This program is designed for the professional who holds a Bachelor’s degree and who seeks to obtain Pennsylvania Instructional I Teaching Certification in order to teach at the secondary level. This program is designed to allow students to accomplish this while pursuing a master’s degree. Courses, except those that have a practicum component, are conveniently offered evenings, Saturdays, or online to accommodate work and family schedules. Gannon University provides students with the tools to engage in leadership activities, instructional innovation, and ongoing assessment.

Students in the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction are required to complete a portfolio. The portfolio enables students through action research to develop projects that will impact their classroom, school, and/or school district. As a result of these projects, students have made significant changes in schools and have emerged as leaders in their respective districts.

Students seeking teaching certification are also required to complete a professional portfolio. The portfolio is intended to demonstrate and document the professional educator’s knowledge, skills, abilities, performances, and professionalism. At the university level, portfolios must demonstrate the degree to which the teacher candidate has attained the outcomes designated by the School of Education and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Equally important, the professional portfolio is a tool for the interviewing process.

Teacher candidates are required to complete 180 hours of field experiences and 14 weeks of student teaching, which can be conveniently arranged in a local school district. Students are encouraged to talk to their advisor early in the program so that they can take the proper course sequence and meet all certification and program requirements.