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Curriculum & Instruction: Dual Degree - MBA/M.Ed.

The dual MBA/M.Ed. program is a hybrid online and in-person degree based in Charlottesville, VA. It is designed for the next generation of leaders who will transform education in the United States and around the world.

At a Glance

Program Results

Dual Degree - MBA/M.Ed.

Curriculum & Instruction

Location Note

This program is based in Charlotesville, VA. Courses that are part of the M.Ed. curriculum are typically held online, while courses that are part of the MBA curriculum are in-person.

Program Type

  • Full Time

Location

  • Hybrid

Estimated Length

2 years (full time) 

Application Deadline

Note: Students in the MBA/M.Ed. program are required to apply separately for admission to EHD and to Darden. Students typically apply and are admitted to Darden before applying to EHD.

Darden MBA application process.

About This Program

Few roles in society provide the reach that educators have into people’s lives. But reach does not always translate into impact because the challenges that educators around the world face are profound indeed. This full-time dual degree program is a partnership between two leading schools at UVA–the School of Education and Human Development (EHD) and the Darden School of Business.

This program is based in Charlottesville, VA and is designed for the next generation of leaders who will transform education in the United States and around the world. The MBA/M.Ed. program integrates two courses of study (education and business) and combines two different approaches to learning. Courses at EHD are typically taken online, and courses at Darden will be in-person.

Today, dozens of graduates of UVA’s MBA/M.Ed. dual degree program work in a variety of roles at the intersection of business and education. These roles span educational leadership, consulting, entrepreneurship, education technology, instructional design, and management. For example, recent alumni have gone on to lead change through their roles in:

  • School districts and charter management organizations such as UP Education and YES Prep Public Schools 
  • Public sector consulting and management consulting firms such as Bain & Company, Bellwether Education Partners, Accenture, EY-Parthenon, the Boston Consulting Group and McKinsey & Company
  • Education and technology companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Thinkful, and MURAL

Program Overview

Admission Requirements

  • Students in the MBA/M.Ed. program are required to apply separately for admission to EHD and to Darden.
  • Students typically apply and are admitted to Darden before applying to EHD. 
  • The EHD admission process is expedited for admitted Darden students and is done on a rolling basis. Reach out to the contact listed at the bottom of this page to indicate interest in the dual degree program or for more guidance.

Graduate Admission

Application for admission to the M.Ed. portion of the dual degree is made to the School of Education and Human Development Office of Admission & Enrollment. For more information about the graduate admission process, please visit our Graduate Admission page.

Graduate Admission

Coursework

The length of study is two years, including summer coursework, in-person/online courses and internships. Students typically begin their studies at the School of Education and Human Development during the summer prior to the start of Darden’s MBA program, or they may begin during their fall semester. Students join a cohort of MBA/M.Ed. peers who take various courses together, collaborate on innovative projects and participate in education-focused events.

At the School of Education and Human Development, students complete 24 credits of graduate coursework and a final comprehensive examination. Students also receive 6 credits for completing all required coursework at Darden, for a total of 30 credits at the School of Education and Human Development. At Darden, students complete 52.5 credits of graduate coursework and receive 7.5 credits for completing all required coursework at the School of Education and Human Development, for a total of 60 credits. Students must complete both degrees simultaneously to benefit from the reduction in credits required at each school.

Required UVA School of Education and Human Development Courses (12 credits)

  • EDIS 5025: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
  • EDIS 7805: Past as Prologue: What’s Old Is New in Educational Innovation?
  • EDIS 7815: What’s (Really) Working? Case Studies of Contemporary Innovation
  • EDIS 7890: Innovation in Action: Envisioning and Creating Change (Capstone practicum) 

Required Program Course at Darden

  • GBUS 8268: Leadership & Innovation in Education

Elective Courses (12 credits)

  • 3 credits from one elective course in EHD’s Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education. To fulfill this requirement, students may choose to take EDIS 6880: Masters Comprehensive in Curriculum and Instruction, the capstone M.Ed. course that supports students as they complete the comprehensive exam.
  • 9 credits from an additional area of emphasis of your choosing: curriculum & instruction, diversity, educational policy, English as a second language, higher education, instructional technology, literacy, social and emotional learning, or social foundations.

Comprehensive Examination

Capstone paper written during final semester synthesizing content knowledge and skills gained during the program.

School-Based Opportunities

The final required program course at EHD is a practicum that allows you to collaborate with a school or other educational setting where you can apply the ideas you learn during your studies.

Curriculum & Instruction Course Descriptions

Information on courses that are part of the MBA/M.Ed. dual degree curriculum can be found on the UVA Graduate Record website.

Curriculum

Additional Program Details

In 2024, the UVA School of Education & Human Development is ranked #8 for best graduate schools of education in the country by U.S. News and World Report.

The school also jumped up 18 spots to tie for second best online graduate education program in the country, and is ranked #4 in curriculum and instruction, and #11 in instructional media design for online graduate schools of education.

Program Faculty

All Program Faculty
Tisha Hayes

Tisha Hayes

  • Professor of Education
  • Director, McGuffey Reading Services
Patricia Jennings

Patricia A. Jennings

  • Professor
  • Ed.D. in Curriculum & Instruction Program Director
Anne Jewett

Anne Jewett

  • Assistant Professor
  • Degree Director, M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction program

Sarah McCorkle

  • Assistant Professor
April Salerno

April Salerno

  • Associate Professor of Education, General Faculty
Matthew Wheelock

Matthew Wheelock

  • Associate Professor
  • Innovation Program Area Director

Contact Us

Interested in applying? Request a virtual coffee chat with a current student.

Disclosures

As a member of the State Authorizations Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), the University of Virginia (UVA) is authorized to provide curriculum in a distance learning environment to students located in all states in the United States except for California. (34 CFR 668.43(a)(6)& 34 CFR 668.72(n)). Although California does not participate in SARA, it allows students to enroll in out-of-state programs.

Upon completion of the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction program at the UVA School of Education and Human Development, graduates may be eligible for initial professional licensure in another U.S. state by applying to the licensing board or agency in that state. Please visit the University’s state authorization web pages to make an informed decision regarding which states’ educational requirements for initial licensure are met by this program. (668.43(a)(5) (v)(A) - (C))

Enrolled students who change their current (or mailing) address to a state other than Virginia should update this information immediately in the Student Information System as it may impact their ability to complete internship, practicum, or clinical hours, use Title IV funds, or meet licensure or certification requirements in the new state. (34 CFR 668.402).