Curriculum and Instruction Degrees

What are Curriculum & Instruction Degrees?
The field of Curriculum & Instruction deals with the research, development and implementation of a curriculum that can increase the students’ performance across all levels of education. Curriculum & Instruction, often referred to as C & I, has emerged as an exciting educational field in recent years, especially at a K-12 level. The internet has also played a pivotal role in this field, allowing teachers from all over the world to interact with each other, share ideas and develop curricula that are most effective and beneficial for students. Education specialists working in curriculum & instruction have a significant responsibility when it comes to the education of our children, since they ultimately decide what courses and related study materials students need to take in order to become successful individuals.

How can I benefit from Curriculum & Instruction Degrees?
Since curriculum designers are charged with developing strategies for educating and training young minds, it is essential they are properly educated, trained and qualified. A curriculum & instruction specialist normally has a background in psychology, curriculum development, research and design, and education administration. Many curriculum designers specialize in areas such as mathematics, science and other subjects. Typically, curriculum & instruction specialists need to be educated to the master’s level; however, some entry level positions are available for holders of a bachelor’s degree in education and curriculum design. A number of colleges offer both on-campus and online degrees in education with specializations in curriculum & instruction design. A large number of people now prefer to obtain online degrees, mainly because they offer the flexibility of taking classes from anywhere at any time. Additionally, online programs cost a fraction of what a regular, on-campus program costs, and students save a substantial amount of time and money by not having to commute to or from college.

Types of Curriculum & Instruction Degrees
A bachelor’s degree in education with a specialization in curriculum design is normally a four year program that includes a variety of subjects such as student and teacher psychology, coursework design, teacher evaluation and training, developing new learning materials, evaluating learning materials and techniques for assessing student performance and the effectiveness of a curriculum. Students also take classes in areas such as art education, early childhood education, adolescent education, educational communications and technology (ECT), curriculum design, pedagogy and teacher education. Field work including working with public schools to devise effective changes for their curriculum is also part of this degree. Graduates holding a bachelor’s degree in education can further enroll in a master’s degree in education, which allows students to earn a variety of specializations, including curriculum & instruction and curriculum design technology. Those enrolled in a master’s degree program learn how to apply educational theory and various techniques of curriculum assessment and development for the benefit of their students. Students take courses in the subjects of cognition, educational psychology, linguistics, education technology and traditional and alternative methods of teaching.