Master of Science in Education in Curriculum & Instruction – General Online

Learn curriculum development reflecting the best instructional strategies for student success by emphasizing technology, change management and student engagement.

Apply by: 1/3/25
Start class: 1/13/25 Apply Now Apply Now

Program Overview

Insights into our online Master's in Curriculum and Instruction General degree program

The versatile MSEd. in Curriculum & Instruction – General with an emphasis in Engagement, Learning and Achievement is designed to augment your curriculum development skills and to prepare you for career advancement in or outside of the classroom.

This program equips you with an expanded educational skillset designed to promote student growth. You will apply critical-thinking skills to plan improvement practices, manage information and analyze data, implement brain science research to effectively design curriculum and instruction, and integrate diversity, equity and inclusion as a foundational approach to reach and engage all students.

This online master’s degree program will provide you with essential skills and knowledge based on developing trends and issues in curriculum and instruction.

What you will learn in this MSEd. program:

  • Critical-thinking skills to recognize and implement improvement practices related to curriculum and instruction
  • Methods of managing information and analyzing data to improve practices related to curriculum and instruction
  • How to integrate brain science research into improvement of practices related to curriculum and instruction
  • Approaches for improving curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion
What you will learn in this MSEd. program:
  • Critical-thinking skills to recognize and implement improvement practices related to curriculum and instruction
  • Methods of managing information and analyzing data to improve practices related to curriculum and instruction
  • How to integrate brain science research into improvement of practices related to curriculum and instruction
  • Approaches for improving curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion

Career opportunities include:

  • Curriculum Specialist
  • Instructional Coordinator
  • Curriculum and Assessment Director
  • Instructional Systems Specialist
  • Program Administrator
  • Corporate Trainer
Career opportunities include:
  • Curriculum Specialist
  • Instructional Coordinator
  • Curriculum and Assessment Director
  • Instructional Systems Specialist
  • Program Administrator
  • Corporate Trainer

Accreditation:

AAQEP logo

Northwest Missouri State University is accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) and is recognized by the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education™ (DESE) and the Higher Learning Commission.

Also available:

Northwest offers a variety of specialized online education program options. Check out our other online education programs.

Total Tuition $11,730*
Program Duration As few as 12 months
Credit Hours 30

Accreditation:

AAQEP logo

Northwest Missouri State University is accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) and is recognized by the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education™ (DESE) and the Higher Learning Commission.

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Need More Information?

Call 844-890-9304

Call 844-890-9304

Tuition

Our budget-friendly tuition can be paid as you go

Our MSEd. in Curriculum & Instruction – General online program offers affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition, which is the same for in-state and out-of-state students. All fees are included.

View additional tuition information+

Program Per Credit Hour Per Course Per Program*
MSEd. in C&I General $391 $1,173 $11,730

Important Refund Information

2nd day of class Last date for 100% refund for dropped course
4th day of class Last date for 75% refund for dropped course
6th day of class Last date for 50% refund for dropped course
8th day of class Last date for 25% refund for dropped course

*Tuition and fees are based on current rates. Textbooks and laptops are not included with tuition.

Tuition breakdown:

Total Tuition $11,730*
Per Credit Hour $391

Transfer your credits for lower tuition

Use our Tuition Estimator to see how affordable your degree could be. Slide the notch to the number of credits you've already earned—which may qualify for transfer credit—to get an estimate of what your degree might cost.

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Transfer Credits: 0
Your Estimated Tuition: $16,140
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Transcripts sent from other colleges and universities will be evaluated, and accepted credits will be added to the student's A-State record. The Tuition Estimator is not a guarantee or predictor of the number of credit hours that will be accepted.

Calendar

Our application deadlines and class schedules

Northwest online programs are delivered in an accelerated format ideal for working professionals, conveniently featuring multiple start dates each year.

View full calendar  + 

TermProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineDocument DeadlineRegistration DeadlinePayment DueLast Class Day
Spring 11/13/251/3/251/6/251/7/251/8/252/28/25
Spring 23/10/252/24/252/27/253/3/253/5/254/25/25
Summer 15/5/254/21/254/24/254/28/254/30/256/20/25
Summer 26/23/256/6/256/11/256/13/256/17/258/8/25
Fall 18/25/258/11/258/14/258/18/258/20/2510/10/25
Fall 210/20/2510/6/2510/9/2510/13/2510/15/2512/5/25

*Tuition and fees are based on current rates. Textbooks and laptops are not included with tuition.

Now enrolling:

Next Apply Date: 1/3/25
Next Class Start Date: 1/13/25
Ready to take the next steps toward

earning your degree?

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Admissions

What you need to know before applying

At Northwest, we've streamlined the admission process to help you get started quickly and easily. Please read the requirements for the curriculum and instruction master's, including what additional materials you need and where you should send them.

