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Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, M.Ed.

Expand your professional knowledge with UMass Lowell's top-ranked, online Master's in Curriculum and Instruction.

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Masters in Curriculum and Instruction Online

Take the next step in your career with UMass Lowell's Master's in Curriculum and Instruction online. This 10-course M.Ed. culminates in an Action Research Capstone project to complete at your school or workplace. This flexible program is offered through UMass Lowell's School of Education for busy working professionals interested in broadening their professional knowledge and expanding their contributions to education. You should have at least one year of experience in an educational setting to apply to this program.

Please note: This is a non-licensure program.

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Earn a Top-Ranked Master's for Under $15k

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One of the Most Affordable Tuitions in the Nation

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No GRE/MTEL Required

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Variety of Financial Aid and Scholarships Available

Career Outlook

195,995
Jobs (2020)
+9.1%
% Change (2020-2021)
67.3K/yr
Median Earnings
30,415
Annual Openings
Source: Lightcast, 2022

Occupations

  • Curriculum Developers
  • Education Coordinators
  • E-Learning Instructional Designers
  • Instructional Coaches
  • Instructional Coordinators
  • Instructional Designers
  • Learning Specialists
  • Special Education Coordinators
"About 20,900 openings for instructional coordinators are projected each year, on average, over the next decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force."
—U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2022
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Applied Behavior Analysis and Education Option

UMass Lowell also offers a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction: Applied Behavior Analysis and Education Option.

Learn more about UMass Lowell's other Online Graduate Education Programs.
Best Online Education Program in the Nation by U.S. News & World Report Ranked as the Best Online Graduate Education Program in New England

Curriculum Outline

- Total Number of Courses Required for the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, M.Ed. : 10 (30 credits)

Core Courses (5 Courses / 15cr)

Specialization (4 Courses / 12cr)

Electives (Choose 1 Course / 3cr)

Course Descriptions

This course will examine special education laws and ethical practices in K-12 settings. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

Examines the methods of teaching students with moderate disabilities at the secondary level. Topics include curriculum (including the Massachusetts frameworks), IEPs, and instructional modifications appropriate for students with special needs. 3 credits.

This course provides an introduction to the principles of social justice education, by examining and applying theories and methods of curriculum design, classroom teaching, and social emotional learning and development. This course will prepare educators to foster equity in classroom practice and pedagogy for racially, culturally, socioeconomically, and linguistically diverse learners. 3 credits.

This course will address thinking, writing and talking about texts. It will examine the range of literacies including critical, print, technology, visual, media and informational. A special focus will be on anti-racist literature and texts of social justice. 3 credits.

This course introduces students to historical and contemporary curriculum perspectives and assists students in developing their own curriculum perspective, situated within the scholarship. The course also helps students develop skill in curriculum planning, grounded in relevant scholarship. 3 credits.

The major emphasis of the course will be discussion and analysis of the goals of a literature curriculum and the exploration of various methods for achieving these goals. The characteristics of the different genres of literature will be discussed in detail 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

The purpose of this course is to prepare teacher candidates for the content-specific dimensions of their practicum. The course is designed to develop pedagogical skills, curriculum writing and also to encourage prospective English teachers to examine their own beliefs, expectations, and dispositions about the nature of the discipline, the practice of teaching, the process of learning, and the nature of the learners. 3 credits.

Students analyze the content, methods, materials, and management techniques used in teaching History. Examination of national and state standards for the discipline. The course will include micro-teaching and self-evaluation, as well as school-based observation and participation in schools. 3 credits.

Students analyze the content, methods, materials, and management techniques used in teaching mathematics, and examine national and state standards for the discipline. The course includes micro-teaching, self-evaluation, school-based observation, and participation in schools. 3 credits.

Students analyze the content, methods, materials, and management techniques used in teaching science. Examination of national and state standards for the discipline. The course will include micro-teaching and self-evaluation, as well as school-based observation and participation in schools. 3 credits.

This course offers a detailed analysis of the major contemporary learning theories, both behavioral and cognitive. 3 credits.

it is well documented that teachers who habitually examine their shared work based on inquiry, observation, analysis of data, dialogue, and experimentation tend to be more effective than those who are not reflective and work in isolation. How do we help all teachers become highly effective: How do we spread reflective practice from isolated pockets to all teachers in a school? The answer lies in the transformation of a school's professional staff from isolated practitioners into a professional learning community. A professional learning community is a work culture in which educators regularly learn with and from each other through collaborative inquiry. This course provides the practical know-how and deep understanding need for educators to introduce and lead collaborative inquiry within their school or district and transform the teaching staff into a professional learning community. Furthermore, this course introduces the idea of collaborative inquiry by transforming participants into a professional learning community during the course. Thus, participants focus collaborative inquiry on their shared practice, read and reflect on selected authors, and develop action plans to help them introduce or advance collaborative inquiry in their own work settings. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

