The Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction under the Silverfield College of Education and Human Services is designed for PK-12 educators, particularly secondary teachers, who seek to deepen their instructional expertise and become leaders in their schools and districts.
Find Your True North
With a focus on leadership, professional growth and real-world application, this degree is ideal for educators committed to strengthening their practice and advancing student learning in an evolving educational landscape.
Program Overview
UNF’s Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction is designed for licensed teachers looking to improve their leadership skills. It is a highly customizable program and students can choose to add a number of certificates to their study as well as pick from four concentrations.
The program is 30 credit hours, with the exception of the Early Childhood Education Leadership Concentration, which is 36 credit hours. Students should already be licensed teachers.
Advanced Secondary Education
The Advanced Secondary Education concentration is designed for middle and high school educators who want to refine their instructional practice, deepen their understanding of curriculum development and enhance student engagement. This concentration emphasizes research-based teaching strategies, data-driven decision-making and leadership in secondary education settings. Educators will learn to design effective, standards-aligned instruction that meets the needs of diverse adolescent learners. Graduates of this program are well-prepared for careers as lead teachers, instructional coaches, department chairs, curriculum specialists and secondary education consultants.
Early Childhood Education
The Early Childhood Education concentration focuses on instructional strategies, developmental theories and best practices for teaching young children from birth through primary grades. Educators will explore play-based learning, early literacy and numeracy development and strategies to support social-emotional growth. This concentration prepares teachers to create engaging, inclusive early learning environments that foster curiosity and foundational academic skills. Graduates may pursue careers as early childhood educators, curriculum specialists, and instructional coaches in early learning settings.
Early Childhood Education Leadership
The Early Childhood Education Leadership concentration is designed for educators who aspire to lead and advocate for high-quality early learning programs. This concentration focuses on program administration, policy development, instructional coaching and strategies to enhance professional learning among early childhood educators. Participants will gain the skills to design and implement effective programs that support teachers, children and families in early education settings. Graduates are prepared for leadership roles such as early childhood program directors, instructional specialists, early learning policy advocates and district-level administrators in early childhood education.
Elementary Education
The Elementary Education concentration provides advanced coursework in curriculum development, instructional strategies and assessment for kindergarten through fifth-grade classrooms. Educators will strengthen their ability to integrate content areas, foster student engagement and implement evidence-based teaching practices that support diverse learners. Elementary teachers in Florida districts who are seeking a pay increase based on a master’s degree should select the M.Ed. in Elementary Education rather than the M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction, as district policies typically require a degree specifically in elementary education for salary advancement. Graduates of this program are well-equipped for roles as elementary lead teachers, instructional coaches, literacy or math specialists, curriculum coordinators and professional development facilitators.
Program Contacts
Graduate Program Director - Advanced Secondary EducationSilverfield College of Education and Human Services
Graduate Program Director - Early Childhood Education & Early Childhood Education Leadership
Silverfield College of Education and Human Services
Graduate Program Director - Elementary Education
Silverfield College of Education and Human Services
UNF Online
Your partner in learning, from the moment of interest to graduation.
Program At-a-Glance
Credit hours: Between 30 and 36
Graduate Cost Calculator
Use this calculator to estimate the cost of tuition and fees for a graduate program.
This is only an estimation. Additional fees may apply.
Directions
- Select the appropriate rate and residency classification. Please note:
- The exclusive tuition rate is only available to eligible students.
- Residency classification is not guaranteed. Supporting documentation is requested after students are admitted from applicants who indicated they would like to apply for Florida residency for tuition purposes on their admissions application.
- Type the number of credit hours you would like to calculate. Most graduate courses are 3 credit hours. The total number of program credits is listed above under Program At-a-Glance.
Admissions Requirements
The below Program Requirements, University Requirements, and International Applicant Requirements*, if applicable, must be submitted no later than the deadline posted above. Incomplete applications or those with required materials post-marked after the deadline are subject to cancellation. Once an application has been canceled, the decision cannot be reversed.
