Curriculum and Instruction, M.Ed., Secondary Education Licensure Specialization
The Curriculum and Instruction Master’s in Education (M.Ed.), Secondary Education Licensure Specialization, program is designed to allow graduate students to meet the State of Tennessee initial licensure requirements in secondary education while pursuing a master’s degree. Further, the program is designed to foster the development of teaching skills that result in increased pupil performance. By analyzing curriculum choices and strategies, along with best teaching practices, those who complete this program will be better equipped to provide an environment in which students engage in relevant and meaningful learning activities. The program is structured as an on-campus cohort program and, depending on a student’s prior coursework, should last around five semesters.
Job-embedded program combines teaching and learning
For Layla Smallwood, the opportunity to begin teaching much earlier than she anticipated is reason enough to endorse the job-embedded graduate education program leading to secondary licensure. She’s a social studies teacher at Nashville’s Glencliff High and is excited about her classes of mainly juniors and seniors. “I have been able to work full time as a teacher in my desired field of study while also attending graduate school,” Smallwood explains. “This program allows for independence and flexibility in the classroom and during field experiences. It is such a fantastic program to be a part of, and I will always be thankful for the opportunities MTSU provided. The program offered me (and so many other students) an alternative classroom experience that continuously cultivates an atmosphere of experience, learning, and teaching, while simultaneously creating a supportive community of students and staff,” she says, recognizing the “positive impact on my educational career” and acquisition of “valuable teaching strategies and life skills that I will never forget.”
Cohort member appreciates program organization
The MTSU program leading to secondary school licensure allows students with varying experience and needs to continue working as they take classes. Kim Fults shares, “This program allows me to go ahead and teach as I earn my degree for a teaching license. Biology was my undergraduate major, but I didn’t want to go back and get another bachelor’s degree; then I was told about this program.” She remembers meeting with Dr. Kyle Butler to get details and realizing “it was the program for me. … It is great that the classes are at night, on weekends, or online,” says the mother of two, whose firefighter husband works 24-hour shifts. Citing the importance of being able to plan, Fults says, “The professors do a great job letting you know what is expected up front, and they realize that we are adults and unexpected things happen in life. I would most definitely recommend this program to anyone, and actually I have already done so!”
Graduates of the Secondary Education Initial Licensure Program have a high success rate of becoming a teacher immediately upon graduation. Courses offered are intended to prepare graduate students with the tools and network connections needed to excel upon entering the educational field. Graduates may be employed in a variety of positions. Examples include, but are not limited to,
- classroom teacher
- curriculum specialist
- instructional coach
- teacher mentor
- textbook reviewer
- training and development specialist
MTSU graduates are employed through various school districts throughout Tennessee including:
- Bedford County Schools
- Cannon County Schools
- Coffee County Schools
- Franklin County Schools
- Franklin Special School District Schools
- Lebanon School District
- Metro-Davidson Schools
- Murfreesboro City Schools
- Rutherford County Schools
- Sumner County Schools
- Tullahoma Schools
- Van Buren County Schools
- Warren County Schools
- Wayne County Schools
- White County Schools
- Williamson County Schools
- Wilson County Schools
The Womack Educational Leadership Department offers the Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree with major in Curriculum and Instruction and a specialization in Secondary Education Licensure. Courses are delivered on-line, on weekends, and through the traditional format of one evening per week. The program is 33-39 credit hours depending on student's status, prior coursework, and hours required for the teaching practicum. Completion of this program fulfills the professional education requirements necessary for an initial license in secondary education.
For complete curriculum details, click on the REQUIREMENTS tab above.
Other graduate degrees
An M.Ed. with a major in Curriculum and Instruction is offered; also available is a concentration in English as a Second Language.
Also available under the major in Curriculum and Instruction leading to the Specialist in Education degree (Ed.S.) is a specialization in Culture, Cognition, and the Learning Process.
In addition are both on- and off-campus cohorts.
The Womack Educational Leadership Department offers both the Master of Education (M.Ed.) and Specialist in Education (Ed.S.) with a major in Administration and Supervision. The specialization in Higher Education can lead to either an Ed.S. or M.Ed.
There is also an Instructional Leader Licensure program specialization delivered through off-campus cohorts meeting at various locations.
Also under the Administration and Supervision major is a concentration in Agricultural Education Leadership leading to the M.Ed.
The major in Library Science leads to a Master in Library Science (M.L.S.)
A major in Professional Counseling includes programs leading to an M.Ed., with concentrations also available in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling.
Curriculum and Instruction, Secondary Education Licensure Path Specialization, M.Ed.
