Curriculum and Instruction, Culture, Cognition, and the Learning Process Specialization, Ed.S.

Barbara Young, Program Director
(615) 898-2209
Barbara.Young@mtsu.edu

The Womack Educational Leadership Department offers the Specialist in Education degree (Ed.S.) with majors in Administration and Supervision as well as Curriculum and Instruction and the Master of Education degree (M.Ed.) with majors in Administration and Supervision, Curriculum and Instruction, and Professional Counseling.

The Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction major offers a specialization in Culture, Cognition, and the Learning Process. This online degree program provides an opportunity to consider the impact and influence that cultural circumstances and mental processes have on learning and teaching in general. Onsite options are available for some courses.

Please see undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Educational Specialist in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in culture, cognition and the learning process requires

a satisfactory score on the Miller Analogies Test, the Graduate Record Examination, or the Praxis II (Principles of Learning and Teaching) or a valid Teacher license;
an earned master’s degree from an accredited university or college;
a grade point average (GPA) in previous academic work that reflects potential for success in the Ed.S.;
a valid teaching license. The licensure requirement may be waived under special circumstances.

NOTE: Students pursuing an Ed.S. degree must be fully admitted to the program prior to the completion of their initial semester of coursework.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Applicant must

submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
submit three letters of recommendation;
submit official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or copy of a valid Teaching license;
submit official transcripts of all previous college work.

Degree Requirements

Once admitted to the program, candidate must

complete 30 semester hours, with a minimum of 15 at the 7000 level (see specifics in Curriculum section below);
successfully complete a written comprehensive examination or oral presentation of research project during the semester of graduation (exam may be retaken once during a subsequent semester).

Curriculum: Curriculum and Instruction, Culture, Cognition, and the Learning Process

Candidate must complete 30 hours in the following course of study:

Required Core (15 hours)

FOED 7060 - Seminar in Educational Foundations 3 credit hours
FOED 7610 - Directed Individual Educational Research 3 credit hours
SPSE 7010 - Educational Research Methodology 3 credit hours *
SPSE 7020 - Classroom Management: Methods and Models 3 credit hours
SPSE 7170 - Learning Theories and the Educational Process 3 credit hours
*Note: SPSE 7010 is a prerequisite to FOED 7610

Specialized Core (12 hours)

SPSE 7710 - Historical and Social Contexts of Multicultural Education 3 credit hours
SPSE 7720 - Brain-Based Teaching and Learning in the Classroom 3 credit hours
SPSE 7730 - Human Diversity in a Variety of Learning Environments 3 credit hours
FOED 7080 - Contributions of Psychology to Education 3 credit hours

Elective (3 hours)

Choose one from the following:

FOED 6211 - Educational Psychology for Classroom Teachers 3 credit hours
FOED 6850 - Cultural Issues in Education 3 credit hours
SPSE 6480 - Instructional Excellence in Secondary Schools 3 credit hours
SPSE 7090 - Seminar: Conducting Program for School Improvement 3 credit hours
SPSE 7130 - The Curriculum: Structures and Functions 3 credit hours
SPSE 7520 - Studies in Education: Curriculum 1 to 3 credit hours

Program Notes

Students taking courses for licensure renewal, add-on endorsements, or “plus 30” upgrade on teacher licensure should register as non-degree-seeking students. 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. Non-degree-seeking students cannot register for 7000-level courses without departmental permission.

A minor in Education consists of 12 semester hours selected with the consent of the advisor. The Master of Arts in Teaching and the Master of Science in Teaching degrees require a minor in Education to be approved by the minor advisor.

Candidates must

file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to the completion of 21 credit hours;
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.