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Master's Degree Programs

The Department of Curriculum & Instruction offers two pathways for the master’s degree. A master of science with initial teacher certification is offered as an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction with named options in English, social studies, mathematics, science, and world language. Additionally, the department offers a Research Master’s program, with a focus on advanced work in education research. In both programs, master's degree students should expect both an atmosphere of intellectual inquiry and the serious academic standards befitting a graduate research program in curriculum and instruction.

Students wishing to apply to a master’s program should select an option below for more information on admissions, financial aid, policies, and requirements.

M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction – RESEARCH M.S.

The M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction prepares students for advanced work in education. In some cases, work leading to the degree prepares students to enter a new career as an educational specialist (e.g., curriculum developer, content-area specialist, school department head, curriculum supervisor, early childhood specialist, bilingual teacher, or reading teacher). In other cases, it prepares students to perform at a higher level in their existing job. In yet other cases, it prepares students for Ph.D. study. Motivations for master's degree work include professional updating, maintenance of accreditation, acquisition of new perspectives and skills, development of specialized knowledge, preparation to work with student teachers, preparation for leadership among teachers, and preparation for advanced graduate study.

Students can read about the admissions deadlines, policies, and requirements for this program on the Curriculum & Instruction Research M.S. page in the Graduate Guide.

M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction—Named Options (Teacher Certification)

This pathway to an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction prepares students for a career in education as a licensed teacher. Students come to the program with a depth of knowledge in their content area and work to build the skills and evidence needed to enter a classroom as a newly licensed teacher. Motivations for master's degree work in this program include an interest in working with adolescents in middle and high schools, a heightened focus on engaging in socially just teaching practices, a goal of building on content knowledge to connect with a wide array of students, and foster growth and development. 

Students can read about the admissions deadlines, policies, and requirements for the various content master’s programs within the following links.

Students apply to the Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction through one of the named options:

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

FUNDING—FELLOWSHIPS AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT

For funding opportunities, please visit the page links for each named option.

On This Page

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Major Requirements

CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Credit Requirement 30 credits
Minimum Residence Credit Requirement See Named Options for requirements information.
Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement See Named Options for requirements information.
Overall Graduate GPA Requirement See Named Options for requirements information.
Other Grade Requirements See Named Options for requirements information.
Assessments and Examinations See Named Options for requirements information.
Language Requirements See Named Options for requirements information.

Required Courses

Select a Named Option for courses required.

Named Options

A named option is a formally documented sub-major within an academic major program. Named options appear on the transcript with degree conferral. Students pursuing the Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction must select one of the following named options:

Students should refer to one of the named options for policy information:

Graduate School Resources

Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

  1. (Breadth of Knowledge) Examples of competence may include demonstrating awareness of historical and intellectual context, educational practices, critical research paradigms within the broader field of Curriculum and Instruction, and theories and approaches from other fields as appropriate for their research.
  2. (Depth of Knowledge) Examples of competence may include demonstrating mastery of concepts, theories, and research, and understanding of relevant educational practices and contexts, sufficient to pose questions that extend the current boundaries of knowledge within their chosen subfield of Curriculum and Instruction.

Faculty: Professors Agarwal, Baker, L. Berland, M. Berland, Bullock, Feinstein, Ghousseini, Grant, E. Halverson, Hassett, Hawkins, Hess, Ho, YJ Kim, C. Kirchgasler, K. Kirchgasler, Louie, Machado, McDonald,  McKinney de Royston, Pacheco, Popkewitz, LJ Randolph Jr., Roman, Rudolph, Russ, Stoddard, Vieira, Wardrip.

For more information about respective members of the faculty, see People on the department website.

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION/LICENSURE DISCLOSURE (NC-SARA)

The United States Department of Education requires institutions that provide distance education to disclose information for programs leading to professional certification or licensure about whether each program meets state educational requirements for initial licensure or certification. Following is this disclosure information for this program:

The requirements of this program meet Certification/Licensure in the following states:

Wisconsin

The requirements of this program do not meet Certification/Licensure in the following states:

Not applicable

The requirements of this program have not been determined if they meet Certification/Licensure in the following states:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, District of Columbia; American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands