Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction – Curriculum Leadership PreK-12 Online

Turn your passion for teaching into a leadership position in education by earning your master's degree online from ESU. Our 100% online MS in Curriculum & Instruction (C&I) – Curriculum Leadership PreK-12 program is an affordable, accessible pathway to reach your career goals.

Apply By: 8/4/25

Start Class: 8/18/25 Apply Now

Home >> Degrees >> Education >> Master of Science Curriculum & Instruction >> Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction – Curriculum Leadership PreK-12

Program Overview

Learn more about our master’s in curriculum and instruction program

Gain the professional background you need to become a leader in education development and foster student success with a Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction (C&I) – Curriculum Leadership PreK-12 from Emporia State University. This online education program is designed for educators who aspire to coordinate the design, implementation, management and evaluation of curriculum and instruction in public or private school systems.

Taught by experienced practitioners in the field, the rigorous coursework in this curriculum and instruction master’s program emphasizes the design-down method to create lesson plans from measurable, high-achievement outcomes. You'll also explore practical application of data; trends and innovations related to instruction; and best practices—while focusing on the learner and the learning process.

Core courses include Curriculum Leadership: Models and Strategies; Cultural Influences & Educational Practices; Supporting Technology Integration for School Leaders; Developing Authentic Assessments, and more.

Please note this program does not lead to obtaining a teaching license.

In this online curriculum leadership program, you will:

Learn to design and implement curriculum for grades PreK-12
Apply course material to improve critical thinking and problem solving as well as decisions related to evaluating and producing curriculum for national, state and local levels
Gain practical understanding of fundamental principles, generalizations, and theories of curriculum leadership, curriculum models, and educational research
Develop and hone leadership skills in the area of technology integration and its partnership with curriculum reform

Learn to design and implement curriculum for grades PreK-12
Apply course material to improve critical thinking and problem solving as well as decisions related to evaluating and producing curriculum for national, state and local levels
Gain practical understanding of fundamental principles, generalizations, and theories of curriculum leadership, curriculum models, and educational research
Develop and hone leadership skills in the area of technology integration and its partnership with curriculum reform

This online program prepares you for roles such as:

Teacher Leader
Curriculum Director
Instructional Coordinator
Instructional Specialist
Curriculum Coordinator
Curriculum Specialist

Teacher Leader
Curriculum Director
Instructional Coordinator
Instructional Specialist
Curriculum Coordinator
Curriculum Specialist

Emporia State University offers you an opportunity to complete both your Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction and Master of Science in Educational Administration accelerated online programs together, saving you time and tuition compared to completing these programs separately.

When completed together at ESU, the dual-degree option shares a maximum of 12 credit hours.

This option is ideal for if you are:

Interested in pursuing the Educational Administration program, but do not have the minimum required teaching experience (3 years per KSDE) to start that program. You can begin the C&I program without experience and work to add professional experience for the Ed Admin while completing your C&I.
A working educator who wants to earn your MS in C&I degree while also completing nearly half of the coursework requirements for the Ed Admin program.
An educator who wants to become an administrator and also add to your marketability with an advanced degree in curriculum and instruction.

As a dual-degree student, scheduling and pacing of coursework is up to you, but we recommend that you complete your MS in Curriculum & Instruction first, then continue with the remaining coursework for the Ed Admin program. If you pursue the dual-degree option, you will likely find that the C&I concentrations in Curriculum Leadership or Instructional Coach are most relevant to MS in Educational Administration coursework.

Note: As a dual-degree student, you can return at any time for the second program, provided all coursework is completed within a 7-year time frame (starting with the first dual course applied towards the second degree), per university policy.

For more information on the accelerated online dual-degree option, please contact the program’s academic advisor, MaryAnne McNeal, via email (preferred) at [email protected] or via phone at (620) 341-5091.

When completed together at ESU, the dual-degree option shares a maximum of 12 credit hours.

This option is ideal for if you are:

Interested in pursuing the Educational Administration program, but do not have the minimum required teaching experience (3 years per KSDE) to start that program. You can begin the C&I program without experience and work to add professional experience for the Ed Admin while completing your C&I.
A working educator who wants to earn your MS in C&I degree while also completing nearly half of the coursework requirements for the Ed Admin program.
An educator who wants to become an administrator and also add to your marketability with an advanced degree in curriculum and instruction.

