Master of Arts in Curriculum Specialist

Course Requirements • Program Delivery • Admissions

The Department of Curriculum and Instruction offers the Master of Arts degree in Curriculum Specialist. The program seeks to prepare curriculum-instructional specialists who demonstrate a knowledge of:

1. The purposes and roles of schooling;
2. The basic structure, organization, and philosophical theories of school supervision;
3. Principles of management and supervision;
4. Principles and practices of personnel performance appraisal;
5. Educational planning in relation to design, implementation, and evaluation of instructional systems;
6. Leadership roles and responsibilities;
7. The key of human relations in instructional leadership;
8. Leadership in the effective utilization of knowledge generated by specialists in improving insturctional programs;
9. Effective supervisory practices; and,
10. Curriculum planning and development.

Through the Office of Extension and Distance Education, the Reich College of Education provides this degree program at selected off-campus settings throughout western NC. (For a listing of locations of upcoming programs, see Proposed New Programs.)

Courses taught by Appalachian in the Off-Campus Curriculum Specialist Program

CI/FDN/RE/SPE 5040	Teacher as Researcher
CI/SPE 5045	Advanced Topics in Diversity
CI 5050	Supervision of Instruction
CI 5055	Connecting Learners & Subject Matter
CI 5060	Curriculum Planning
CI 5525	Product of Learning
CI/LHE 5585	Teacher Leadership & School Improvement
CI 5630 or FDN 5220	Instructional Technology Computers in Educational Settings
CI 5850 or CI 5591	Middle School Curriculum Advanced Curriculum Design in Elementary Ed
LHE 5900	School Administration & Supervision Internship
FDN 5000	Research Methods
LHE 5030	The Principalship
Selected electives will be chosen in consultation with the advisor
Total semester hours required = 39

Off-Campus Program Delivery:

The courses required for the MA degree in Curriculum Specialist will be delivered to the designated off-campus site. Appalachian State University faculty will teach each course; and, a combination of instructional strategies and course delivery systems may be employed. The modes of delivery may include: the instructor's being present at the site; web-based instruction; and/or live interactive two-way, audio-video sessions via the North Carolina Information Highway (NCIH) network. Generally, two courses will be provided each term. Face-to-face courses will be conducted either during the evenings (e.g., 5:00-7:45 pm one evening a week for 15 weeks) or on weekends (e.g., selected Saturdays 9:00 am to 5:00 pm). The program will be cohort-based, meaning the group of identified students who enter this program will begin together and continue together through the specified sequence of required courses leading to the degree. The courses in each cohort will be offered only once, so a student must be prepared to take the courses as they are made available.

Requirements for Admission:

In order to be considered for admission to this program, an individual must possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and hold a NC "A" teaching license (or the equivalent from another state). In addition to the application form applicants must present Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scores and three letters of recommendation. A candidate will be selected based upon the strength of her/his undergraduate career, GRE or MAT test scores, and endorsements expressed in the letters of recommendation.

To make a request of the Office of Extension and Distance Education
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