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Curriculum and Teaching
The Curriculum and Teaching specialization will provide you with advanced skills in research and curriculum development and application. Throughout your courses, you will analyze instructional strategies, curriculum models, theories and trends as you apply differentiated instructional modalities to real world situations that will ensure high academic and professional achievement inside and outside the classroom. This specialization will fuel your interest in research and advanced application of topics related to curriculum and teaching. As a graduate, you will be prepared to pursue careers in higher education or industry with expert skills in curriculum application and development and advanced knowledge and skills at all levels of education and industry. This specialization can also prepare you for further doctoral study in Curriculum and Teaching.
General Degree Requirements
The EdS Program may be completed in 33 credits. An Academic Advisor or Enrollment Specialist evaluates each student individually and works with the student to create an academically sound Learning Plan based on prior academics and their professional goals.
Completion Period for Doctoral Degrees
Northcentral University allows 5 years to complete the EdS degree.
Certification and Licensing
The School of Education serves educational leaders by providing online graduate studies in education to reach worldwide populations. The EdS program is designed to reach national and international markets and does not purport to provide licensure or certification in any particular state or country.
Education Specialist (EdS) Degree Requirements
Individuals with a previously completed master’s degree will meet the basis of admission to the Education Specialist Program. The programs includes foundations, scholarly writing and specialization courses, as well as a final capstone. Students must pass all courses with a Grade Point Average of 3.00 (B) or higher.
Course Length
All courses are 8 weeks in length.
Course Code | Name | Course Description |
|---|---|---|
EDU7002-8 | Educational Research Methodology | The purpose of this course is to enable students to gain a holistic understanding of the research process and examine the most common research designs used in educational research. In this course, students are prepared to make thoughtful and wise choices about their dissertation research project or capstone project through the exploration of different research design options. |
Specialization Course 1 | ||
EDU7003-8 | Statistics I | This course provides an introductory exploration of statistics for the graduate student. It includes instruction on the calculation, use, and interpretation of descriptive statistics, and introduces inferential statistical analysis. The emphasis of this course is on providing a working knowledge of basic statistical concepts to help the student understand statistical methodology as used in education, and also more generally, developing a working knowledge of statistical usage in everyday life. |
Specialization Course 2 | ||
Specialization Course 3 | ||
Specialization Course 4 | ||
Specialization Course 5 | ||
Specialization Course 6 |
Course Code | Name | Course Description |
|---|---|---|
EDU7101-8 | Foundations for Graduate Study in Education (This course will be taken as the first course) | This course is an orientation to Northcentral University and to the essential skills needed to pursue a doctoral degree in Education. Doctoral level skills, such as academic integrity, time management, effective use of the Northcentral Library, comprehending complex scholarly texts and research articles, and APA form and style in professional communication are also introduced. Students will complete the course with a better understanding of personal goals, strengths, and challenges, and a roadmap to navigate their way to completion of their educational aspirations. |
EDU7001-8 | Advanced Scholarly Writing | The purpose of this course is to build advanced skills identifying and obtaining high quality sources through online library searches. In addition, the course addresses advanced writing and APA formatting skills, and it prepares students to be critically reflective consumers of research reports. |
Course Code | Name | Course Description |
|---|---|---|
CT7000-8 | Developing Instructional Strategies and Curriculum | In Developing Instructional Strategies and Curriculum doctoral students will contrast and analyze instructional strategies based on a framework of architectural principles. Doctoral students will integrate and implement curriculum theories and models that can include differentiated instruction and the infusion of technology. Curriculum standards and requirements, issues, and trends will be evaluated for the production and promotion of recommendations for effective change. |
CT7001-8 | The Role of the Teacher Practitioner | The teacher as practitioner is a role open to a variety of perspectives for analysis and improvement that can offer doctoral students opportunities for growth; one perspective is the discipline of reflective practice. In CT7001 the doctoral student will analyze and integrate reflective thinking processes, descriptive feedback, and reflective strategies and benefits. The student will also synthesize experiential learning cycles and perspectives and personal action themes into a plan for ongoing success as a reflective practitioner. Evaluation of present teaching practices will provide a portfolio to improve personal and professional growth, teaching methods and strategies, and student learning. |
CT7002-8 | Identifying and Maximizing Learning/Teaching Styles | The skillful use of learning and teaching styles requires familiarity with style models. CT7002 offers the doctoral student opportunities for the analysis and assessment of the interactions at play within learning/teaching styles and brain-based strategies and applications. The doctoral student will become familiar with his or her own style and teaching models that engage diverse students. From that awareness, planning can include how to investigate and evaluate the responsible use of styles and strategies within effective teaching models plus the synthesis, application, and assessment of models within diverse learning contexts. The doctoral student will integrate insights for maximizing styles, teaching strategies, and assessments within a plan for developing best practices and continuing professional development. |