Also available:

Emporia State offers a wide range of graduate education degree programs in a convenient online format. Explore all of our online education programs.

$10,956^* Total Tuition

As few as 12 months Duration

33 Credit Hours

Accreditation

The Teachers College at Emporia State is accredited under the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation standards through the CAEP accreditation system, for a period of seven years.

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Tuition

Find out how and when to pay your tuition

Tuition for the MS in Curriculum & Instruction – Curriculum Leadership PreK-12 online degree program is the same for in-state and out-of-state students. All fees are included.

Program	Per Credit Hour	Per Course	Per Program*
MS – C&I – Curriculum Leadership PreK-12	$332	$996	$10,956

Tuition breakdown:

$10,956^* Total Tuition

$332 Per Credit Hour

Calendar

Discover the milestones to guide you on your student journey

The MS in Curriculum & Instruction – Curriculum Leadership PreK-12 program is delivered in an online format ideal for working professionals, conveniently featuring multiple start dates each year. Choose the start date that's best for you.

View full calendar +

Now enrolling:

8/4/25 Apply Date

8/18/25 Class Starts

Have questions or need more information about Emporia State online programs?

Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online from Emporia State?

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Admissions

See the requirements for this online program

Your journey begins here! The admission process is the first step toward earning your degree. Be sure to get familiar with these requirements to enroll in the MS C&I – Curriculum Leadership PreK-12 online program.

Admission Requirements:

Official transcripts
Bachelor's degree
Minimum GPA of 2.75

MS C&I – Curriculum Leadership PreK-12 Online Admission Requirements

Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 2.75 or higher in the last 60 hours of study or an overall GPA average of no less than a 3.0 for a completed master's degree.
No GRE, teaching certificate or experience required

Official transcripts from all institutions attended can be submitted via a secure electronic service offered by the issuing institution to [email protected] or by selecting Emporia State University on the transcript request form, mailed (or overnighted) to:

Emporia State University
Graduate School
Room 313 Plumb Hall
1 Kellogg Circle
Emporia, KS 66801

Students who have obtained a degree from a foreign university/college must have a transcript evaluation from a recommended external source that is a member of NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services). Students will not be allowed to enroll until the evaluation has been received in the Graduate School.

Have a question? Call us at 800-721-2248800-721-2248

Courses

Take a look at the online master of science in curriculum and instruction classes

The MS in Curriculum & Instruction – Curriculum Leadership PreK-12 online curriculum is comprised of 11 courses (33 credit hours), including 24 credit hours of core courses and nine credit hours of Curriculum Leadership Area of Concentration courses.

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Core Courses

You must take the following courses.

ED 810: Supporting Technology Integration for School Leaders

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks

Credit Hours: 3

This course is designed to prepare school leaders (teachers, instructional coaches, administrators, etc.) for the integration and application of diverse educational technologies into classrooms and schools in ways that reflect a theoretical, research-based and practical understanding of curriculum development and the effective uses of technology. Course content explores practical ways to integrate technology into both teaching and learning as well as the critical importance of adequate training and professional development for successful integration

ED 820: Curriculum Leadership: Models & Strategies

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks

Credit Hours: 3

Students completing this course will, as current or future educational leaders, explain and work effectively with the design and management of academic programs, grades Pre-K-12. They will interpret past, current and emerging curriculum initiatives and describe their intended impact on school curricula, teachers and students. Students will also explain and demonstrate in simulated settings processes for creating, implementing and managing local academic programs in the context of those reform initiatives. Students will be asked to apply their knowledge in four projects which gauge how students can successfully apply what they have learned in a variety of curriculum-related settings.

SD 799: Consultation and Collaboration

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks

Credit Hours: 3

This course provides practical approaches for students to refine and practice effective communication skills. Current models of consultation/collaboration will be presented. Topics studies include communication skills; academic diversity issues; teaming; problem solving; co-teaching approaches; working with paraeducators; models for collaboration with regular educators; engaging and empowering families and community in the education of the learner; and the use of technology for collaborative communication.

ED 835: Cultural Influences & Educational Practices

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks

Credit Hours: 3

This course is designed to prepare students to effectively educate culturally, ethnically, racially different, and differently abled students. Major components are: to explore personal biases and methods of overcoming them; explore the basic principles underlying multicultural education and to develop appropriate strategies for teaching, leading, and other functions of the school and its community.

