UVA Wise Approved for First-Ever Graduate Program Master of Education Offered in Fall 2023

UVA Wise is pleased to announce its first graduate degree program. On Tuesday, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) approved the College’s proposal for an M.Ed. program.

Students searching for new career opportunities in education can now pursue a Master of Education degree at UVA Wise.

“This is a great day for UVA Wise and a step forward in our commitment to provide excellence in education throughout the region,” said UVA Wise Chancellor Donna P. Henry. “We have a long history of producing top-notch teachers, and this new graduate program will continue that tradition and enhance the teacher pipeline, creating a strong K-12 workforce to address teacher shortages, teacher retention and student learning gaps.”

The new program, which will begin in the fall 2023 semester, is a 30-credit hour, non-thesis degree program. The program will include a concentration in curriculum and instruction.

Students may choose to complete the graduate degree program in-person, in a hybrid format (a combination of in-person and online) or completely online. Students may enroll in the program on a full-time or part-time basis, and full-time students will be able to complete coursework in the M.Ed. program in as few as 12 months. Part-time students have the flexibility to complete all 10 courses within five years.

“UVA Wise has been a part of the education ecosystem from its beginnings as a four-year institution, preparing students to become teachers through offering degrees and licensure programs that meet the needs of the community, the state and the nation,” said Andy Cox, UVA Wise director of teacher education, department chair and assistant professor.

“Due to critical and concerning teacher shortages and student learning gaps across Virginia, professionals in the field of education require advanced training so that they might develop sufficient knowledge and skills that not only fill teacher vacancies but also meet the needs of the vast array of learning deficiencies that students bring to the classroom,” Cox said.

In addition to improving teacher retention by providing high-quality professional learning that leads to expanded job opportunities and increased earning potential for licensed teachers, the program will also provide students who do not hold a teaching license with the courses they need to be provisionally licensed in special education, an area of critical need.

The M.Ed. curriculum also provides students who hold an undergraduate degree in a content area, like math or history, all required courses for a provisional license in the content area of their major. Students seeking a non-provisional (fully licensed) initial teaching license will need to complete additional courses to meet the requirements of the specific endorsement.

“The purpose of the master’s program is to prepare K-12 teachers to understand and evaluate curricula using a research-informed approach, adjust curricula to meet emerging academic standards, and ensure curricula and instruction address the needs of all learners,” Cox said.

Students in the graduate program will gain knowledge of educational research methods and their specific applications to problems in curricula and instruction. They will understand evidenced-based practices in curriculum design, factors that affect student learning, assessment of student learning outcomes, instructional strategies for diverse learners, collaboration techniques that induce integrative learning, and classroom management practices that promote a productive and healthy learning environment. 

“By escalating its degree offerings to include a graduate program in education, UVA Wise is responding to the evolution and growth of the field,” Cox said. “Training teachers beyond the undergraduate level in advanced practices equips them with the requisite skills and knowledge to create compelling lessons and provide instruction that is designed to meet the needs of all children.”

For more information, https://www.uvawise.edu/masters-education