Curriculum and Instruction, M.S.Ed.

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The Master of Science in Education in Curriculum and Instruction has been designed to meet the needs of two distinct groups of candidates:

Students with initial New York certification who seek to complete the academic requirements for Professional certification. Each candidate will develop an individualized program of study in collaboration with the candidate’s adviser. This program of study will be designed to be functionally relevant to the candidate’s initial certification area in one of the following disciplines:

Business/Marketing	Early Childhood/Childhood Education (B-6)
Dance	English 7-12
French 7-12	Health Education
Mathematics 7-12	Music
Social Studies	Spanish 7-12
Theatre	Visual Arts

Candidates holding initial New York certification in areas other than those listed above must consult with the program coordinator prior to enrollment to discuss the feasibility of completing this program.

Candidates not seeking New York State teaching certification, but are interested in applying educational pedagogy in a variety of classroom/non-classroom contexts, may pursue electives in a particular focal area, or take a handcrafted set of electives based upon student’s interests and career goals.

This opportunity is also available for international students who wish to improve their English Language Skills as well as gain a greater understanding of U.S. instructional approaches, but are not seeking professional certification.

Each student will meet with and design a program that includes educational pedagogy cornerstones such as philosophical foundations, research, curriculum & evaluation, technology in education, and more. Further, a culminating research project is designed to assist the student with synthesizing the fundamental concepts of education into a skillset that can be utilized immediately in the workplace.

Program Student Learning Outcomes:

Curriculum and Instruction M.S.ED. candidates will be able to:

   • demonstrate the ability to address the diverse needs of learners through clear and detailed instructional strategies included in an instructional plan.
   • construct an autobiography that investigates, analyzes, and reflects upon diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion as it pertains to their experiences.
   • produce and defend an action research plan through the IRB process.
   • develop research based instructional practices through the design and approval of an action plan.

Program Requirements

A. Professional Certification Pathway

Track for candidates holding Initial certification in an eligible discipline and are seeking Professional certification

The 33 credit hours are divided as follows:

Content or Content-Linking Courses: 6 Credits

In addition to the required courses identified above, candidates must complete additional credits of content or content-linking courses, selected in consultation with the adviser and in relation to the candidate’s initial certification area.

While content courses may include graduate level courses in the specific discipline of the student’s initial certification area, content-linking courses (approved by NYS Education offered at Potsdam) will also satisfy professional certification requirements. Content-linking options include the following: