Curriculum and Instruction, Ed.S.

This program is only available for degree conferral and admission is not permitted.

The Ed.S. program at UWF is a 30-semester hour post-master’s degree inclusive of a competency-based portfolio. The program is designed primarily for professionals who hold positions of leadership in education and training, social sciences, or the military. The purpose of the program is to develop curriculum-related content experts through advanced knowledge, contextualization, and requisite skills of individuals who work in a variety of leadership settings. The research component is practitioner-oriented with emphasis on the utilization of research findings for decision-making and problem solving. Student backgrounds include, but are not limited to, public school personnel, community college and university personnel, social and health-related personnel, and military personnel.

Ed.D. students who have successfully completed 30 semester hours including a competency-based portfolio and would like to earn an Ed.S. degree should contact the Ed.S./Ed.D. academic advisor to determine eligibility. A student entering the Ed.S. program has the opportunity to apply to the Ed.D. after completion of the program. Three of the core courses, EDF 7404 Quantitative Methods and Educational Statistics I, EDF 7475 Qualitative Research I - Methods, and EDF 7442 Instrumentation Construction for Research and Evaluation, will transfer to the Ed.D. program upon successful application and acceptance. If the student takes the exact sequence of courses offered in the area of focus, then all five courses taken will transfer into the Ed.D. program within the same area of focus. On the other hand, if a student wishes to enroll in a different Ed.D. area of focus from what was taken in the Ed.S., it will be handled on a case-by-case basis.  

Degree Requirements

To be eligible for the Ed.S., a student must complete all requirements listed in the Degree Requirements section of this catalog along with the specific course requirements. Students are required to receive at least a "B" or above in all coursework.

Students will complete the 15 semester hour professional core and complete 15 semester hours of area of focus courses. The areas of focus are as follows: Administration and Leadership Studies, and Curriculum & Assessment. Fulfillment also includes the successful completion of a competency-based portfolio tailored to the student's professional goals and area of specialization.

Tracks, options, areas of focus, and specializations are an informal designation used by graduate programs to indicate areas of emphasis and research but have no formal significance. They do not appear on the student transcript and diploma. 

This program requires a significant amount of writing, all of which must follow the APA guidelines. Students should complete the online APA tutorial before the end of the first semester of enrollment to assist them in mastering APA style. EDF 7404 Quantitative Methods and Educational Statistics I presumes an understanding of basic statistics. 

Program Requirements (30 sh)

Students will complete 30 semester hours made up of Professional Core (15sh),  and Electives (15sh).

Professional Core (15 sh)

Area of Focus Electives (15 sh)

Students will select five courses with advisor approval from one of the following areas of focus.

• Administration and Leadership Studies
• Curriculum & Assessment