Kyle Butler, Program Director
(615) 904-8142
Kyle.Butler@mtsu.edu
The M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction is designed to foster the development of teaching skills that result in increased pupil performance. By analyzing curriculum choices and strategies, along with best teaching practices, those who complete this program will be better equipped to provide an environment in which students engage in relevant and meaningful learning activities.
The Secondary Licensure Path Specialization is designed to allow graduate students to meet the State of Tennessee initial licensure requirements in secondary education while pursuing a Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction. Candidates in this program must meet all requirements in the major areas of study, any undergraduate requirements, and all education courses needed to obtain an initial teaching license. In addition to any academic courses needed, students must meet admission requirements for both the College of Education Teacher Education Program and Educational Leadership's graduate program; successfully complete and pass all required clinical experiences; and pass all parts of the required culminating exams (Praxis II [NTE] Exams, Graduate Comprehensive Exams, and the edTPA Exam). The program is 33-39 hours depending on student's status, prior coursework, and hours required for the teaching practicum. Completion of this Master's program does not guarantee licensure, but fulfills all education requirements necessary for an initial license in secondary education.
The program is structured as an on-campus cohort program and, depending on student's transcript analysis, should last around five semesters. Applications for the program are being accepted throughout the year for the next fall semester cohort.
Please see undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in secondary education licensure path requires
- an earned bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college;
- an undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or above, or for those who have started but not completed a graduate degree, a GPA of 3.00 or above on the last 60 hours of coursework (undergraduate and graduate) completed, or a completed graduate degree GPA of 3.00 or above;
- a satisfactory score on the Miller Analogies Test or the Graduate Record Examination;
- a completed transcript analysis;
- successful admission to the College of Education Teacher Education Program.
Specifics on these requirements can be found online (www.mtsu.edu/programs/curriculum-instruction-med-secondary-licensure/index.php).
Students pursuing an M.Ed. degree must be fully admitted to the program prior to the completion of their initial semester of coursework.
Application Procedures
Applicants must be admitted to the College of Education Teacher Education Program prior to admission to this program.
Applicants must submit the following application materials to the College of Graduate Studies:
- an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
When filling out the application, the degree sought is M.Ed: the major is Curriculum and Instruction; the specialization is Secondary Education Licensure Path. This degree is a non-thesis option. - official transcripts of all previous college work;
- three letters of recommendation addressing the applicant's potential for completing the Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction;
- a transcript analysis from the Teacher Licensure Office (online at www.mtsu.edu/education/licensure.php);
- official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT).
Specifics on these requirements can be found online (www.mtsu.edu/programs/curriculum-instruction-med-secondary-licensure/index.php).
Degree Requirements
Once admitted to the program, candidate must
- complete 33-39 semester hours with no more than 30 percent of the total degree hours dually listed as undergraduate/graduate hours (see specifics in Curriculum section below);
- successfully complete all clinical experiences, including one semester of a Teaching Internship;
- successfully complete all courses and exams required for licensure;
- successfully complete a written comprehensive examination during the semester of graduation (exam may be retaken once).
Curriculum: Curriculum and Instruction, Secondary Education Licensure Path
Candidate must complete 33-39 hours in the following course of study:
Required Courses (9 hours)
- FOED 6020 - Educational Foundations 3 credit hours
FOED 6020 - Educational Foundations
3credit hours
Assists educational personnel in developing contexts and concepts in which educational problems and issues may be understood through awareness of findings in humanistic and behavioral studies.
- FOED 6610 - Analysis and Application of Educational Research 3 credit hours
FOED 6610 - Analysis and Application of Educational Research
3credit hours
Qualitative and quantitative research applicable to the field of education. Both producers and consumers of educational research with a literature review presented to support possible solutions to significant hypotheses or problems.
- YOED 6680 - Issues and Trends in Teaching and Learning 3 credit hours
YOED 6680 - Issues and Trends in Teaching and Learning
3credit hours
Emphasis on examining current issues and trends in teaching and learning.
Specialized Core (24-30 hours)
- YOED 6500 - Planning and Assessment 3 credit hours
YOED 6500 - Planning and Assessment
3credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education program. Offers preparation for teacher candidates to plan for instruction, to assess student learning, and to understand how classroom assessments and standardized testing impact instruction. Introduces lesson planning with respect to a wide range of contextual factors, and through the use of field experiences, provides opportunities for the analysis of planning and assessment procedures in real life contexts. Field experience required which includes a teacher enhancement plan supported by current literature on best practices and/or data collection from teacher-directed action research.
