LEAD 7930: Leadership Field-Based Experiences II 

NOTE:  LEAD 7920 & LEAD 7930 cannot be used to fulfill the elective component of the M.Ed. program of study in Curriculum & Instruction.  These two courses fulfill the residency element of the Tier I Educational Leadership program.  Completion of the two courses may extend over three to four semesters.
In approaching the final semester of the M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction, candidates must apply for admission to the Tier I Educational Leadership Certification Add-on program.  This is required in order to undertake the two residency courses (LEAD 7920 & LEAD 7930).  Once completed, you are eligible for the Tier I Leadership certificate.

Retention, Graduation, Dismissal & Readmission Policies

1. The maximum time allowed for completion of the master’s degree is seven calendar years.  No work completed more than seven years prior to degree completion will be accepted toward the degree, except with special permission from the candidate’s  advisor, Dean of the College of Education and Human Services, and approval from the Dean of the Graduate School.
2. No more than 9 semester hours of academic work may be transferred from another institution into the M.Ed. program.  Transfer credit will be evaluated after admission, by the academic advisor.
3. To graduate from this program, a student must have a cumulative institutional graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
4. Earning grades below “B” in graduate courses will result in the following consequences:
   • Students admitted Fall 2011 and thereafter will be dismissed from the Graduate School if they accumulate three or more academic deficiency points unless otherwise indicated by individual program policy. A grade of “C” (although it may be credited toward a degree) equals one deficiency point. A grade of “D,” “WF” or “F,” or “U” (none of which will be credited toward a degree) equals two deficiency points.
   • Candidates admitted BEFORE Fall 2011 and receiving two grades below “C” (“D”, “F”, “WF”,“U”) will be dismissed from the program. One grade below a "C" results in a warning.
5. If dismissed from the program a student must not be enrolled for two semesters. Application for readmission may be initiated during the second semester. Readmission is not guaranteed, and prior academic performance and student conduct/disposition in the program will be considered. The academic program reserves the right to place specific conditions and contingencies on any offer of readmission.



Department of Middle, Secondary, Reading, and Deaf Education Homepage

Submit all documentation to: 
Graduate School
Valdosta State University
1500 N. Patterson Street
Valdosta, GA 31698-0005
Fax: 229 -245 -3853
Email: gradschool@valdosta.edu