Master of Arts in Curriculum & Teaching
The Master of Arts in Curriculum and Teaching (MA-CURR) is a home for students and faculty inspired to take up vigorous, critical, equity-oriented study of curriculum, pedagogy, and issues in education from a variety of perspectives. The 32-point program provides students a core of common experiences, driving questions, and shared challenges, within a flexible individualized program of study designed to further their more focused needs, interests, and professional aims.
The MA-CURR is designed for early and mid-career educators with a range of experiences in a diversity of formal and informal learning contexts who wish to deepen their knowledge, skill, and vision as teachers, educational leaders, and developers of curriculum. Coursework prepares educators to be intellectually curious and active contributors to the betterment of education. Graduates of the program work professionally as teachers, coaches, mentors, cooperating teachers, non-profit leaders, museum educators, community-based educators, and activists, among other roles in schools, organizations, and communities.
The M.A. in Curriculum and Teaching is designed so that with careful planning and advisement, the program can be completed by full time students in 16-24 months. This timeline allows students to deeply engage in coursework and fully benefit from the rich experiences and community offered by a Teachers College education. The program may also be taken part time, in multiple configurations. Please contact us for questions about scheduling.
*Note that this program does not lead to certification.
Admission Information
Displaying requirements for the Spring 2025, Summer 2025, and Fall 2025 terms.
Master of Arts
- Points/Credits: 32
- Entry Terms: Summer, Fall
- Enrollment Formats: Full-Time Campus-Based, Part-Time Campus-Based
Application Deadlines
| Entry Term Available | Priority Deadlines | Final Deadlines | Extended Deadlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Summer | January 15, 2025 | April 1, 2025 | N/A |
| Fall | January 15, 2025 | April 1, 2025 | N/A |
Select programs remain open beyond our standard application deadlines, such as those with an extended deadline or those that are rolling (open until June or July). If your program is rolling or has an extended deadline indicated above, applications are reviewed as they are received and on a space-available basis. We recommend you complete your application as soon as possible as these programs can close earlier if full capacity has been met.
Application Requirements
| Requirement | |
|---|---|
| Online Degree Application, including Statement of Purpose and Resume | |
| Transcripts and/or Course-by-Course Evaluations for all Undergraduate/Graduate Coursework Completed | |
| Results from an accepted English Proficiency Exam (if applicable) | |
| $75 Application Fee | |
| Two (2) Letters of Recommendation | |
| Prior teaching (not including student teaching) or other relevant educational experience is strongly recommended, preference will be given to candidates with such experience |
For admission-related inquiries, please contact CTadmission@tc.columbia.edu.
Program Guide
Once admitted, students are responsible for meeting all program requirements. Students are provided with an in-depth Program Guide that details all program requirements and are required to complete a Program Plan. A Program Plan is the timeline that you create with your faculty advisor to assist you in planning an integrated and intentional course schedule. The Program Plan also helps you map out when to take electives around the specific schedule of required core courses that are offered each semester.
Additional Degree Information
Sample Program of Study
View our Summary of Program Timelines. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Requirements from the TC Catalog (AY 2024-2025)
Displaying catalog information for the Fall 2024, Spring 2025 and Summer 2025 terms.
Curriculum and Teaching Non-Certification MA / Degree Requirements
OVERVIEW
The Master of Arts in Curriculum and Teaching (MA-CURR) is a home for students and faculty inspired to take up vigorous, critical, equity-oriented study of curriculum, pedagogy, and issues in education from a variety of perspectives. The MA-CURR is designed for early and mid-career educators with a range of experiences in a diversity of formal and informal learning contexts who wish to deepen their knowledge, skill, and vision as teachers, educational leaders, and developers of curriculum. Coursework prepares educators to be intellectually curious and active contributors to the betterment of education. Graduates of the program work professionally as teachers, coaches, mentors, cooperating teachers, non-profit leaders, museum educators, community-based educators, and activists, among other roles in schools, organizations, and communities.
CERTIFICATION AND LICENSURE
The MA in Curriculum and Teaching (MA-CURR) does not lead to teaching certification. For advice on New York State licensure requirements, interstate reciprocity, alternative routes to certification, and related matters, please consult the Office of Teacher Education (OTE): www.tc.columbia.edu/office-of-teacher-education/
The Department of Curriculum and Teaching also offers two MA programs leading to elementary or secondary-level professional certification in New York State. For more information visit our program website: www.tc.columbia.edu/curriculum-and-teaching/curriculum-and-teaching/.
