masters in education texas

Texas A&M University Catalogs

Master of education in educational administration.

The College of Education and Human Development and the Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development's vision is “We transform lives.” The Master of Education offers two areas of specialization: the first in K-12 Educational Leadership and Policy (ELP) and the second in Higher Education Administration.

The K-12 Educational Leadership and Policy program’s mission is (a) to prepare leaders for public, charter, and private schools in Texas and the nation and (b) to prepare individuals to conduct research and/or teaching at a university, college, institute, or educational agencies. As a result of these dramatic changes, the K-12 ELP faculty is dedicated to attracting, mentoring, and preparing the "best, brightest, and culturally aware young leaders for key roles as superintendents, principals and university professors." To reach these goals, the faculty must nurture educational change agents who can focus on improving the technical core of teaching and learning and seek social justice for all students at all levels of education. It is important that the program meets the challenges of integrating theory and research as a resource that can be used to solve complex problems of administrative practice. The faculty members believe that both the school practitioner and the university professor must have skills in reflective practice and be prepared to integrate reliable formal knowledge with clinical knowledge, i.e., theoretical with craft knowledge.

As you make decisions about becoming a school administrator, the Master of Education (MEd) in Educational Administration program offers an array of options with a focus on K-12. If you are interested in become a school administrator, this program allows an individual to receive both a master's degree and complete the course requirements for principal certification in the state of Texas. The MEd in Educational Administration is designed for individuals who wish to become leaders in the public school field. This is a non-thesis degree. Students are admitted into a cohort which begins each fall semester. Students should complete the program in two years. 

Upon successful completion of all required coursework and with the approval of the program faculty, students may sit for the (state principal examinations) if they:

• Complete all components of the required practicum experience
• Complete all preparation work recommended by faculty and provide a passing score exam certification practice exams (both 268 and PASL 368)
• Complete the SBEC online certification application
• Complete the College of Education and Human Development Certification and Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Developments Requirements

The Higher Education Administration emphasis prepares future academic and student affairs professionals to work in higher education administration. Higher education is a broad-based area of knowledge and study that examines the management and coordination of programs, policies, and processes pertaining to colleges and universities, including issues associated with access to higher education, admission, assessment and curriculum, enrollment and equitably serving all students, finance and economics, governance and law, learning/andragogy, administration, philanthropy, education policy, and college students.

Career paths in higher education vary widely, and are dependent on academic qualifications and job responsibilities required within and across colleges and universities. For example, the qualifications for entry-level academic advisors or activities director at a community college or baccalaureate granting institution are often more flexible than at a doctoral research university. Higher education administrators typically hold a masters or doctoral degree with a masters as the minimal preferred qualification for many entry-level positions. Graduates with a master’s degree can work in university housing, student activities, admissions and other areas of student affairs. Positions in academic affairs are also common, such as academic advisor, recruitment or retention specialist, development specialist, study abroad coordinator, or financial aid counselor. Other students are interested in education policy and may pursue a career in government policy in higher education. Occasionally, our students started working in higher education with a bachelor’s degree and realize they wanted a masters degree for career mobility or for professional development.

The M.Ed. in Educational Administration is only offered in an online format for the convenience of working professionals. This is a non-thesis masters degree with a culminating capstone project. The program is designed to run year-round with summer courses so students can complete the 36 credits in two calendar years. Students take courses in a loose cohort of two courses per semester, usually one required course and one faculty selected elective. While student can make substitutions including some in-person courses, it is designed as an online program and substitutions must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor.

This program is also approved for delivery via asynchronous distance education technology.

Program Requirements

• Student's Advisory Committee

Degree Plan

Credit requirement, transfer of credit, limitations on the use of transfer, extension and certain other courses, final examination, student’s advisory committee.

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

After receiving admission to graduate studies and enrolling for coursework, the student will consult with the head of the department concerning appointment of the chair of his or her advisory committee. The student’s advisory committee for the master’s degree will consist of only the chair. The chair of the advisory committee must be from the student’s department.

Only graduate faculty members located on Texas A&M University campuses may serve as chair of a student’s advisory committee.

If the chair of a student’s advisory committee voluntarily leaves the University and the student is near completion of the degree and wants the chair to continue to serve in this role, the student is responsible for securing a current member of the University Graduate Faculty, from the student’s academic program and located near the Texas A&M University campus site, to serve as the co-chair of the committee. The Department Head may request in writing to the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School that a faculty member who is on an approved leave of absence or has voluntarily separated from the university, be allowed to continue to serve in the role of chair of a student’s advisory committee without a co-chair for us to one year. The student should be near completion of the degree. Extensions beyond the one year period can be granted with additional approval of the Dean.

