UWF Online Master of Education: Elementary, Middle, Secondary, Leadership

The University of West Florida (UWF) College of Education and Professional Studies offers an online Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) or Educational Leadership. Students in the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction can specialize in elementary, middle, or secondary education, including a cognate or concentration as 15 credits of the curriculum.

Middle and secondary school M.Ed. students may include an online Certificate in Professional Education as their cognate. This will allow graduates to convert a three-year non-renewable temporary teaching certification to a five-year renewable certification. Other requirements must be met, one of which is the successful completion of one year of teaching. Elementary education M.Ed. students are not eligible for the Certificate in Professional Education. Alternate cognates are offered based on student interest and teaching faculty availability, including Professional Training Option, Instructional Leadership, or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

The Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction prepares teachers and other professionals for classroom teaching or leadership roles in education. Topics covered by the M.Ed. include exceptional students, maximizing student success, classroom management skills and models, issues challenging child development and learning, including psychological, physical, and socio-economic issues, educational assessment, educational research, and interdisciplinary education. Graduates may continue teaching or move on to a doctorate program in education. Those who continue teaching may work as elementary, middle, or secondary school teachers, literacy and reading coaches, TESOL teachers, and instructional coordinators.

The Master Of Education in Educational Leadership prepares teachers and other professionals for various administrative and leadership roles in education. The curriculum meets the Florida Principal Leadership Standards and competencies and prepares students for the Florida Educational Leadership Exam (FELE). Participating students from states outside of Florida should check with their state’s Department of Education, licensure board, and their local school district to make sure the curriculum meets the standards for their location and what exam they are eligible to take.

Educational Leadership topics include human relations, communication theories and practices, educational policy and law, human resources that improve learning programs, financial support systems, evaluation of student outcomes, curriculum development, and analysis and application of student achievement data to create more effective curricula and learning environments. Learning outcomes focus on professional growth and leadership, student-centered learning, data-driven decision-making, a positive school culture, continuous school improvement, and ethical leadership. Graduates of the program may become elementary, middle, or high school assistant principals, K-12 education administrators, or instructional coordinators.

The M.Ed. programs feature online coursework and local practicum experiences. Prospective students may start the programs six times per year with start dates twice each in the fall, spring, and summer. No GRE/GMAT or work experience is required for the C&I program, and the program can be completed in 24 months part-time. Courses run 16 weeks in length. Applicants must have or be earning professional teaching certification.

The Educational Leadership program requires the submission of GRE/GMAT test scores. Applicants must hold a professional teaching license and have at least two years of K-12 teaching experience, with three or more years preferred. The program can be completed in 18 months part-time. Courses run six to eight weeks, allowing students to complete one course at a time.

Master of Education courses are delivered through the Canvas online Learning Management System (LMS). The M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction program is mostly asynchronous and may include recorded lectures, readings, assignments, and discussion groups. The M.Ed. in Educational Leadership includes collaborative live video sessions with recorded sessions, readings, assignments, and discussion groups included.

C&I program courses include Issues in Education: A Bio-Psycho-Social Perspective; Exceptionalities; Issues in Classroom Management; Principles of Curriculum and Instruction; Introduction to Research; and Applied Research. Students then complete a cognate of 15 credit hours.

Educational Leadership courses include Leadership in Education: Theory and Practice; Introduction to Educational Leadership; Administration of School Personnel; Law and Education; Introduction to School Finance; The Principalship; Instructional Leadership; Principles of Curriculum; Data-Driven Decisions Using Standardized Student Achievement Data; and Human Relations and Communication in Education.

The University of West Florida is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).