Curriculum & Instruction, MA

Curriculum & Instruction

Master of Arts (MA)

Course Delivery

On Campus, Online, Hybrid

Total Credits

36 Credits

About the Program

student walking in hallway
Curriculum & Instruction, MA

The UCCS College of Education develops skilled professionals who inspire excellence and drive transformative change in the schools and communities they serve. We achieve this goal by fostering scholarship, achievement, and service through collaborative partnerships.

Our approach involves promoting and modeling innovative, ethical, and research-based practices while embracing principles of inclusion and social justice.


Focus of Study

The philosophical foundation of the Masters's Degree in Curriculum & Instruction is designed to provide professional educators with increased knowledge of current research on teaching and learning and its contexts and to apply that research in practice.

Students within the  Curriculum & Instruction graduate degree program have the opportunity to focus on an area of interest to develop increased skills and knowledge in that area.


Program Requirements

Program RequirementsCriteria
Grade Point AveragesMaintain a 3.0 GPA in all coursework throughout the program, including coursework taken outside the College of Education.
Cognate Emphasis Areas

Students may choose to emphasize coursework for their 15-credit cognate emphasis area in one of the following areas:

  • Mathematics Education
  • Science Education
  • Gifted & Talented Education
Course Delivery Depending on the program, there are three-course delivery possibilities: in-person, online, and/or hybrid. 

Specialization Track Options

view of pikes peak from campus

Additional Program Options

The Transition Process from Alternative Licensure Program

Students who start in the Alternative Licensure Program but later decide not to pursue licensure may complete the general MA in Curriculum & Instruction by counting ALP core courses toward their cognate and/or electives and completing the rest of the MA core.


Program Coursework

The Master of Arts Degree in Curriculum & Instruction is a thirty-six (36) - semester-hour program designed for licensed, practicing teachers who desire to continue developing their professional expertise. Candidates complete a core of academic work requiring:

  1. Examination of educational issues from the perspective of social context and culturally responsive pedagogy;
  2. Investigation and analysis of curricular design and models of teaching;
  3. Examination and analysis of seminal and current research and application of research in instructional settings;
  4. Consideration of and for the role and uses of technology in Curriculum & Instruction and implementation in the classroom. Further, the selection of a cognate emphasis area allows students to concentrate their coursework in an area of instruction in which they wish to develop a particular expertise (Mathematics Education, Literacy Education, Science Education, or Gifted and Talented Education).
General Required Courses

The general Master of Arts degree in Curriculum & Instruction requires the following coursework:

General Required Coursework
CourseCredit Hours
Core Courses
  • CURR 5000 - Foundations: History & Research in Curriculum Studies
  • CURR 5002 - Issues, Strategies, & Models in Curriculum Design
  • LEAD 5700 - Introduction to Research & Statistics
  • CURR 5090 - Masters Research Project (Final Project)
12
Emphasis AreaFocus area options (see coursework below)15
ElectivesStudents may choose electives from any graduate-level course from other cognate areas.9


Focus Area Coursework
Mathematics Education
CourseCredit Hours
CURR 5301: Mathematical Connections & Concepts3
CURR 5302: Leadership & Mentoring in the Mathematics Classroom3
CURR 5305: Assessment & Technology in the Mathematics Classroom3
CURR 5311: Mathematics for Teaching: Numbers & Operations3
CURR 5312: Mathematics for Teaching: Algebraic Reasoning3
CURR 5313: Mathematics for Teaching: Rational Number & Proportional Reasoning3
CURR 5314: Mathematics for Teaching: Geometry & Measurement3
CURR 5315: Mathematics for Teaching: Data Analysis & Statistics3

Science Education
CourseCredit Hours
CURR 5501:Exploring the Science Curriculum3
CURR 5502: Dev. Manipulative Materials for Science Teaching3
CURR 5503: Integrating Reading & Science3
CURR 5504: Topics in Teaching Science3
CURR 5520: Activities for Teaching Physical Sciences3
CURR 5511: Teaching Energy & Environment3
CURR 5522: Teaching Cosmology3
CURR 5514: Activities for Teaching Weather3
CURR 5530: Cutting Edge Science for Cutting Edge Teachers3

Gifted & Talented Education
CourseCredit Hours
CURR 5201: Foundations in Gifted Education3
CURR 5202: The Assessment & Identification of Gifted & Talented Students3
CURR 5203: Psychology of the Gifted: Social, Emotional Needs, and Special Populations3
CURR 5204: Under-identified and Under-served: Giftedness in Poverty & Culturally Diverse1
CURR 5206: Creativity in Gifted Education3
CURR 5211: Curriculum Models & Aligned Programming for Gifted Students3
CURR 5214: Differentiated Instruction and Research-based Strategies for Teaching the Gifted3
CURR 5215: Gifted Program Leadership3
CURR 5230: Gifted & Talented Practicum3

Alternative Licensure Program Transition
CourseCredit Hours
CURR 5004: Schools, Society & Diversity3
CURR 5005: Educational Psychology3
SPED  5001: Introduction to Special Education3
CURR 5700: Introduction to ESL3
CURR 5014: Instructional & Classroom Management Strategies I3
CURR 5016: Instructional & Classroom Management Strategies II3


For details on program coursework, please visit the Academic Catalog.


Admissions Details

Financial Aid Priority: March 1

For additional details on the admission process, please visit the Admission Details page.