Online Master's in Curriculum and Instruction Degree

The role of instructors, instructional designers and curriculum developers has changed dramatically over the past decade. Today, education focuses on ensuring that educational programs help learners understand abstract concepts, solve problems, work as effective team members and develop critical-thinking skills. AIU’s Online Master's in Curriculum and Instruction program is designed to provide a solid foundation for effective educational practice and advancement for all levels of educational practitioners including K-12*, higher education and corporate learning. Students could develop a solid foundation in learning theory, instructional design and instructional technology, as well as application of educational research methods.

This professionally-focused online Master's in Curriculum and Instruction program is designed to help students utilize authentic tools and assessment in application of learning outcomes, such as Lectora. They can also explore how to collaborate in a community of learners for professional application of skills and study the importance of asking the right questions in order to prompt efficient and effective answers. This one-year online Master's in Education program is designed to help students get the in-depth, specialized knowledge they want—compressing their studies into a shorter timeframe, but still providing the knowledge and credentials they're looking for.

Our online Master's in Curriculum and Instruction program can help you learn you how to:

• Integrate technology into curriculum and instruction for a student-centered learning environment.
• Design and implement assessments of student performance.
• Adapt existing instructional materials for specific situations and conditions.
• Develop curriculum to satisfy organizational, federal, state or other standards and objectives.
• Use multiple instructional strategies to present content, addressing differences in student learning styles and abilities.
• Measure the effects of instruction or training and redesign curriculum to increase student performance as needed.
• Engage in organizing and brainstorming potential curriculum ideas and identifying potential flaws in their use
• Analyze traditional curriculum methods and structures to identify best practices, as well as weaknesses
• Become familiar with professional academic standards, curriculum formatting and current academic terms
• Create their own original curricula, aligning them with common standards and student learning requirements
• Understand how developmental psychology and current education theory drive curriculum design

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*American InterContinental University’s Master of Education degree is not designed to meet state educator licensing or advancement requirements; however, it may assist students in gaining licensure or advancement in their state of residence depending on those requirements. If you’re interested in teaching certification or advancement, please contact your state board of education for requirements.

In this specialized course of study, students focus on the curriculum and related instructional processes and tools, including the study of curriculum theory, curriculum design and planning, instructional material design and evaluation, curriculum evaluation, and applications to specific subject matter, programs or educational levels. Specialization courses are structured to assist students in the development of their goals, as they can study advanced knowledge and skills common to today’s professional curriculum specialists. For an Online Master's in Curriculum and Instruction Degree, your classes may include:

Principles of Curriculum Improvement

In this course, students will examine forces influencing curriculum improvement. This course focuses on the analysis of curriculum and the application of principles for resolution of curriculum problems.

Designing Effective Curricula

This course examines techniques and methods of effective course design and implementation. Topics covered include motivation, consultation, instructional strategies, and student assessment.

Curriculum Design and Evaluation

This course examines the development of comprehensive educational curricula and/or development programs. Students will perform all phases of curricula design tied to their area of professional practice.

Decision Making in Curriculum and Instruction

This course examines the roles of curriculum designers and instructors in the educational decision-making process. Students analyze the underlying assumptions and research supporting various teaching and design practices. Students will create a curriculum design project integrating concepts and skills gained throughout this program.

Analysis, Assessment and Technology

This course provides the foundations of analysis and assessment methodologies used in the field of education. Students are introduced to applied quantitative and qualitative educational research methods in context of the practitioner's educational environment. Comparisons of formative and summative assessment and formative evaluation will be addressed.

Integrative Design and Evaluation

This course examines the development of curricula for education and workplace learning and development. Comparison of evaluation design, curriculum design, and instructional design will assist learners in understanding the similarities and differences in these fields of education. Learner will learn to develop learning objectives. Program evaluation techniques will be introduced.

Applying Learning Theories

This course is designed to provide an introduction to the various schools of thought on how people learn. The course will emphasize the practical implications of cognitive science. It provides a comprehensive survey of the progressive understanding of the learning process. Students will explore learning theories, such as cognitive, behaviorist, and constructivist. Students will compare the theories and their application in the learner's respective field using the appropriate formal written communication for the discipline of Education.

Mastery in Educational Specialty

This capstone course will allow the student to demonstrate mastery of all the concepts and skills presented in the core courses and specialization courses in the student’s field of study. The emphasis will be on designing and producing a real world quality deliverable in the specialization studied to be used as a highlight in a professional portfolio.

The Online Master's in Curriculum and Instruction Degree Program at American InterContinental University is awarded TEAC initial accreditation by the Inquiry Brief Commission of Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) for a period of three years, from October 2015 - December 2018, to complete the remainder of the five year term, beginning in 2013.

The accreditation does not include individual education courses that the Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) offers to P-12 educators for professional development, re-licensure, or other purposes.