Approved by: Graduate Council
Implementation Date: Summer 2014
Note: Deletions are strikethroughs. Insertions are underlined.
Catalog Copy
Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Elementary Education
Description of Program
The M.Ed. in Elementary Education is designed for experienced teachers who wish to become instructional leaders, advanced practitioners, and global educators. Upon completion of the program, students will qualify for the North Carolina advanced Standard Professional II teaching license in Elementary Education.
1) Instructional Leader
This degree program enables graduates to develop leadership skills as well as specialized content knowledge to effectively impact elementary education. Graduates of this program will also be advocates for students’ cultural and academic needs as well as advocates for effective and relevant educational practices and policies.
2) Advanced Practitioners
Completion of this degree program will enable graduates to acquire deep theoretical and content knowledge to become advanced practitioners in specific emphasis areas. Graduates will have the capacity to facilitate student learning through inquiry-based practices. Graduates will also possess knowledge and practice that will prepare them to enter Ph.D. programs throughout the country and world.
3) Global Educators
Graduates of this degree program will contribute to a rigorous and critical analysis of learning in their classroom, the school, and global society. The program enables graduates to promote an educational milieu that values culture, reflective practice, and multiple worldviews.
Program Goals
- Master teachers are self-directed and ethical in their personal and professional growth as educators.
- Master teachers are responsive to children’s differences as influenced by development, exceptionalities, and diversity.
- Master teachers are well-grounded in the technology, content, and pedagogy of the elementary curriculum and emphasis area.
- Master teachers are effective in urban, rural, and suburban cultural contexts
- Master teachers are self-reflective, educational advocates, and educational researchers.
- Master teachers are collaborative and impactful educational leaders.
Master teachers are globally aware of the impact of local education.
General Requirements for Admission to the Graduate School
Please refer to the information found in The Graduate School section of this Catalog.
Additional Admission Requirements
- Official transcripts of all previous academic work beyond high school with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75
- Completion of a Bachelors in Elementary Education from an approved program
- Official reports of GRE or MAT examination
- An essay describing statement of purpose for undertaking graduate study
- Apply online: graduateschool.uncc.edu
Degree Requirements
The M.Ed. in Elementary Education is a 33‐hour program. The Programs of Study include 18 hours of required courses and 11-15 hours of courses from one of the following concentrations: Academically or Intellectually Gifted, Elementary Mathematics, Instructional Systems Technology, Literacy, Special Education, and Teaching English to Second Language Learners.
Core Courses (18 hours)
Phase I. Developing Perspectives (9 hours)
ELED 6200 Current Issues in Global and Urban Elementary Schools (3)
ELED 6201 Theories of Human Development and Learning in Cultural Contexts (3)
ELED 6202 Classroom Management and Leadership for Diverse Learners (3)
Phase II. Collaborative Inquiry (6 hours)
ELED 6203 Instructional Differentiation for 21st Century Learners (3)
RSCH 6101 Research Methods (3)
Phase III. Investigative Leadership (3 hours)
ELED 6303 Teacher Inquiry and Data Analysis in the Elementary Classroom (3)
Concentrations (11-15 hours)
Academically or Intellectually Gifted*
SPED 5211 Nature and Needs of Gifted Students (3)
SPED 6124 Methods of Instructing Gifted Students (3)
SPED 6161 Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted Students (3)
SPED 6224 Adapting Curriculum Material and Classroom Differentiation (3)
Elementary Mathematics*
ELED 6311 Number Systems and Operations: K-5 Mathematical Tasks (3)
ELED 6312 Geometry and Spatial Visualization: K-5 Assessment (3)
ELED 6313 Algebraic Reasoning: K-5 Discourse and Questioning (3)
ELED 6314 Rational Numbers and Operations: K-5 Learning Trajectories (3)
ELED 6315 Data Analysis and Measurement: K-5 Classroom Interactions (3)
Note: ELED 6316 (Mathematical Modeling: K-5 Leadership) must also be completed in order to earn the North Carolina Add-On License
Instructional Systems Technology (Technology Integration)*
EIST 6101 The Adult Learner (3)
EIST 6100 Readings in EIST (3)
EIST 6110 Instructional Design (3)
EIST 6135 Learning, Media, Resources, & Technology (3)
Literacy
READ 6100 Current Issues and Practices in Literacy Education (3)
READ 6252 K-12 Writing Development and Instruction (3)
READ 6265 Multi-literacies in a Global World: Reading and Writing Texts in New Times (3)
READ 6250 Emergent and Elementary Literacy (3)
READ 6204 Teaching Reading to English Language Learners (3)
Special Education
EDUC 6254 Individualizing Instruction for Diverse Learners (3)
SPED 6502 Advanced Classroom Management (3)
SPED 6503 Instructional Design in Special Education (3)
SPED 6690 Consultation and Collaboration (2)
Teaching English as a Second Language*
ENGL 6161 Introduction to Linguistics (3)
TESL 5104 Authentic Assessment (3)
TESL/FLED 5130 Second Language Methods (3)
TESL 6205 Second Language Acquisition in K-12 Settings (3)
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
ELED 6210: Current Issues in STEM Education (3)
ELED 6211: Integrating Engineering into the Elementary School Curriculum (3)
ELED 6212: Integrating Digital Learning and STEM with Elementary School Learners (3)
ELED 6213: Global Awareness in STEM Education (3)
ELED 6214: Designing and Developing STEM Curricula (3)
NOTE: PENDING APPROVAL
Elective (3 hours)
Elective may include any non-required course selected from a variety of course offerings designed to support concentration, additional research courses, and advanced knowledge in specific content.
