Professional Development

Penn State Expands Online Master of Ed Program with Emphases

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 03/05/15

Pennsylvania State University has expanded its online Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with the addition of five areas of emphasis for students to choose from.

Offered through Penn State's College of Education and World Campus, the 30-credit program is taught by faculty from the university's resident program. Students can specialize their degrees by taking 15 credits from one of the emphasis areas, or customize them by choosing classes from various emphases.

The areas of emphasis include:

• Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM);
• Children's literature, which is designed for teachers and librarians who work with young children and provides strategies to encourage them to read;
• Elementary education;
• Curriculum and supervision, which covers professional development, curriculum, teacher leadership and instruction supervision; and
• Theory and practice in English, social studies and world languages.

"As with any profession, PK-12 educators must stay current in their knowledge and practice," said Carla Zembal-Saul, a professor of science education and head of the College of Education's department of curriculum and instruction, in a prepared statement. "Educators will be better able to connect their current and future work to targeted professional learning opportunities with the scholarship and research this rigorous program provides."

More information is available at worldcampus.psu.edu.