Admission Requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • GPA of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale
  • Official transcripts from all institutions attended
View all admission requirements +

To apply for this program, you must meet these requirements:

  • An official undergraduate transcript from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 OR an official undergraduate transcript from a regionally accredited institution with a GPA of 2.50 to 2.74 with a 3.0 GPA in the first six semester hours of graduate study at Northwest in the major where admission is requested.
  • Documentation of ONE of the following:
    • Valid state issued teaching certificate OR two years previous teaching experience with a valid teaching certificate
    • 3.5 or higher on the analytical writing measure of the GRE
    • Successful completion of another master's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with at least a 2.75 GPA
    • Successful completion of nationally normed educational performance assessment (MoPTA, edTPA, etc.)
    • Departmental analytical writing assessment with a 4.0 score or higher (based on the modified CUNY scale)
    • National Board Certification

If you are a non-Missouri student, you should determine whether this program fits the certification requirements for your state.

Official transcript(s) can be emailed to: [email protected]. To submit official documents by mail, send them to:

Graduate Records Specialist
Northwest Missouri State University
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468-6001

Have a question? Call us at 844-890-9304.

Click here for State Authorization information.


Admission Requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • GPA of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale
  • Official transcripts from all institutions attended

Courses

The topics you’ll study in our master’s in curriculum & instruction - general classes

For this master’s degree in curriculum and instruction online program, the curriculum is comprised of 10 courses (30 credit hours).

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Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will focus on the development of skills related to finding, evaluating, analyzing, prioritizing and integrating data sources for the improvement of student learning. Students will retrieve data, develop an action plan for improvement, and create a project demonstrating proficiency in data literacy.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to introduce the importance of school vision and mission statements as students investigate the process to developing these statements based on the district's improvement plan. Students will conduct an audit of the school's culture and develop an improvement plan that addresses one identified need, based on student learning. The course is intended to help students work with core values, systems of support, and the school improvement process to bring about meaningful change that impacts the school's culture and student success.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will include an analysis of literature on brain research, classroom culture, student engagement and student performance. With the increasing body of brain research that has occurred over the past decades, educators now have a scientific basis for the implementation of a classroom culture and classroom environments that increase the functioning of the brain. Engaging students in their learning is a scientifically-based concept that leads to sustained student motivation and achievement and provides for positive classroom culture. The course will provide curriculum leaders with the tools necessary to increase student engagement, motivation and promote a positive classroom culture.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Students who complete this course understand and demonstrate the capability to promote the success and well-being of each student by applying the knowledge, skills and commitments necessary for equitable protocols for student support, equitable access in a least restrictive environment, responsive practices for culturally responsive teaching and leadership, and a supportive school culture that ensures each student and family is treated fairly. 27 hours field experience embedded in the course.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will begin with a review of current research on the role of quality feedback in the improvement of achievement and performance. Students will analyze student work and practice providing descriptive feedback. The role of performance feedback in the improvement of instructional practice will be reviewed and students will practice providing feedback through peer review. Finally, students will review literature on the development of effective goal setting resulting in the creation of goals that align with the feedback provided on student work and peer review.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on the leadership qualities necessary to create a digital culture in schools. Instructional leaders must focus on ways to connect and collaborate to achieve the hallmarks of 21st century learning. Students will explore a framework for digital leadership which will promote a culture that harnesses the power of technology within the school environment.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
In this course, students will investigate organizational frameworks designed to best facilitate change and apply these structures to today's schools. Students will understand the dynamics of change and how to optimize the potential to sustain change that has a positive impact on student success.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will provide students with the tools necessary to stay current on trends and issues in curriculum, instruction and assessment. Special topics in curricular design, instructional strategies, assessment and professional development will be explored. Professional ethics as it relates to the role of the curriculum leader will be analyzed and applied.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to learn how classroom- or school-level action research can contribute to analysis of student learning and teacher instruction that best benefits students. During this course, candidates can expect to complete an action research project that will contribute to and inform their work as a leader in curriculum and instruction in their setting. Candidates will identify a classroom/school problem or question. Then, through a process of planning, acting, observing and reflecting, an action research topic will be identified, the research setting and participants will be described, a literature review will be conducted, action research questions identified, and a strategy will be implemented. The academic inquiry through action research will be completed during the candidate's capstone.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This capstone course is designed to complete the action research project, reflect on the impact and changes that result, and inform others about what has been learned. As a part of this course, students will complete the written assessment of competency mastery.

Ranked #1

Northwest Missouri State University is ranked #1 among the "Best Online Colleges in Missouri" by SR Education Group (2020)

Highly Qualified Faculty

100% of classes are taught by professionals, not graduate assistants

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