M.Ed and Ed.S matriculated onl

Students examine various approaches to the formative and summative assessment of learning. This course examines the importance of assessment in planning curricula and individual lessons. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

As the world becomes increasingly diverse, educators must be prepared to examine, confront, and manage the factors that affect the education of all children. This course addresses several central issues focusing on how teachers address the problems that confront students who differ from the majority population in language, ethnicity, culture, gender, and sexual orientation. Ensuring that their families and communities are actively involved in the educational process is also an important component of the course. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

This course will investigate researched-based instructional models that have been proven to facilitate learning in any academic content area. Each model addresses academic content as well as attainment of instructional goals and objectives. All models support the 21st learner by focusing on the needed skills for school, life and work. This course will benefit teachers who teach at any grade level. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

Action Research is the culminating course for all students who are in the M.Ed program in Curriculum and Instruction, including those in PK-12 classroom settings, those who are in the Autism Studies program, educators who are not currently in a classroom, and those who are in informal educational settings. Educators in this course will apply knowledge that they have learned during their coursework to an action research project plan for a classroom or small group setting. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

Matriculated in M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction degree program.

Program Requirements

To be recommended for a University of Massachusetts Lowell master's degree, candidates must satisfy all of the general requirements below, plus any additional requirements that may be required by the department through which the program is offered. Any additional requirements for this program are either listed below or may be found in the University's Graduate Program Catalog.

General Requirements:

  • Students must complete the program of study designed by the Department in which they are enrolled and approved by the University.
  • Satisfactory grades in all subjects offered for the degree must be earned. See Academic Standing.
  • All financial obligations, including tuition, fees and expenses, must be satisfied as evidenced by completion.
  • Upon completion of all their courses, graduate degree candidates must submit a signed Declaration of Intent to Graduate (DIG) form to their coordinator. The coordinator will apply them in SIS, Graduation Tracking.

Graduate Program Policies

In applying for a degree program or registering for courses, each student assumes full responsibility for knowledge of and compliance with the definitions, regulations and procedures of UMass Lowell as set forth on our website. For additional information, please refer to the Graduate Program Policies found within the UMass Lowell Graduate Catalog.

Tuition & Fees

At UMass Lowell, we believe that students should have as much information as possible up front so they can make informed decisions before enrolling in a degree program or signing up for a course.

Tuition for all undergraduate courses offered through the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies is the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition for all online graduate courses is also the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition is priced per credit. To calculate the tuition for a course, simply multiply the per-credit tuition by the total number of credits per course. Exception: If the total number of course contact hours is greater than the total number of credits, the per-credit tuition is instead multiplied by the total number of contact hours.

Spring 2023 Tuition

 Cost Per Credit Cost Per 3-Credit Course*

Graduate
Online Education $470 $1,410
Graduate Online Education Courses in the Ed.D. and Ph.D.**** $495 $1,485
*If the number of contact hours exceeds the number of credits, tuition is calculated by multiplying by the total number of contact hours.
**Applies to ACCT, BUSI, ENTR, FINA, MGMT, MKTG, MIST and POMS courses.
***Applies to CHEN, CIVE, EECE, ENGN, MECH, PLAS and MSIT courses.
****Applies to graduate online education courses in the Ed.D. and Ph.D.

Additional Costs
Term Registration Fee $30
Late Fee $50
Graduate Degree and Certificate Application $50

Please note: Tuition and fees are subject to change.

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Applying into a Graduate Degree Program

All applicants must submit:
  • An application
  • An application fee
  • A statement of purpose
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Official transcripts
  • No GRE required
  • Resume
    Required for certain programs such as the Master's in Business Administration and the Master of Science in Health Informatics and Management
  • At least one year experience in an educational setting preferred
  • Undergraduate and/or graduate GPA of 3.0 or better

For specific information regarding any of the above application materials (which may vary for some programs), please see UMass Lowell's Graduate Application Requirements at https://www.uml.edu/Grad/Process/.

Applications can be completed and submitted at any time during the year. Each application is processed — and each applicant notified — as soon as all admissions materials have been received and reviewed. For additional details, please visit https://www.uml.edu/grad/.

Graduate Program Admissions Requirements

Admission to all graduate programs at UMass Lowell is contingent upon successful completion of a bachelor's degree. In many cases, applicants may register for a course before they have formally applied into the program; however, students requiring financial aid may want to wait until they have been formally accepted into the program to ensure that their course(s) will be covered. Contact UMass Lowell's Office of Graduate Admissions , or edoffice@uml.edu if you have questions about the application process.

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Questions Regarding Your Graduate Application?

Email Graduate_Admissions@uml.edu or call 800-656-4723 (for U.S. students) or 978-934-2390 (for international students).

For General Assistance:

For general questions about registering for courses or to find out who the advisor is for your graduate program, call 800-480-3190. Our admissions and advising teams are here to help!

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