If the chair of the student’s advisory committee is unavailable for an extended time in any academic period during which the student is involved in activities relating to an internship, thesis or professional paper and is registered for courses such as 684, 692 or 693, the student may request, in writing, that the department head appoint an alternate advisory committee chair during the interim period.

The duties of the committee chair include responsibility for the proposed degree plan, any professional study or project, and the final examination. In addition, the committee chair is responsible for counseling the student on academic matters, and, in the case of academic deficiency, initiating recommendations to the Graduate and Professional School.

The student’s advisory committee, in consultation with the student, will develop the proposed degree plan.  The degree plan must be completed and filed with the Graduate and Professional School prior to the deadline imposed by the student’s college, and no later than 90 days prior to the date of the final oral examination .

This proposed degree plan should be submitted through the online Document Processing Submission System located on the website  https://ogsdpss.tamu.edu .

Additional coursework may be added to the approved degree plan by petition if it is deemed necessary by the advisory committee to correct deficiencies in the student’s academic preparation. No changes can be made to the degree plan once the student’s Request for Final Examination or Request for Exemption from the Final Examination is approved by the Graduate and Professional School.

A minimum of 36 semester credit hours of approved courses is required for the Master of Education degree.

A student who has earned 12 hours of graduate credit in residence at Texas A&M University may be authorized to transfer courses in excess of the limits prescribed above upon the advice of the advisory committee and with the approval of the Graduate and Professional School. Courses taken in residence at an accredited U.S. institution or approved international institution with a final grade of B or greater might be considered for transfer credit if, at the time the courses were completed, the courses would be accepted for credit toward a similar degree for a student in degree-seeking status at the host institution. Otherwise, the limitations stated in the preceding section apply. Coursework in which no formal grades are given or in which grades other than letter grades (A or B) are earned (for example, CR, P, S, U, H, etc.) is not accepted for transfer credit. Courses appearing on the degree plan with grades of D, F or U may not be absolved by transfer work. Credit for thesis research or the equivalent is not transferable. Credit for coursework submitted for transfer from any college or university must be shown in semester credit hours or equated to semester credit hours. An official transcript from the university at which the transfer coursework was taken must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions.

Courses used toward a degree at another institution may not be applied for graduate credit. If the course to be transferred was taken prior to the conferral of a degree at the transfer institution, a letter from the registrar at that institution stating that the course was not applied for credit toward the degree must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School.

Grades for courses completed at other institutions are not included in computing the GPA.

Some departments may have more restrictive requirements for transfer work. If otherwise acceptable, certain courses may be used toward meeting credit-hour requirements for the master’s degree under the following limitations.

• Graduate and/or upper-level undergraduate courses taken in residence at an accredited U.S. institution, or approved international institution with a final grade of B or greater will be considered for transfer credit if, at the time the courses were completed, the student was in degree-seeking status at Texas A&M University, or the student was in degree-seeking status at the institution at which the courses were taken; and if the courses would be accepted for credit toward a similar degree for a student in degree-seeking status at the host institution.
• Courses previously used for another degree are not acceptable for degree plan credit.
• The maximum number of credit hours taken in post-baccalaureate non-degree (G6) classification at Texas A&M University which may be considered for application to the degree plan is 12.

A zero credit 684 or 685 course is only allowed for non-thesis option master's students. A zero credit 681 course can be used for either thesis or non-thesis option master’s students. Other courses, including 691 (Research) hours, are not eligible for zero credit.

• A maximum of 8 hours of 684 (Professional Internship) and/or
• A maximum of 8 hours of 685 (Directed Studies), and
• Up to 3 hours of 690 (Theory of Research).
• A maximum of 2 hours of 681 (Seminar).
• A maximum of 9 hours of advanced undergraduate courses (300- or 400-level).
• For graduate courses of three weeks’ duration or less, taken at other institutions, up to 1 hour of credit may be obtained for each five-day week of coursework. Each week of coursework must include at least 15 contact hours.
• No credit hours of 691 (Research) may be used.
• Continuing education courses may not be used for graduate credit.
• Extension courses are not acceptable for credit.

