Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, Concentration in ASTL: Individualized
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You're an individual. Your MEd program should be too.
The Advanced Studies in Teaching and Learning (ASTL) Individualized concentration is developed in consultation with an advisor to offer coursework in a specialized area to meet your unique career interests and needs.
While the options are many, here are a few popular paths.
Provisionally Licensed?
Mason’s School of Education offers Professional Studies courses for teachers who have been hired by a school division and have been cited with required courses in one or more areas. Taken as non-degree, these courses (up to 12 credits) can be applied to your MEd in ASTL to fulfill concentration coursework. Taken as degree-seeking as part of your MEd program, up to 18 credits of professional studies courses can be applied to fulfill ASTL concentration coursework.
Graduate Certificates
Mason offers several certificates that can be pursued as part of your MEd program in ASTL to add additional credentials to your resume. Here are a few (certificates with an asterisk can be applied for VDOE add-on endorsement):
- Data Literacy
- Designing Digital Learning in Schools
- Gifted Education*
- Literacy/Reading Instruction, Concentration in Literacy Coaching
- Literacy/Reading Instruction, Concentration in Reading Specialist K–12*
- Spanish Heritage Language Education
- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) for PK-12 Practitioners
- Add-On Endorsement in Special Education, General Curriculum*
Dual Enrollment
There is a shortage of qualified high school teachers to teach dual enrollment courses. If you are interested in teaching dual enrollment courses, you can achieve your qualifying graduate coursework qualifications through your ASTL MEd. Eighteen credit hours of subject-specific coursework are needed to teach dual enrollment in Virginia. Make these subject-specific courses your ASTL concentration!
Unique and Varied Interests?
If your career interests combine multiple fields not addressed in the other four ASTL concentrations, the ASTL Individualized program could be just for you by allowing you to take courses from across the university and combine them with your education core. Music education and teacher leadership? History and peace building? In consultation with an advisor, design the program for you.
Check out the tabs below for more information and consult a program rep today for more information!
What Does an Individualized Concentration Mean?
This ASTL concentration allows students to create an individualized program of study that meets their specific professional goals. Students schedule an appointment to design a customized concentration with a program advisor.
The concentration consists of 12 credits of core courses and 18 credits of additional concentration courses chosen in consultation with an advisor. It also has a performance-based portfolio that serves as a program-exit requirement and showcases the student’s work.
Importantly, graduates earn the advantages of a master’s degree, including the possibility of increased pay and opportunities to be curriculum leaders in their schools.
Core Courses (12 credits)
- EDUC 606: Education and Culture (3 credits)
- EDUC 612: Inquiry into Practice (2 credits)
- EDUC 613: How Students Learn (3 credits)
- EDUC 614: Designing and Assessing Teaching and Learning (2 credits)
- EDUC 615: Educational Change (2 credits)
Concentration Courses (18 credits)
Select 18 credits selected in consultation with advisor.
Total Credits: 30
Program Exit Requirement
Professional Development Portfolio: A performance-based assessment that provides concrete evidence of teacher professional development throughout the ASTL program. Students finalize and present their portfolios in their final spring semester.