Course Requirements & Plan of Study – Master of Education in AIG

photo of teacher with students

The M.Ed. is comprised of eleven 3-credit courses, of which 9 are directly in AIG and two are related to using and understanding research in education. Each course is worth 3 credits. Candidates typically enroll in 1-2 courses per semester.

  1. Upon admission to the program, M.Ed. candidates should schedule a call with their academic advisor (this will be Dr. Matthews or Dr. Gilson) to discuss their individual needs and timeline for completing the Master’s degree.

  2. Progress toward the degree is tracked in DegreeWorks, which you can access by logging into My UNCC at my.uncc.edu. The DegreeWorks software tracks completed, in progress, and even future courses (once you’ve registered for them). It also provides other useful and important information relevant to your degree completion.

The 11 required courses are listed below in approximately sequential order. We recommend that candidates take the courses in this order to the extent possible, as the learning experiences in each course are designed to build off one another. Candidates should seek approval in advance from their advisor for any changes that may be needed.

M.Ed. in AIG Courses

  • *SPED 5211 Nature and Needs of Gifted Students (3)

  • *SPED 6124 Methods of Instructing Gifted Students (3)

  • *SPED 6161 Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted Students (3)

  • *SPED 6224 Adapting Curriculum Materials and Classroom Differentiation (3)

  • RSCH 6101 Research Methods (3)

  • RSCH 7111 Qualitative Research Methods (3)

  • SPED 6637 Theory and Development of Creativity (3)

  • SPED 6241 Advanced Curriculum for Gifted Students (3)

  • SPED 6270 Gifted Assessment and Program Evaluation (3)

  • SPED 6695 Research Proposal in AIG (3)

  • SPED 6696 Research Implementation in AIG (3)

*Courses also required for the Graduate Certificate in AIG

M.Ed in AIG Graduation Requirements

  • Completion of required courses

    • Transfer graduate certificate courses into M.Ed. program of study in Degree Works, if needed

    • Receive approval for any course substitutions in Degree Works

  • Completion of an Internal Review Board (IRB) application (as applicable) for capstone research project. This is required for all research projects involving human participants.

  • Receive IRB approval (university and district approval, as appropriate) to conduct capstone research project

  • Apply for graduation in Degree Works at the beginning of the final semester of study, and be sure to let the university know if you plan to walk at the graduation ceremony (don’t miss these important deadlines!)

  • Collect all necessary consent and/or assent forms from capstone project participants

  • Complete the capstone project and project presentation

  • Close your human subjects approval with the IRB upon completion of your capstone project and prior to graduation

  • Submit “Final Defense Report for Master’s Thesis” form with required signatures to the Graduate School

  • Walk across the stage to receive your diploma! 🙂

 

Plan of Study

Download a copy of the AIG M.Ed. program of study planning sheet. This will serve as your plan of study organizer when you meet with your advisor to plan your path to degree completion.

Timelines

To help you plan your course of study, note the following times when courses are offered. Most candidates complete the M.Ed. during 2 ½ to 4 ½ years of part-time study (11 courses at 3/year would require just under 4 years).

  • The four initial (Graduate Certificate in AIG) courses are offered as shown on the Graduate Certificate page
  • The RSCH 6101 course is offered every term including summer sessions. The RSCH 7111 course typically is offered every spring.
  • The five remaining courses are offered at least once every 2 years, and sometimes more frequently, depending on enrollment and Program needs.

Options for course sequence depend on when you enroll in the program. Whenever possible, we recommend that courses are taken in sequence. Candidates should plan out their course of study with their advisor’s input. When deciding on the course sequence, candidates should consider their anticipated graduation date.

The M.Ed. in Special Education, Major in Academically or Intellectually Gifted Program Planning Sheet is available online. Upon enrollment in the program, candidates use this sheet to meet with their academic advisor to plan out their course of study.

Full time or part time status. Candidates who plan to apply for financial aid must be enrolled part-time each semester. This is equivalent to taking 4.5 credits each semester. To retain financial aid, candidates should register for 2 courses per semester.

If a second course in the program of study is not available during a given semester when the candidate needs to maintain part-time enrollment status, there may be a 2-credit-hour online topics course (EDUC 6000-080) titled “Classroom Management: Culturally Responsive Classroom Management” that students may take in conjunction with a 3-credit-hour course in order to earn 5-credit-hours and qualify for half-time financial aid. Refer to the Course Schedule page to find out who to contact for permission to register for this course.

For more information about the AIG courses and your plan of study, please contact Dr. Michael Matthews at michael.matthews@uncc.edu