Master of Education in Special Education: AIG Education


Dr. Gilson, Dr. Matthews, and M.Ed. in AIG candidates Marietta, Sara, and Jeff at the 2016 NCAGT conference in Winston-Salem.

The M.Ed. in AIG is designed to foster advanced competencies in gifted education that enable program graduates to assume roles as knowledgeable experts in their schools, districts, and state. The M.Ed. is a fully online, part-time program consisting of 11 graduate-level courses (33 credit hours). Coursework incorporates the four-course Graduate Certificate in AIG program of study as the initial entry point into the program; candidates may apply for admission to the M.Ed. prior to, during, or within 3 years of completing the Graduate Certificate in AIG.

Prospective students should be prepared to participate in our academically rigorous program of writing-intensive courses in which they will learn about best practices in AIG teaching, learning, and program development and apply these skills to their work with AIG students in public or private school classrooms and related educational settings. Prospective applicants must have access to a classroom with AIG or advanced students to meet the program’s field experience requirements. A capstone research project completed by each candidate serves as the program’s culminating experience.

Upon completion of the program, Graduates of the Master of Education in Special Education: AIG Education will be able to do the following:

  1. Employ diverse and effective instructional practices to enrich, extend, and accelerate the standard curriculum for gifted students
  2. Serve as collaborative instructional leaders who are knowledgeable, effective, reflective, and responsive to the needs of their AIG students
  3. Recognize and promote equity and diversity for gifted students and in gifted programming
  4. Identify and apply research-based strategies to address instructional and affective needs of gifted and academically advanced learners
  5. Design and implement an original research study to answer a research question related to a problem or issue in gifted education
  6. Collaborate effectively with AIG teachers and with colleagues and parents, both locally and in the broader professional arena, to advance the learning of the children and youth in their care

For more information about our M.Ed. in AIG, please explore the links on this website or go to our UNCC Distance Education website to apply: http://distanceed.uncc.edu/programs/med-special-education-academically-or-intellectually-gifted

Questions not already addressed in these pages may be directed to the AIG Program Director, Dr. Michael Matthews. Contact:

Michael S. Matthews, Ph.D.
Professor of Gifted Education
Dept. of Special Education & Child Development, Cato College of Education
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
9201 University City Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28223
michael.matthews@uncc.edu
(704) 687-8623