- YOED 6000 - Classroom Management 3 credit hours
YOED 6000 - Classroom Management
3credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education program. Equips teacher candidates with a variety of classroom management strategies and techniques that will foster a positive learning environment in their classrooms. Provides an overview of behavior management models, theories, and research as a foundation for classroom practice. Facilitates, through the use of field experiences, the analysis of school-wide policies/procedures and insight on the real life classroom management expectations of the first-year teacher. Requires a field experience which includes a teacher enhancement plan supported by current literature on best practices and/or data collected from teacher-directed action research.
- YOED 6300 - Problem-Based Instructional Strategies 3 credit hours
YOED 6300 - Problem-Based Instructional Strategies
3credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to Teacher Education Program. Offers preparation for students to develop and present instructional strategies that frame curriculum content in problem-solving contexts. Requires a field experience in a public school setting which includes a teacher enhancement plan supported by current literature on best practices and/or data collection from teacher-directed action research.
- SPSE 6140 - Teacher Leadership for School Improvement 3 credit hours
SPSE 6140 - Teacher Leadership for School Improvement
3credit hours
Assessing standard teaching practices, analyzing the relationship between effective teaching and effective schools, and developing strategies for instructional and school improvement. Includes experiences to help students become more reflective in their daily teaching.
- YOED 6030 - Methods, Instruction, and Assessment for Teaching ELs in Regular Education Classrooms 3 credit hours
YOED 6030 - Methods, Instruction, and Assessment for Teaching ELs in Regular Education Classrooms
3credit hours
Focuses on meeting the varied needs of English learners within the regular education (non-ESL) classroom. Examines appropriate accommodations, curriculum adjustments, techniques for building academic language within content instruction, communicative group work, differentiation, and formative assessment strategies to identify needs to inform instruction. Emphasis placed on collaboration between the regular education teacher and the ESL professional.
- YOED 6120 - Residency I: Grades K-12 Graduate 6 credit hours OR
YOED 6120 - Residency I: Grades K-12 Graduate
6credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to Teacher Education program; successful completion of YOED 6000 and YOED 6500; overall grade point average maintained at a minimum of 2.75. Consists of completing and reflecting on a school-based clinical experience (in a problem-based learning format) in K-12 education.
- YOED 6220 - Seminar in edTPA Professional Performance 6 credit hours
YOED 6220 - Seminar in edTPA Professional Performance
6credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to teacher education program; successful completion of YOED 6000 and YOED 6500; overall grade point average maintained at a minimum of 2.75. Consists of an edTPA preparation experience in a problem-based learning format.
(appropriate course selected in consultation with an advisor)
- YOED 5510 - The Teaching Internship, Grades 7-12 3 to 9 credit hours
YOED 5510 - The Teaching Internship, Grades 7-12
3 to 9credit hours
Directed field experience which will meet specific needs related to individual needed competencies. Applicant must meet all prerequisites for directed teaching.
Cohort Course Rotation: Curriculum and Instruction, Secondary Licensure Path
Fall Semester
- FOED 6020 - Educational Foundations 3 credit hours
FOED 6020 - Educational Foundations
3credit hours
Assists educational personnel in developing contexts and concepts in which educational problems and issues may be understood through awareness of findings in humanistic and behavioral studies.
- YOED 6500 - Planning and Assessment 3 credit hours
YOED 6500 - Planning and Assessment
3credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education program. Offers preparation for teacher candidates to plan for instruction, to assess student learning, and to understand how classroom assessments and standardized testing impact instruction. Introduces lesson planning with respect to a wide range of contextual factors, and through the use of field experiences, provides opportunities for the analysis of planning and assessment procedures in real life contexts. Field experience required which includes a teacher enhancement plan supported by current literature on best practices and/or data collection from teacher-directed action research.
Spring Semester
- YOED 6680 - Issues and Trends in Teaching and Learning 3 credit hours
YOED 6680 - Issues and Trends in Teaching and Learning
3credit hours
Emphasis on examining current issues and trends in teaching and learning.
- YOED 6000 - Classroom Management 3 credit hours
YOED 6000 - Classroom Management
3credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education program. Equips teacher candidates with a variety of classroom management strategies and techniques that will foster a positive learning environment in their classrooms. Provides an overview of behavior management models, theories, and research as a foundation for classroom practice. Facilitates, through the use of field experiences, the analysis of school-wide policies/procedures and insight on the real life classroom management expectations of the first-year teacher. Requires a field experience which includes a teacher enhancement plan supported by current literature on best practices and/or data collected from teacher-directed action research.
