Master of Education or Certificate of Advanced Study in Curriculum & Instruction

National Louis University's Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction is for those who want to improve curriculum design, instructional effectiveness and learner achievement.

Why a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction?

Graduates of the NLU program benefit from:

• Strengthened instructional practices
• Enhanced curriculum design capabilities
• Improved learner achievement
• Expanded career options and increased salary levels

Why NLU for Graduate Education

NLU has a long-standing reputation for its education and administrator training programs, and is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Since 1886, we've trained thousands of Chicago-area teachers, and continue to graduate the majority of Illinois' Golden Apple Award winners—one of the most prestigious teacher honors in the state. Our faculty brings a wealth of practical experience and academic knowledge to the classroom, and our students are highly qualified—creating a unique depth to NLU's Master of Education programs.

Plus, NLU offers multiple entry and exit points in the program so you can combine full-time work with self-paced study. Our range of traditional, blended and online learning environments expand your study options even further.

What You Will Learn

Through coursework, practicum experiences and study with peers and faculty, you'll learn specific skills that can help you improve achievement levels in your learning environment such as:

• How to identify a topic, generate a research question, and design an inquiry to obtain data.
• How to collect, record and evaluate that data.
• How to synthesize, organize and communicate your findings to a variety of audiences.
• How to best use these results to improve your practice.

Concentrations

Students may customize their degree by choosing from a single topic area of interest. Concentrations are 18 semester hours, and include the following options:

ESL/Bilingual Education—meets the State of Illinois requirements to work in a Bilingual Education, ESL or Dual Instructional Program.

Health Education—prepares health educators to use their knowledge of health, health education and teaching skills in professional practice.

School Nurse—prepares registered nurses for the School Service Personnel Certificate Type 73 with a school nurse endorsement.

Science Education—designed for certified teachers interested in obtaining the State of Illinois middle school science endorsement.

Social Studies—appropriate for teachers who want to improve their knowledge and teaching of the new National Content Areas Standards in Social Studies.

Teaching for Conceptual Integration—for instructors who teach multiple subjects to the same group of students in grades K-6 and want to integrate concepts across subject areas.

NEW! Personalized Option—allows students to sample "mini-concentrations" before committing to a concentration, including the new 6 semester hour National Board Certification Preparation track. Mini-concentrations are available in:

• ESL/Bilingual Education (4 options)
• Health Education (3 options)
• Science Education (3 options)
• Mathematics Education (1 option)

Career Outlook

If you're a teacher, curriculum designer, or work in the education field, a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction can help deepen your expertise. Schools that want to succeed need teachers and curriculum specialists with the knowledge of innovative, effective instructional techniques and pedagogical best practices. With an Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, you can stay in the classroom but have a say in the curriculum and how it is taught; specialize in curriculum design for students with special needs or learning disabilities; or work as an independent educational consultant or textbook designer.

Admission Requirements

All applicants must meet NLU's general admission requirements. Refer to the appropriate application checklist available online at www.nl.edu/applyonline.

In addition to NLU's general admission requirements, applicants to the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction program must also satisfy the following:

1. Junior/Senior grade point average of 3.0 or higher. GPAs lower than 3.0 will be considered for admission on an individual basis
2. Teacher Certification is required, although non-certified applicants may be approved by the department on an individual basis.