*International students must be fully admitted to a full-time, on-campus, in-person, degree-seeking program at the University of North Florida. Please contact the International Center for more information.
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University Requirements
University Requirements
Application and Application Fee
Prospective students are required to use our online system to create an account and submit an application. The application opens approximately one year in advance and is only good for the term and program in which it is submitted. Applicants who have submitted their application and wish to change their admission term or major/concentration may submit a new application and associated application fee. If you would like to cancel an open application, please contact us.
A $30 (USD) application fee is required regardless of previous enrollment. The application fee is non-refundable and cannot be waived. Undergraduate application fees cannot be used for a graduate application, and vise versa. The application fee must be submitted prior to the review of an application.
Current students who would like to add or change a major, concentration or certificate should submit the Change of Concentration or Major form.
College Transcripts
All applicants must provide transcripts from a U.S. institution accredited by an accepted institutional accreditor or its equivalent from a non-US institution that awarded the bachelor’s degree and master’s degree, if applicable, and transcripts from institutions where any post-baccalaureate and/or graduate credits were earned.
All admits must provide official transcripts.
All international transcripts will require a course-by-course evaluation by an approved third-party credential evaluation agency unless a graduate program has established an alternative credential evaluation procedure that is approved by the graduate school. To be accepted, the evaluation must be:
- Translated to English and be the U.S. equivalent
- Evaluated course-by-course
- Include the overall academic GPA
- Be from an approved third-party accredited evaluation service. Recommended evaluation agencies:
- SpanTran. They have created a custom application for UNF that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. You can access their application through the SpanTran Application - UNF Graduate School portal.
- Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
- World Education Services
Important Notes
- The UNF Graduate School cannot request transcripts on an applicants behalf.
- Unofficial transcript copies are accepted for admissions but must clearly state the institution name, student name, course information, terms, grades, and credits. Degree audits are not accepted. Admitted students will be prompted to provide official transcripts.
- If currently enrolled in courses, an incomplete transcript must be submitted before the posted deadline.
- Applicants who also have to apply through systems such as ATCAS or PTCAS, must submit separate transcripts to UNF.
- Official transcripts must:
- Must be less than one year old from the date of printing
- Must be submitted in a sealed envelope from your institution, or emailed through official electronic means.
- When requesting college transcripts, please verify with your institution(s) whether or not they are able to submit electronic transcripts in the proper EDI format. Institutions can submit transcripts via e-mail to graduateschool@unf.edu from an approved vendor such as ScriptSafe, Credentials, or Parchment.
- Former or current UNF students should not request UNF transcripts. After application submission, the UNF requirement will be updated to a "waived" status.
Where Do I Send Transcripts and Test Scores?
Mail
UNF Graduate School
1 UNF Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32224Email
Test Score Institutional Codes
GRE: institutional code 5490
GMAT: institutional code CF3QB51 -
Program Specific Requirements
Program Requirements
Advanced Secondary Education Specific Requirements
- Resume
- Letter of intent
- Maximum of 250 words
- Describe reasons for
- Interest into the program;
- Topics and areas of interest; and
- Goals after completion of degree
- Professional licensure (e.g. teaching license)
- Three recommendation letters
- Should speak to your qualifications for success in graduate school
- In addition to the rating form, letters must be submitted on official letterhead (if applicable) and must have an original signature (electronic signatures are not acceptable)
- Letters from relatives will not be acceptable
General MED in C&I Specific Requirements
Must meet all UNF requirements for admission to a graduate program. However, a current valid teaching certificate or a GRE score is not needed for admission to the EC graduate programs.
MED in C&I Elementary Specific Requirements
- Professional licensure
- Applicants must hold a valid professional teaching license from any state or international equivalent (teachers with temporary licensure should apply to the Master of Arts in Teaching program)
- Applicants not meeting the 3.0 minimum GPA requirement may contact the graduate program director for additional admission criteria options
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International Applicant Requirements