*This concentration leads to the North Carolina Licensure if the student successfully completes all of the related licensure requirements.
Admission to Candidacy
The Candidacy form supplied by the Graduate School must be received no later than the eighth instructional day of the semester in which completion of all degree requirements is expected.
Application for Degree
The Application for Degree/Graduation form supplied by the Graduate School must be received early in the last semester of your program.
Clinical Field Experiences
Students in the M.Ed. program participate in structured field experiences that require them to apply coursework in their classroom settings, analyze K-5 student learning, and reflect on their practice in the context of theories on teaching and learning. Students deepen their understanding of the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions that foster student learning. These experiences broaden their ability to help all students learn, including children with exceptionalities and students from diverse ethnic/racial, linguistic, gender, and socioeconomic groups. These structured field experiences are designed to take place in multiple settings within the candidate’s school community or districts, after-school programs, alternate youth centers, or in the schools and classrooms in which the candidates work.
Capstone Requirements
The capstone experience for the M.Ed. will be fulfilled by successfully completing the Teacher Inquiry Project in the ELED 6303 course.
Advising
All students are assigned an advisor upon formal admission to the program. Students are required to attend the advising seminar at the start of each semester.
Assistantships
The Program typically has a limited number of graduate assistantships with salaries starting at $8,000/academic year. Applications are available from the Department of Reading and Elementary Education.
Licensure
The master’s (M.Ed.) program in Elementary Education is a K-6 instructional degree that leads to the “M” level teaching license.
Research Opportunities/Experiences
Faculty members in the Department of Elementary Education faculty are deeply committed to research in urban schools. As a result, candidates will have opportunities to become involved in classroom-based research.
Financial Aid/Financial Assistance
Information is available from the Office of Teacher Education Advising, Licensure, and Recruitment (TEALR). See education.uncc.edu/TEALR for details. Additional information is available from the Office of Student Financial Aid at finaid.uncc.edu.
Program Approval
All teacher education programs at UNC Charlotte are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. The M.Ed. in Elementary Education is awaiting approval by North Carolina State Board of Education.
Course Catalog Descriptions
Courses in Reading, Language, and Literacy (READ)
READ 6100. Current Issues and Practices in Literacy Education. (3). Cross-listed as EDCI 8140. Theories, research, and instructional methods associated with reading and language arts, preschool through high school; questions of effectiveness related to instructional approaches and materials; related topics such as multicultural literacy, the role of phonics, and assessment. (Fall, On demand)
READ 6204. Teaching Reading to English Language Learners. (3). Research, theory, and instructional practices related to the reading process and reading instruction for English Language Learners in K-12 classrooms; relationship between language development and reading; examination of instructional materials including literature, basal readers, and information texts; field-based application of course content. (Spring, On demand)
READ 6250. Emergent and Elementary Literacy. (3). Cross-listed as EDCI 8250. Prerequisite: Completion of Phase I (READ 6100, READ 6252, READ 6265). Critical reading and use of the literature in literacy education, examination of literacy content taught in the K-6 curriculum with an emphasis on pre-K and beginning reading instruction research, theory and practice, multiple models and approaches for teaching and assessing learning in literacy development, required action research project. (Fall, On demand)
READ 6252. K-12 Writing Development and Instruction. (3). Cross-listed as EDCI 8252. Theories, research, and critical issues related to students’ writing development and effective writing instruction. Field experience required. (Spring, On demand)
READ 6265. Multiliteracies in a Global World: Reading and Writing Texts in New Times. (3). Cross-listed as EDCI 8265. Immerses students in both the theory and practice of multiliteracies and considers how globalization has created a more complex environment for teachers and students. Focus goes beyond traditional print-based literacy to multiple forms of knowing, including print, images, video, combinations of forms in digital contexts, which are represented in inter-related and complex ways. (Fall, Summer, On demand)