For non-distance degree programs, no more than 50 percent of the non-research coursework required for the program may be completed through distance education courses.

To receive a graduate degree from Texas A&M University, students must earn one-third or more of the credits through the institution’s own direct instruction. This limitation also applies to joint degree programs.  

Exceptions will be permitted only in unusual cases and when petitioned by the student’s advisory committee and approved by the Graduate and Professional School.

There is no final examination for this degree. The student will instead be required to successfully complete a required common course.

Additional Requirements

Foreign languages, internship or practicum, application for degree.

On-Campus Degree Program

A student must complete 12 credit hours in resident study at Texas A&M University to satisfy the residence requirement for the Master of Education degree.

Students who are employed full-time while completing their degree may fulfill total residence requirements by completion of less-than-full time course loads each semester. In order to be considered for this, the student is required to submit a Petition for Waivers and Exceptions along with verification of his/her employment to the Graduate and Professional School.

See  Residence Requirements .

Distance Education Degree Program

The distance education modality does not have any residence requirement.

All degree requirements must be completed within a period of seven consecutive years for the degree to be granted. A course will be considered valid until seven years after the end of the semester in which it is taken. Graduate credit for coursework which is more than seven calendar years old at the time of the final examination (oral or written) may not be used to satisfy degree requirements.

No specific language requirement exists for the Master of Education degree.

A student who undertakes a professional internship in partial fulfillment of master’s degree requirements after completing all course requirements for the master’s degree must return to the campus for the final examination. The final examination is not to be administered until all other requirements for the degree, including any internship, have been substantially completed.

For information on applying for your degree, please visit the  Graduation  section.

Online M.Ed. in:

Curriculum and instruction.

Online M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction: Generalist Emphasis

About the program.

This Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction degree, distance education option (also known as the Generalist program) provides a sound combination of theory, methodology and a substantive content area, with some flexibility within the program emphasis, supporting areas.

This 36 hour non-thesis graduate degree option in Curriculum and Instruction is designed to develop effective teaching and research tools that increase educational opportunity and workplace access.

The Master of Education (MEd) degree is rooted in evidence-based research to promote the agentive development of teach practitioners in PK-12 settings. The practical framing of coursework yields transformative curricular teacher leaders prepared to impact a variety of local and global contexts. Program experiences equip master’s students with translational tools to hone classroom practices from the local classroom setting to the larger educational settings.

Live Webinar

Have questions? Please join us for a live webinar!

February 7, at 7:00 p.m.

Join at: tx.ag/MEDOnline

or scan the QR code:

To be admitted to the M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction program, you must apply to the Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture and to Texas A&M University.

Program Design

The program incorporates the following content elements:

Academic Learning

• Research-supported, effective instructional techniques for high rates of student academic learning;
• Research-supported, effective instructional techniques for efficient and successful classrooms;
• Techniques for developing, enhancing and evaluating curricula and lessons for K–12 learners;
• Classroom research techniques for evaluating and documenting student and program success and
• Techniques for enhancing student success on high-stake, state-wide assessments.

Social Climate and Emotional Well-Being

• Techniques for enhancing learner self-efficacy and student general self-concept and
• Techniques for ensuring school-wide respect for the linguistic/cultural diversity of students and their families.

School Improvement

• Skillful participation in school improvement efforts, including needs assessments, goal setting, developing an action plan and evaluating improvement results. School improvement efforts should target academic learning of students.

Family and Community Partnerships

• Techniques for developing inclusive partnerships with families and
• Techniques for working with the broader community and other social service agencies (interagency partnerships and collaboration)

The primary delivery system is online. Online formats vary by class, dependent on material presented, but will include eCampus, PowerPoint presentations, video lectures, assignments, group projects, chat rooms, reading assignments and additional course materials.

Note: This is not a teacher certification program.

M.Ed. Degree Plan

M.Ed. Electives

M.Ed. Electives by Category

Graduate Handbook

TLAC Graduate Student Handbook

Prior to 2019 Online M.Ed. Curriculum

An additional 24 hours of elective coursework is required to complete this degree. Up to two elective courses can be taken outside the department with faculty advisor’s permission and prior approval.

Program Details

Degrees Offered : Master of Education, M.Ed. Program Delivery : Online Credit Hours : 36, non-thesis

For a better understanding of your total cost of attendance (COA), please visit our cost and tuition rates webpage ( https://aggie.tamu.edu/billing-and-payments/cost-and-tuition-rates ). This webpage will provide you with an opportunity to review estimated COA information for undergraduate, graduate and professional students, as well as other resources such as the tuition calculator and billing and fee explanations.

