Curriculum development is one of the fastest-growing positions in the education sector, but those who wish to fill this role in a school district typically must have a Master in Education to be a curriculum developer. There are a few key reasons that a graduate-level education remains a key requirement for work in this area: Curriculum development is often considered a “high-stakes” part of the process by school districts, since it oversees their alignment to standards and determines whether students will grasp material easily. Developers also set textbooks and technology requirements, which might also drive up costs or expose the district to a bit of risk.
A master’s degree provides a bit of added assurance that the curriculum developer knows what they’re doing and will do what’s best for the district. With that said, there are a few specific graduate programs that are ideal for aspiring curriculum developers.
Bring Specific Expertise to the Table with a Graduate Degree
The typical curriculum developer will have to go through at least two interview rounds in order to land the job, and they’ll need to show that they understand state standards, federal regulations, school finances, and the impact of curriculum choices on administrators, teachers, and students. To that end, curriculum developers can further their chances in these interviews by pursuing a few common graduate-level programs:
M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction
A graduate degree in curriculum and instruction is considered to be the ultimate credential for a curriculum developer, since it teaches them all about textbooks, technology, administrative work on behalf of the curriculum, and consultation with key interest groups when choosing content for each grade level. This two-year program typically requires between 30 and 36 credits, many of which will focus on more advanced lesson planning and pacing, textbook selection, fiscal policy in school districts, technology in the classroom, and educational research. Graduates of a program in this area will likely move to the top of the list for internal hiring, given the specificity of coursework required.
M.S. in Educational Research
Educational research is a key component of curriculum development, since those in charge of setting the curriculum must also be able to determine whether certain methods have been effective in the past. A background in educational research at the graduate level will allow developers to determine whether certain textbooks, tech tools, or teaching styles, will work for a district based on that district’s demographic profile, its teachers, and previous results in state testing. Plenty of curriculum courses are also included in this program, which will help give curriculum developers a background in the fundamentals of content selection and planning.
M.S. in Education Policy
A degree in education policy focuses on how state and federal regulations govern school districts, and how school district must implement changes to their own procedures in order to accommodate changes in government education policy over time. This degree gives aspiring curriculum developers the skills they need to understand how to pick the proper books and other tools based on current standards, trends in state testing, and upcoming benchmarks.
Related Resource: Education Jobs in the Health Industry
A Great Career, But Certainly One That Requires a Master’s Degree
Curriculum development is a great opportunity for today’s most devoted teachers and administrators, but it does require quite a bit of graduate coursework and a firm understanding of how the education industry works, according to the US News and World Report. That’s why almost all school districts require a Master in Education to be a curriculum developer.
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