REQUIRED COURSES
The 32-point program is organized around a core of common coursework and field experience, dealing with principles, history, theories, and skills of curriculum design and pedagogy. The field experience expects alert and critical attention to social, ethical, and professional challenges facing educators, children, and young people in schools. Beyond the common core requirements, MA students work with a faculty advisor to design individual program plans reflecting their particular interests, needs, and desired area(s) of professional expertise. All students identify an issue, problem, or question of concern to serve as the basis of an Integrative Project completed as a culminating activity in the program.
| CORE COURSES | C&T 4002 Curriculum Theory and History (3 points) C&T 4005 Principles of Teaching and Learning (3 points) C&T 4052 Designing Curriculum and Instruction (3 points) C&T 4200 Fieldwork in Curriculum and Teaching (0-1 point) C&T 4502 Master’s Project Seminar (0-1 point) One of the following age/grade level specific courses: C&T 4130 Critical Perspectives in Elementary Education: K-6 ( 3 points) C&T 4145 Critical Perspectives in Secondary Education: 7-12 (3 points) *With advisor approval, courses in Adult Learning may be used to fulfill this requirement. |
| SOCIAL CONTEXT REQUIREMENT | At least six (6) points of elective courses should address the social context of education, rather than solely the methods and practice of teaching. These courses must be taken within the C&T department. The following are examples of courses that will satisfy this requirement. There are numerous other possibilities, and students may seek advisor approval to use a course not on this list. C&T 4000 Disability, Exclusion, and Schooling C&T 4010 Immigration and Curriculum C&T 4131 Play, Language, and Early Childhood Curriculum C&T 5037 Literacy, Culture, and the Teaching of Reading C&T 4021 Nature and Needs of Gifted Students C&T 4026 Giftedness and Intelligence C&T 4032 Gender, Difference, and Curriculum C&T 4114 Integrated Curriculum: Diversity, Equity, and Technologies C&T 4161 The Teacher: Social-Historical, Cultural Contexts of Teaching C&T 5004 School Change |
| TC BREADTH REQUIREMENT | In order to ensure breadth of study, the College requires students to earn at least six (6) Teachers College points outside of their home department. There are numerous possibilities and students are encouraged to browse the most up-to-date list of available courses offered outside of the C&T department on the Online Course Search. |
FIELDWORK
Courses are supported with insights gained through guided fieldwork, which is a required component of the MA-CURR program. Through fieldwork, students engage in observation and critical reflection on the customs and practices of teaching, learning, curriculum, and assessment that will typically prompt new or deepened thoughts, curiosities, and interests. Fieldwork will enhance readings and discussion in core courses and often leads to inquiry questions that catalyze the Integrative Project.
| FIELDWORK COURSE AND PLACEMENTS | Students gain field experience through a 1-point course, C&T 4200: Fieldwork in Curriculum and Teaching. Program staff work with students to find placements in New York City schools or other informal educational spaces for 50 hours of independent observation and reflection on instructional practices, interactions between and among students and teachers, critical issues, curricular enactments, and design activities. These field experiences are not supervised. With program approval, students may complete this field experience in their own classroom or school. *Note: The C&T 4200 course is only applicable for students who have not previously taken the 4-credit version of C&T 4005: Principles of Teaching and Learning. |
THE INTEGRATIVE PROJECT
As a culminating activity in the program, MA-CURR students design and conduct a disciplined and substantial inquiry into an issue, problem, and question of particular interest, germane to the student’s curricular and/or pedagogical investments, educational and social values, and professional contexts and aims. The integrative project may take multiple forms, such as practice-based research, curriculum analysis, and design, an arts-based creation, or an academic paper synthesizing and critiquing prior research. Students are encouraged to think creatively and incorporate multimodality in how they design their inquiries and share their new knowledge. In all cases, an end goal is for students to arrive at a well-grounded, articulated perspective and/or a set of recommendations for their own practice and continuing thought. The C&T Programs hold a joint showcase at the end of the academic year in May to share final projects and celebrate inquiry with friends, family, students, and faculty.
| INTEGRATIVE PROJECT SEMINAR | The two-semester seminar, C&T 4502: Masters Project, is the primary site for support in conceptualizing, designing, and carrying out the integrative project. Only 1-point is earned for the course, but the work is substantial and spans two consecutive fall and spring semesters. To the extent possible, the seminar sequence is taken towards the end of a student’s studies. Full-time students ordinarily take the seminar sequence beginning in their first fall semester. Part-time students who plan to complete the degree in two or more years will ordinarily begin the seminar sequence in their second fall semester. |
ADVISING
All students are assigned a faculty advisor prior to commencing studies at Teachers College. Advisor consultation is required for initial course selection and approval before registration. Newly admitted students receive a comprehensive Program Guide with instructions to draft a Program Plan before contacting their assigned faculty advisor.
TIMELINE
The master's degree has a flexible timeline to allow students to determine their schedule for completion. Students work with their advisor to plan a course schedule that maps to their desired graduation timeline. The program can be completed in 16-months with full-time study. A 16-month accelerated timeline opens the opportunity to take courses during the summer. A two-year timeline allows students to deeply engage in coursework and take more time to fully benefit from the rich experiences and community offered by a Teachers College education. The program may also be taken part-time at your own pace. Part-time students have five years to complete the program.
GRADUATION
Degrees are awarded in October, February, and May, but TC holds one commencement ceremony in May. Students will be permitted to attend the May commencement ceremony after the completion of all coursework and the integrative project.
PROGRAM GUIDE
Additional information about all program requirements is available in the MA-CURR Program Guide provided to all enrolled students.