Contact Advisors

Sandra Meyer

Administrative Coordinator I

View Directory Profile

Program Chair

Michelle Kwok

Assistant Professor

Trina Davis

Associate Professor

Dawn Parker

Clinical Professor

Cheryl Craig

Robin Rackley

Quinita Ogletree

Clinical Assistant Professor

ArCasia James-Gallaway

George Slattery

Shaun Hutchins

Clinical Associate Professor

Frequently Asked Questions

• Online M.Ed. 2

Online M.Ed.

Can you guide me through the application process.

Please visit our web page at https://tlac.tamu.edu/admissions/masters-admissions or https://tlac.tamu.edu/admissions/doctoral-admissions for step-by-step information about applying for our master’s and doctoral programs.

How to Apply: Master’s Application Information | Doctoral Application Information

I still have further questions—who can I contact to help me answer those?

Please feel free to contact our Graduate Advising Office with any questions you may have. Our office information can be found at https://tlac.tamu.edu/student-services/graduate-advising .

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STEM Education Master’s Program

Stem education.

Master’s Program

STEM Education Programs

The Master’s degree programs in STEM Education provide a unique experience for students in that it examines STEM education from a research perspective. Students who choose to complete the master’s degree will have the opportunity to engage in research in STEM teacher education and learning. Our faculty are able to provide interesting perspectives on education and are involved in academic research that investigates current issues in STEM education.  

Studies engineering and STEM higher education, including faculty, graduate students and undergraduates.

Explores the intersection of the sociopolitical and mathematical lives of children with a focus on identity and learning.

Investigates intersections of race, language, and mathematics through the experiences of Latinx students learning and doing mathematics.

Research explores the intersections of multilingualism, scientific sensemaking, and teacher education, with a specific focus on the ways multilingual students engage in science practices through translanguaging.

Focuses on the ways students learn in science courses using computational modeling.

Engages humanizing research approaches to examine equity-focused PK-16 STEM teaching and learning across urban contexts with a focus on Black girls.

Focuses on the social construction of gender and racial/ethnic inequality in educational opportunities and experiences in STEM fields from a sociological perspective. Methodological expertise in quantitative research methods and analyses of large sca...

Studies the ways culturally and linguistically diverse groups of people use disciplinary the core ideas and practices of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to explain phenomena or to solve problems that are meaningful and consequ...

Teaches preservice K-12 teachers how to teach meaningful STEM content in innovative, student- and community-centered ways.

Dr.Yeh's research examines the intersections of race, language, and disability to provide a more nuanced analysis of the constructions of ability in mathematics classrooms and mathematics education systems. Her scholarship centers on partnerships wit...

Prerequisites for Admission

• Undergraduate degree in a STEM field—or substantial evidence of prior undergraduate STEM coursework as evidenced on transcript.
• Teaching experience is preferred but not required.
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 is a university requirement, although petitions to be admitted with a lower GPA may be submitted by the Graduate Adviser.

Application Guidelines

As a prospective student, you are required to apply first using the state application system,  ApplyTexas . Here, you will input your biographical information, resume/CV, statement of purpose, transcripts and letters of recommendation. We strongly encourage you to start this process well in advance of the deadline to allow us enough time to process your information.

NOTE: Those applying to the STEM Education program should select STEM Education (32800) for your major.

NOTE : Applicants to the STEM GradUTeach program should use code 632805. 

Program Requirements

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in the U.S.; or proof of equivalent training at a foreign institution.

A minimum GPA of 3.0, particularly during the last two years of college and in any previous graduate study. The department will consider applications with lower GPAs. If you feel that your grade point averages or test scores are not valid indicators of your ability, please wait till you have submitted your application and  upload a miscellaneous document  explaining your concerns.

Deadline for the regular Master’s program in STEM Education (either thesis or non/thesis option) is December 31 . 

Deadline for the GradUteach program (Master’s program plus preparation for secondary teacher preparation) is June 30 .

Please contact  Stephen Flynn  if you have any questions about these deadlines. 

Application Status

Once all application materials are uploaded and completed, the  Graduate School  will refer your application to the department. This initial review process by the grad school will take about 1 – 2 weeks, so be sure to have everything turned in well in advance of the deadlines. 

