Post-Master’s Certificate in
Curriculum and Teaching

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Overview

For those looking to deepen their understanding of education and enhance their knowledge, skills, and professional competencies in instructional practice and leadership, this certificate offers a thorough exploration of curriculum and its influence on teaching and learning. The coursework provides you with the opportunity to theorize, design, apply, and assess contemporary curriculum and instruction strategies. The program culminates with a capstone project that allows you to integrate all these disciplines toward a specific topic of your choosing.

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accredits public and private schools, colleges, and universities in the U.S.

Admission Requirements 

A conferred master’s level or higher degree from a regionally or nationally accredited academic institution.

Courses

For the Post-Master’s Certificate in Curriculum and Teaching, you must complete 6 courses (18 credit hours). The estimated time needed to complete this certificate is 13 months.

Course Details

Course Listings

In this course, you’ll analyze instructional strategies based on the principles of universal design for learning, including integrating strategies for providing multiple means for PK-12 learners to access the curriculum. You’ll plan instructional strategies for curriculum aligned to standards that support current educational requirements, including the use of technology to engage, comprehend, and express learning. You’ll also consider other educational issues, trends, and recommendations for change in the PK-12 classroom related to instructional strategies.

This course examines the effects of dispositions on learner motivation, participation, and comprehension, and the impact of teacher dispositions on overall learning and classroom culture. The course includes considerations for dispositions related to inclusivity, technology, social emotional development, and successful collaboration throughout the community.

This course begins with the distinction between curriculum and programs in K-12 education. While both are important, evaluation is different for each. In addition to exploring evaluation processes, you’ll also examine the development of both curriculum and programs. This examination will incorporate theories, trends, and future directions, including technology recommendations to design and develop innovative curriculum for K-12 learning environments.

Here, you’ll take a closer look at instructional strategies with particular attention on supporting theories and practical applications in K-12 learning environments. You’ll assess learning theories that frame instructional strategies, including those for remote learning. Ultimately, you’ll recommend instructional strategies, justify approaches to inclusive instruction, and design inclusive learning experiences for K-12 education.

This course considers the critical role of assessment in curriculum and teaching. You’ll examine assessment types and processes, including how trends and accountability practices inform instructional decisions, curriculum development, and continuous improvement in K-12 environments. You’ll then integrate the assessments with the universal design for learning perspective, and recommend strategies for effective assessment practices across classrooms, schools, and districts.

In this final course of the curriculum and teaching specialization, you’ll synthesize your work across all courses into a capstone project of your own design. The project will integrate theory and practice related to a specific topic of your choosing related to curriculum and teaching. As you prepare your project, you’ll evaluate the impacts of current trends, technologies, and issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. Finally, in one of your last assignments in the specialization, you’ll compose your own philosophy of teaching based on research, theory, and personal reflection.  

Learning Outcomes

If you’ve earned your Master of Arts in Education degree, then our post-master’s certificate may move you to the head of the class. NU’s Post-Master’s Certificate in Curriculum and Teaching is designed to help you focus and develop your skill sets and knowledge in a particular area of education beyond the master’s level, without the need for a doctoral commitment or dissertation. You’ll not only enhance your understanding of major theories and practices in your specialty, but you’ll be challenged to think critically about the topics covered with the goal of applying what you learn to your professional objectives—all while gaining a wealth of experience from your mentoring professors.

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We’re proud to be a Veteran-founded, San Diego-based nonprofit. Since 1971, our mission has been to provide accessible, achievable higher education to adult learners. Today, we educate students from across the U.S. and around the globe, with over 230,000 alumni worldwide.

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“National University has impacted my career. You can immediately apply what you learn in class to your business.”

-Francisco R., Class of 2016

Program Disclosure

Successful completion and attainment of National University degrees do not lead to automatic or immediate licensure, employment, or certification in any state/country. The University cannot guarantee that any professional organization or business will accept a graduate’s application to sit for any certification, licensure, or related exam for the purpose of professional certification.

Program availability varies by state. Many disciplines, professions, and jobs require disclosure of an individual’s criminal history, and a variety of states require background checks to apply to, or be eligible for, certain certificates, registrations, and licenses. Existence of a criminal history may also subject an individual to denial of an initial application for a certificate, registration, or license and/or result in the revocation or suspension of an existing certificate, registration, or license. Requirements can vary by state, occupation, and/or licensing authority.

NU graduates will be subject to additional requirements on a program, certification/licensure, employment, and state-by-state basis that can include one or more of the following items: internships, practicum experience, additional coursework, exams, tests, drug testing, earning an additional degree, and/or other training/education requirements.

All prospective students are advised to review employment, certification, and/or licensure requirements in their state, and to contact the certification/licensing body of the state and/or country where they intend to obtain certification/licensure to verify that these courses/programs qualify in that state/country, prior to enrolling. Prospective students are also advised to regularly review the state’s/country’s policies and procedures relating to certification/licensure, as those policies are subject to change.

National University degrees do not guarantee employment or salary of any kind. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to review desired job positions to review degrees, education, and/or training required to apply for desired positions. Prospective students should monitor these positions as requirements, salary, and other relevant factors can change over time.