Transformative Teaching (MEd Concentration in Curriculum and Instruction)

Who should apply?

The Transformative Teaching concentration is designed for experienced teachers like you who want to increase their impact in the classroom and beyond. It serves as a rewarding alternative for gaining professional development credits. In the program, you will have opportunities to reflect upon your teaching practice to create empowering learning environments.

Why choose Transformative Teaching?

• The online format allows teachers from across the country to connect in deep collaboration while continuing to teach full-time.
• You will work with a fixed group of educators and faculty throughout the entire program in the cohort model.
• A strong sense of community is developed during the week-long, online course held each summer.
• You will develop solutions for educational equity and access as part of our social justice focus, thus becoming a transformative leader.
• You will learn theories and pedagogy that empower you to address your students’ dynamic needs in the context of mandated curricula and assessment.
• The program’s accomplished core faculty have extensive experience teaching in the K-12 classroom, managing Department of Education grant projects, and actively participating in professional associations. These associations include American Educational Research Association, Teaching for Change, and EdPolicyForward.

Testimonials

Graduates have given the program glowing reviews, for example:

• “Over the course of the program I evolved from a complacent teacher to an active leader in my school system and community. As an English learner teacher at the time, I recognized how under represented the perspectives and needs of my students and their families were in our community. To elevate their voices, I began to involve myself in different opportunities for advocacy. For example, I became a member, and later the chair of the Alexandria City Council’s Children, Youth and Families Commission.”
• “The collaborative and candid conversations I engaged in with my cohort colleagues have informed my work as an equity-minded professional development leader for my school division. As I continue to refine my leadership capacity I will strive to infuse the essence of the Transformative Teaching program into all I do and it is my hope that I will inspire others to lead the way toward equity in their own communities and classrooms.”
• “I’ve focused the last 2 years on growing our practices as a school surrounding data, a skill that I refined as a graduate student at GMU. I’ve worked to implement a Response to Intervention system and as a school we are now using data to track student progress, understand gaps in foundational skills, and monitoring intervention. We are able to track whether or not we are actually closing gaps and pushing our students to proficiency. This intentionality has led to a tremendous amount of growth in our students.”
• “The program guided me to ask important questions to the right people to ensure our structures were more equitable for all of our students. I felt empowered to implement structures to create a paradigm shift in the way many individuals see discipline, school culture, and education as a whole.”

Program requirements are subject to change; please refer to the Mason Course Catalog for the most up-to-date requirements.

Requirements: 30 credits total

The cohort model provides a set sequence of integrated courses that offers a seamless graduate experience. There are both asynchronous and synchronous online elements in this program.

Required Courses (Year 1)

• EDUC 647: Critical Reflective Practice (1 credit hour) (Summer 1)
• EDUC 649: Critical Dialogue in Education (1 credit hour) (Summer 1)
• EDUC 651: Critical Theories and Pedagogies (3 credit hours) (Fall 1)
• EDUC 653: Technology and Learning (3 credit hours) (Fall 1)
• EDUC 655: Teacher Research Methods (3 credit hours) (Spring 1)
• EDUC 657: Teaching for Democracy and Social Justice (3 credit hours) (Spring 1)

Required Courses (Year 2)

• EDUC 659: Teacher Leadership (1 credit hour) (Summer 2)
• EDUC 661: Teacher Empowerment and Policy (1 credit hour) (Summer 2)
• EDUC 663: Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (3 credit hours) (Fall 2)
• EDUC 665: Teacher Inquiry in Practice I (3 credit hours) (Fall 2)
• EDUC 667: Teacher Inquiry in Practice II (3 credit hours) (Spring 2)
• EDUC 669: Teaching and Learning in Practice (3 credit hours) (Spring 2)

Tuition (2021-2022)

Please Note: In addition to the tuition and fees described, various course and lab fees may be assessed depending on the course(s) in which the student is enrolled. Please refer to the Students Accounts Office website for more information on tuition and fees. Internship courses will incur a higher CEHD course fee to fund on-site assistance involving intensive clinical training/supervision.

*VA state residents who are eligible must apply for the 15% PreK-12 VA Educators Discount in order to take advantage of the lower tuition. Discount applies to tuition and mandatory student fees only.

Financial Aid

For information on loans and scholarships, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid. For information regarding grants, tuition waivers and other merit aid, please inquire with your graduate department. Also, many school districts offer tuition reimbursement options. Speak to your employer for more information.

Career Enhancement

The Transformative Teaching concentration serves as a rewarding alternative for gaining professional development credits. In the program, you will have opportunities to reflect upon your teaching practice to create empowering learning environments, gain the knowledge necessary to be an informed participant in the policy arena in issues related to teaching and learning, and be empowered to promote social justice from the classroom outward.

Further Studies

Students completing this degree are eligible to apply to the PhD program in the College of Education and Human Development.

All applicants should review the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) Admissions page. For international applicants, see guidelines for International Graduate Requirements.

Prerequisites

• Graduate application
• Application fee
• Goals statement (750-1000 words) that addresses reasons for choosing this ASTL program
• Unofficial transcripts from all colleges and universities attended (applicants do not need to send in transcripts for courses taken at George Mason University). Official transcripts are required after admission.
• Two letters of recommendation from professional references targeting applicant’s teaching skills and academic abilities
• For International Applicants:

• • Copies of unofficial university transcripts and any earned degree, translated to English and evaluated by the Mason Office of Admissions or through a verified external evaluation service. Please visit this page for more information.
  • Verification of English language proficiency. Please see the English Proficiency Requirements page for more information.

If you have any questions during the application process, please contact the CEHD Admissions Office at cehdgrad@gmu.edu or (703) 993-2892.