Curriculum and Instruction, Elementary School Education, Inclusion Education Specialization, M.Ed.

Kathleen Burriss, Program Director
(615) 898-2680
Kathleen.Burriss@mtsu.edu

The Department of Elementary and Special Education offers the Master of Education degree with a major in Curriculum and Instruction. The major in Curriculum and Instruction offers concentrations in Early Childhood Education, Elementary School Education, and Middle School Education. A specialization in inclusion education is available as is a specialization leading to initial licensure.

Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission to the Master of Education program are expected to score at least 386 on the Miller Analogies Test or 700 on the Graduate Record Examination or the minimum on a National Teachers Examination that meets Tennessee licensure standards.

Applicant must

have at least a 2.75 undergraduate GPA for full admission and 2.50 undergraduate GPA for conditional admission;
have elementary teaching licensure, the attainment of which may require additional undergraduate courses prior to the completion of the degree;
have an initial conference with an appropriate graduate advisor in the Department of Elementary and Special Education.

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 official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Principles of Learning and Teaching Exam (PRAXIS II), or Miller Analogies Test (MAT);
submit official transcripts of previous college work.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an inclusion education specialization requires completion of 33 hours. Candidate must successfully complete a written comprehensive to be taken in the last semester of coursework (may be taken no more than twice).

Curriculum: Curriculum and Instruction, Elementary School Education, Inclusion Education

Candidate must complete 33 hours in the following course of study:

Required Courses (9 hours)

ELED 6010 - The Teacher as Reflective Practitioner 3 credit hours
ELED 6340 - Introduction to Educational Research 3 credit hours
ELED 6370 - Education and Ethno-Cultural Diversity 3 credit hours

Specialized Core (9 hours)

ELED 6400 - Teaching the Special Needs Learner in the Heterogeneous Classroom 3 credit hours
SPED 6710 - Action Research in Special Education 3 credit hours
SPED 6380 - Collaborative and Consulting Skills in Special Education 3 credit hours
See advisor for course selection 3 credit hours

Specialization Courses (15 hours)

Choose Track I or Track II:

Track I

Add-on endorsement in Special Education: Modified K-12 (if licensed in Elementary Education K-8)*

SPED 6020 - Overview of Special Education 3 credit hours
SPED 6300 - Theoretical Perspectives on High Incidence Disabilities 3 credit hours
SPED 6310 - Issues in Assessment of High Incidence Disabilities 3 credit hours
SPED 6330 - Theories of Instruction for High Incidence Disabilities 3 credit hours
SPED 5240 - Methods and Techniques of Behavior Management 3 credit hours
*Transcript analysis required for those seeking add-on endorsement in either Elementary or Special Education

Track II

Add-on endorsement in Special Education: Modified K-8 (if licensed in Special Education K-12)*

ELED 6090 - Creating Learning Environments for Young Children 3 credit hours
ELED 6200 - The Classroom as Community 3 credit hours
ELED 6390 - STEM Education in the Elementary School 3 credit hours
ELED 6450 - Current Trends and Issues in the Elementary School 3 credit hours
ELED 6620 - Assessment of Teaching and Learning 3 credit hours
*Transcript analysis is required for those seeking add-on endorsement in either Elementary or Special Education.

Note:

A specialized teaching practicum will be required for those students with less than two years of documented successful teaching in either elementary or special education:

SPED 5260 - Problems in Special Education A-Z 1 to 3 credit hours (Add-on endorsement in Special Education)
ELED 5260 - Problems in Elementary Education 1 to 3 credit hours (Add-on endorsement in Elementary Education)

Program Notes

Any course requiring admission to Teacher Education may require observations, case studies, or other time in K-6 classes.

Candidate must

file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to completion of 21 semester hours credit;
file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the term in which the student intends to graduate.