CT7003-8 | Teaching and Learning Foundations | The foundations of teaching and learning can be viewed from several perspectives. Doctoral students will analyze the influence of emotional, social, and cultural contexts and evaluate those influences to make effective decisions that support school structures, which enable student learning. Topics include: learning theories and instructional models, effective teaching practices, multiple intelligences, and metacognition. |
CT7004-8 | Language and Literacy Education | Language and Literacy Education will assist the doctoral student in learning about the processes of language development. Students will analyze the theory of mind and the processes of language and meaning development by reflecting on their own understanding of language. Doctoral students will assess specific literacy strategies to promote language development and analyze ways children learn words and concepts. Students will reflect on the impact of language acquisition on learning and teaching literacy. In addition, students will create strategies, lessons, and assessments designed for language and literacy. |
CT7005-8 | Literacy: Focus on Curriculum | This class offers doctoral students opportunities to investigate and assess the issues and research related to literacy development and literacy curriculum development. Students will analyze principles and strategies that foster literacy development in the early grades and apply learnings to classroom curriculum and instruction. Theory, activities, and summative assessments aid the doctoral leaner in the evaluation of literacy based learning and performance. Literacy achievement and best literacy teaching strategies are planned and implemented. |
CT7006-8 | Multiple Intelligences | In CT7006 Dr. Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences is examined and evaluated by doctoral students for appropriate and beneficial applications within school curricula, especially as applied to fostering students' higher order thinking skills. Students will investigate and assess the influence of multiple intelligences on interdisciplinary learning, students preferred learning styles, and appropriate applications in the class room. Doctoral students will analyze the options for evaluating and revising student assessment methods and tools so that multiple intelligences theory is included in curriculum development. Specific multiple intelligences will be evaluated for specific skill sets and their possible contributions to personal and professional development for students and teachers. |
CT7007-8 | Leadership for Student Achievement | Leadership for Student Achievement provides doctoral students with learning opportunities to maximize student achievement. Major instructional models are compared and evaluated to enable a positive, supportive classroom environment. The diverse needs of students and their learning styles are assessed and possible pro-active changes are suggested using reflective practices and the insights of differentiated instruction. Student discipline patterns and discipline management techniques are analyzed and evaluated to minimize disruptive behavior and increase learning. Doctoral students will examine and appraise research-based instructional strategies for effective classroom management. Action research plans that will explore class room self-selected management topics will be expected. |
CT7008-8 | Evaluation of Instruction | Evaluation of Instruction offers doctoral students a timely opportunity to analyze and evaluate testing models and practices and their influence on achievement assessment. High-stakes testing and its impact on local and regional school practices is analyzed. The achievement gap, academic standards, sanctions and rewards within the context of No Child Left Behind legislation are contrasted and reviewed historically for possible intervention options. Doctoral students will explain and evaluate the possible and probable benefits for learning improvements for students from charter schools, vouchers, and other supplemental educational services. A sample school improvement plan, set in a local context, using class insights is expected. |
Course Code | Name | Course Description |
|---|---|---|
ED7053-8 | Education Specialist Capstone Project | ED7053 is the culmination of the EdS program. In this course students will have the opportunity to demonstrate the synthesis of knowledge in the Education Specialist program through the design of a real-world problem solving project. The project should be based on research and/ or fieldwork and must demonstrate an approach to addressing the problem through application of theory. Additionally, within this course students will complete a reflective self-assessment of their learning throughout the program. |
At Northcentral University, we pride ourselves in being completely transparent when it comes to tuition and fees. We have adopted an all-inclusive tuition model that gives you the cost of your Education Specialist (EdS) tuition and fees in one flat program rate*. The only additional cost above your EdS program rate is books. Learn more about the EdS costs below:
- Per credit cost: $820
- Per 3 credit course cost: $2,461
- Program cost: $27,071
- Average book cost per course: $150
- Application Fee: $0
- Technology Fee: $0
- Registration Fee: $0
Click here to learn more about payment and financing options.
*Program rates are subject to change and generally increase at the start of each calendar year.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about our students, it’s that they are motivated and ambitious—but they are also busy! At Northcentral University, we’ve designed our education experience to work with you, not against you, so you can achieve your academic goals without sacrificing the quality, flexibility and support you need to be successful.
- Regionally Accredited
- No Physical Residency Requirements
- One-to-One Teaching
- 100% Doctoral Faculty
- Flexibility of Online Learning
- University Resources
To learn more, request information or call 1-866-776-0331 or start a live chat to speak with an enrollment advisor today. We offer new courses every Monday of the year so you can get started when it’s best for you.
