Curriculum & Instruction: M.Ed. - Master of Education

Admission Requirements

This program accepts the submission of Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores as part of the application process OR the applicant can choose an alternative procedure in place of GRE scores. GRE scores must be less than five years old. Visit our Graduate Admission page for the full graduate admission process.

Students may enter the program during the summer, fall, or spring semesters. Additional admission requirements that apply specifically to this program (including alternative materials accepted in place of GRE scores) are listed below:

• National Board of Professional Teaching Standards: Educators may submit evidence of their NBPTS certification.

Prerequisites
Successful completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
 

Admission Requirements

• Two recommendations solicited through the online application from faculty and/or employers.
• A goal statement that integrates past experiences, explains how this program supports professional goals, and describes how this program and the chosen area of emphasis is a good-fit for the applicant. It should be 1-2 double-spaced pages or no more than 500 words in length. 
• An updated resume.
• Unofficial transcripts (uploaded to the online application).

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all required materials are submitted by the deadline. Incomplete applications will not be read and may be canceled if left incomplete. Materials should be tracked using the checklist in the application. Decisions are typically made within three weeks of the application deadline.

Transferring Credits

A maximum of 6 credit hours can be transferred into the program if the course is determined by the advisor to meet a number of conditions (e.g., graduate-level, is equivalent in rigor and focus to a course offered in the program of study, the student earned a grade of B- or higher, and the course was successfully completed less than 5 years from the date of admission to the program).
 

Conditional Admission

• Rather than submitting GRE scores, prospective students have the option of taking EDIS 5025 and the first course from their chosen area of emphasis. Apply as a degree-seeking student before completing the 2 courses. If you are accepted, you will receive “conditional admission” status while you take the first two courses. Once they are completed with a B+ or higher, your admission automatically transfers to full admission status. Benefits of this include being officially admitted to the program before taking courses, being matched with a faculty advisor earlier, and financial aid eligibility (minimum of 6 credits/2 courses) OR
• Fill out the non-degree student form and take 2 courses. Then apply no later than the semester in which you are taking the second course. Our school does not accept more than 2 courses/6 credits to be transferred into a degree program, including coursework taken here. Benefits of this include ensuring the coursework is the right fit for you before entering the program and being able to go ahead and take a course or two if you miss the application deadline.
• A writing sample is needed for this admission option.

Direct Admission for Current UVA Students
Current UVA students are eligible for the Direct Admission option if they have a minimum GPA of 3.3 and have completed one or more of the required courses. Review the Direct Admission page for more information.

Guaranteed Admission for UVA Undergraduate
For UVA B.S.Ed. graduates, the UVA School of Education and Human Development offers a guaranteed admission option for recent teacher education graduates who meet eligibility requirements. Review the Guaranteed Admission page for more information. This option also requires a simplified application.

Writing Sample Instructions

Students seeking conditional admission to the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction may submit a writing sample in addition to planning to take or having completed two program-required courses (indicating grades of B+ or above) in lieu of submitting GRE scores. 

The writing sample is designed for you to demonstrate your skills related to academic writing, critical thinking, and developing ideas with strong evidence/support, applying these skills in the context of your intended area of emphasis. If you have a graduate-level paper from previous coursework or a publication in which you were the sole author, then you may submit it in lieu of completing the writing sample instructions. If you have any questions about the writing sample, then please reach out to the the M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction program listed at the bottom of this page.

The writing sample should be a new piece of writing that you develop independently in response to the following prompt: 
 

Instructions: 

• Choose a common controversy or issue related to your intended area of emphasis: Applied Behavior Analysis (BCBA), Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Educational Innovation, English as a Second Language, Gifted Education, Instructional Technology, Literacy, Professional Studies, Social and Emotional Learning, Social Foundations, or Special Education.
• Using at least 4-6 resources to provide evidence and support for your ideas, develop a 3-4 page paper in which you briefly describe the controversy/issue and its relevance to your intended area of emphasis, critically analyze both sides of the issue, and build a persuasive argument to support your stance. 

Specifications:

• APA Style (7th edition): 
• typed, double-spaced, 8.5 x 11 paper, 1-inch margins, 12 point Times New Roman font, appropriate headings, etc. 
• Title page 
• Body (3-4 pages) 
• No abstract 
• In-text citations (minimum of 4) 
• References list (at least 4-6 sources). You should select quality resources that are credible and appropriate for your topic. With the exception of optionally including one seminal resource that may be more dated, your resources should also be recent (generally from about the past 10 years or so). 
• We strongly recommend that you consult the APA Publication Manual (7th edition), the Purdue Online Writing Lab, APA Module, or other APA resources as needed. 
• UVA EHD admissions writing sample support.

Coursework

To learn more about specific courses taken as part of the completion of this degree, visit the Graduate Record website. These webpages represent the official repository for academic program requirements. A link to these publications can be found in the Curriculum Information section at the bottom of this page.

All M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction students are required to take five classes in the Curriculum & Instruction (C&I) core (15 hours) The C&I core classes consist of four pillars—instruction, curriculum, assessment, and diversity. 

• EDIS 5025: Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment (Instruction Pillar)
• EDIS 5422: Cross-Cultural Education for Diverse Learners (Diversity Pillar)
• EDIS 6200: Principles of Curriculum Design (Curriculum Pillar)
• EDIS 6220: Assessment of Curriculum K-12 (Assessment Pillar)

Students then choose a 15-credit area of emphasis from the following areas:

Applied Behavior Analysis (BCBA), Educational Innovation, English as a Second Language, Gifted Education, Instructional Technology, Literacy, Professional Studies, Social and Emotional Learning, Social Foundations, Special Education.

(See details for areas of emphases and recommended plans of study further down on this page)

Students must then successfully pass a comprehensive exam that is embedded in this culminating Curriculum & Instruction course. Students must be in their final semester of coursework to enroll:

• EDIS 6880: Masters Comprehensive in Curriculum & Instruction

Dual MBA/M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction Option

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.

The M.Ed./M.B.A. program integrates two courses of study (education and business) and combines two different approaches to learning (online at EHD and in-person at Darden). This program is designed for the next generation of leaders who will transform education in the United States and around the world.

At the School of Education and Human Development, students complete 24 credits of online 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.

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 MEd course that supports students as they complete the comprehensive exam.
• 9 credits from an additional area of emphasis of your choosing: diversity, educational policy, English as a Second Language, higher education, instructional technology, literacy, social and emotional learning, social foundations, or special education.

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.

Admission Process

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.