After Your Decision

Applicants may be admitted, admitted with conditions, or denied admission.  Learn more on the Graduate School website .

Contact  Stephen Flynn , our departmental Graduate Admissions Coordinator, with any questions regarding C&I or STEM Education admissions. 

Please also see  General Guidelines from the Graduate School .

Master of Arts and Master of Education

M.A. with Thesis

• Intended for students who want to develop their potential as researchers and move into leadership positions in education.
• Requires 9 hours of graduate coursework in a discipline content area, which may be waived for students with a master’s degree in a STEM discipline (e.g., physics or chemistry, not science education).
• Typically take 2 years to complete the degree.
• Not designed for students seeking certification as teachers.

M.A. with No Thesis (Academic Year)

• Intended to be a terminal degree for students who want to develop themselves as teachers or move into leadership positions in teaching or curriculum development.
• Students taking courses during the academic year can complete the master’s degree in two years.

Minimum Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree Plan

• Core courses (15 hours)
• STEM content courses (9 hours)
• Research methodology course (3 hours)
• Supporting courses (3 hours for thesis option or 6 hours for non-thesis option)
• Thesis (6 hours; only for those pursuing thesis option)
• Total of 36 hours for the thesis option; total of 33 hours for the non-thesis option

Core Courses (15 hours)

All master’s students are required to take five core courses.  They must take:

• STM 385 Knowing and Learning in STEM Education
• STM 386 Curriculum History in STEM Education
• STM 390-1 Equity in STEM Education
• STM 390-2 Research on Teaching and Teacher Development in STEM Education
• STM 390T Advanced Topics in STEM Education (titles will vary; consult with your advisor)

STEM Content Courses (9 hours)

The minimal course work in a STEM content area (Engineering, Mathematics or Natural Science) is 9 hours of study. These courses must be taken at the upper-division undergraduate or graduate course level.

Research Methodology Course (3 hours)

One course in research design or specific quantitative or qualitative research methods is required. The course must be approved by the Graduate Advisor to meet this requirement.

Supporting Courses (3 hours for thesis option; 6 hours for non-thesis option)

Students are expected to broaden and deepen their program of work by taking a variety of related coursework consonant with their scholarly interests, in consultation with a graduate advisor. 

Thesis for M.A. Candidates (6 hours)

All master’s students are required to register for at least two semesters of thesis work.

Master of Education (M.Ed.)

In addition to the requirements for the program for Master of Arts with thesis (see above), students must already be certified to teach at the elementary or secondary level.

M.A. in STEM Education, Teaching Track (GradUTeach)

Developed in partnership with the nationally recognized UTeach program, GradUTeach prepares master’s students with a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field for secondary teacher certification while earning a master’s degree.

• Intended for students who are seeking certification to teach math or science in high school as part of their graduate education.
• Designed for students who have completed an undergraduate degree in a STEM (science, engineering, math, etc.) content area
• Applicants must also have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 for their upper division coursework
• Takes two years to complete.
• Requires 18 hours in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
• Requires 9-12 hours of coursework in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction focused on teacher education.
• An additional 6 to 9 hours of supporting coursework are taken in the College of Natural Science under advisement by the graduate advisor.

Course Requirements

STEM Core classes: 18 hours

• STM 385 Knowing and Learning
• STM 390 Equity in STEM Education
• STM 390T Research on Teacher/Teacher Ed
• STM 390.4 Equitable and Inclusive Teaching
• STM 695 Class.Interactions/PBI

Courses in the College of Natural Science (6-9 hours)

• Research Methods (Bio 337/382, CHM 368/397C, Phy 341/390)
• Teaching Seminar (UTS 370)
• Additional optional course (with grad advisor approval)

Supporting Courses in the College of Education (9-12 hours)

• EDC 380R: Educational Research and Design
• EDC 651s: Apprentice Teaching
• EDC 398T: Supervised Teaching (optional)

Total: 36 hours

Additional Resources

• Request More Information
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Current Student Resources

At a Glance

Program Starts : Fall

Deadline to Apply : December 31

GradUTeach Deadline to Apply : June 30

Credit Hours Required : M.A. with thesis: 36 hours M.A. : 33 hours M.Ed.: 33 hours

Schedule : Flexible

Program Location : On Campus

GRE Required? No

Program Area Coordinator, Advisor Catherine Riegle-Crumb

Find out information about the admission process and application requirements.

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