Summer Term
- FOED 6610 - Analysis and Application of Educational Research 3 credit hours
FOED 6610 - Analysis and Application of Educational Research
3credit hours
Qualitative and quantitative research applicable to the field of education. Both producers and consumers of educational research with a literature review presented to support possible solutions to significant hypotheses or problems.
- SPSE 6140 - Teacher Leadership for School Improvement 3 credit hours
SPSE 6140 - Teacher Leadership for School Improvement
3credit hours
Assessing standard teaching practices, analyzing the relationship between effective teaching and effective schools, and developing strategies for instructional and school improvement. Includes experiences to help students become more reflective in their daily teaching.
- YOED 6120 - Residency I: Grades K-12 Graduate 6 credit hours OR
YOED 6120 - Residency I: Grades K-12 Graduate
6credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to Teacher Education program; successful completion of YOED 6000 and YOED 6500; overall grade point average maintained at a minimum of 2.75. Consists of completing and reflecting on a school-based clinical experience (in a problem-based learning format) in K-12 education.
- YOED 6220 - Seminar in edTPA Professional Performance 6 credit hours
YOED 6220 - Seminar in edTPA Professional Performance
6credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to teacher education program; successful completion of YOED 6000 and YOED 6500; overall grade point average maintained at a minimum of 2.75. Consists of an edTPA preparation experience in a problem-based learning format.
(appropriate course selected in consultation with an advisor)
Fall Semester
- YOED 6030 - Methods, Instruction, and Assessment for Teaching ELs in Regular Education Classrooms 3 credit hours
YOED 6030 - Methods, Instruction, and Assessment for Teaching ELs in Regular Education Classrooms
3credit hours
Focuses on meeting the varied needs of English learners within the regular education (non-ESL) classroom. Examines appropriate accommodations, curriculum adjustments, techniques for building academic language within content instruction, communicative group work, differentiation, and formative assessment strategies to identify needs to inform instruction. Emphasis placed on collaboration between the regular education teacher and the ESL professional.
- YOED 6300 - Problem-Based Instructional Strategies 3 credit hours
YOED 6300 - Problem-Based Instructional Strategies
3credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to Teacher Education Program. Offers preparation for students to develop and present instructional strategies that frame curriculum content in problem-solving contexts. Requires a field experience in a public school setting which includes a teacher enhancement plan supported by current literature on best practices and/or data collection from teacher-directed action research.
- YOED 6120 - Residency I: Grades K-12 Graduate 6 credit hours
YOED 6120 - Residency I: Grades K-12 Graduate
6credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to Teacher Education program; successful completion of YOED 6000 and YOED 6500; overall grade point average maintained at a minimum of 2.75. Consists of completing and reflecting on a school-based clinical experience (in a problem-based learning format) in K-12 education.
Spring Semester
- YOED 5510 - The Teaching Internship, Grades 7-12 3 to 9 credit hours
YOED 5510 - The Teaching Internship, Grades 7-12
3 to 9credit hours
Directed field experience which will meet specific needs related to individual needed competencies. Applicant must meet all prerequisites for directed teaching.
Program Notes
Students enrolling in 6000-level courses must hold a bachelor's degree, and students enrolling in 7000-level courses must hold a master's degree.
Candidate must
- file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to entry into the program;
- file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the semester in which the student intends to graduate.
Miller’s Analogy Test Information
- Register and call Testing Services at 615-898-2863 to make an appointment.
Graduate Record Examination Test Information
- Register online at www.ets.org/gre
- MTSU does not administer the GRE General.
- GRE information: 609-771-7670 or toll free 1-866-473-4373
- GRE General Test Sites
- Nashville/Donelson 615-399-4171
- Tennessee State University | 615-963-7386
- Clarksville | 931-647-2003
- Chattanooga | 423-894-6249
Contact and Student Information
Dr. Kyle Butler
Kyle.Butler@mtsu.edu
615-904-8142
Diana Hill
Executive Aide
Room 314, College of Education Building
(615) 898-2855
Diana.Hill@mtsu.edu
MT One Stop
Phone: 615-898-2111
Fax: 615-904-8423
MTOneStop@mtsu.edu
MTSU College of Graduate Studies
Voice: 615-898-2840
Fax: 615-904-8020
graduate@mtsu.edu
Dr. Kyle Butler
Kyle.Butler@mtsu.edu
615-904-8142
Department of Educational Leadership
Middle Tennessee State University
MTSU Box 91
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
College of Graduate Studies
Middle Tennessee State University
MTSU Box 42
1301 East Main Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
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