ED 887: Developing Authentic Assessments

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks

Credit Hours: 3

This course focuses on authentic assessment as a means of equitable student evaluation. Students will differentiate assessment, evaluation, grading and reporting. Approaches to assessment products, performances, processes, tests, and student self-reflection and self-evaluation are explored in this course. Through triangulation, students will create a balanced assessment plan for one course they teach. Participants will create rubrics for one summative assessment and observation instruments for use in evaluating processes. Students may choose to create instructions for portfolio assessment.

ED 880: Contemporary Teaching and Learning Strategies

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks

Credit Hours: 3

This course will examine classroom and instructional organization practices that promote effective teaching, student learning, and applications of that learning and student engagement. Students through the course will examine a variety of teaching structures, assessing their potential impact on learning, and will develop a teaching and learning template applicable to their content areas and classroom management and teaching styles.

ER 753: Research in Education

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks

Credit Hours: 3

This is an introductory graduate-level course in research methodology designed to allow the student to function as a knowledgeable and critical consumer of scholarly research in his/her field. The course will also emphasize the use of action research for program improvement.

ED 895: Practicum

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks

Credit Hours: 3

The purpose of this course is to provide the opportunity for the candidate to develop and demonstrate his/her abilities as a teacher-leader in one or more areas to be selected in collaboration with the university advisor and the practicum field supervisor from among topics including leadership in curriculum development and assessment development, leadership in faculty development, site-based council management, and leadership on school building leadership teams. Student must complete majority of C&I program prior to practicum start date.

Curriculum Leadership Area of Concentration Courses

You must take three of the following courses.

ED 818: Professional Development & The Adult Learner

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks

Credit Hours: 3

This foundational course in professional development will provide educators an introduction to knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors and aspirations that a Teacher Leader will use in designing, facilitating, implementing and assessing high-quality professional development. Additionally, principles and practices to leading adult learners will be integrated throughout the course.

ED 848: Creating a Culture of School Improvement

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks

Credit Hours: 3

Course topics include school culture, change theory, future-ready, teaching and learning and recruitment and retention. Students will learn through a combination of learning activities intended to highlight the characteristics of culture of improvement. Students will engage in activities that apply their learning to their current context.

ED 858: Student Behavior and Neurologically Informed Practice

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks

Credit Hours: 3

Neurological research, traditional sources of knowledge, and contributions from mental health are accessed to design socially, emotionally, and physical safe learning environments for all students and staff. Construction of schooling conditions, to include adults who model and teach healthy social interaction patterns. A comprehensive view of behavioral support is provided.

ED 865: Advanced Theory and Practice in Teaching

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks

Credit Hours: 3

This is a course uniting the research on instruction with practical applications by students. It is designed to provide educational leaders with data, information on trends and innovations, and solid teaching practices while focusing on the learner and the learning process.

ED 886: Designing Instructional Programs

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks

Credit Hours: 3

In this course, students will learn the design-down method for curriculum writing. This involves creating a course with a course purpose and high-achievement unit outcomes fulfilling state, national or Common Core standards. Students will write measurable outcomes and create lesson plans from the outcome components. They will also align assessments to unit outcomes and critique alignment of curricula.

*Tuition is subject to change on an annual basis.

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7 week courses	Program Start Date	Application Deadline	Document Deadline	Registration Deadline	Payment Due
Summer 2025, Session II	6/30/25	6/16/25	6/19/25	6/23/25	6/26/25
Fall 2025, Session I	8/18/25	8/4/25	8/7/25	8/11/25	8/14/25
Fall 2025, Session II	10/14/25	9/30/25	10/3/25	10/7/25	10/10/25

Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction – Curriculum Leadership PreK-12 Online

Learn more about our master’s in curriculum and instruction program

In this online curriculum leadership program, you will:

This online program prepares you for roles such as:

Dual-Degree Option: Accelerated online MS in Curriculum & Instruction + MS in Educational Administration

Also available:

Accreditation

Request Information

Find out how and when to pay your tuition

Tuition breakdown:

Discover the milestones to guide you on your student journey

Now enrolling:

Have questions or need more information about Emporia State online programs?

Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online from Emporia State?

See the requirements for this online program

Admission Requirements:

MS C&I – Curriculum Leadership PreK-12 Online Admission Requirements

Take a look at the online master of science in curriculum and instruction classes

Request Information

Take the Next Step

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