Gifted Education
The Gifted Education program prepares masters (M.Ed.) and doctoral (Ed.D. and Ph.D) students to become experts in the study and education of gifted and talented individuals. Students focus on characteristics and needs of gifted children, methods of teaching gifted individuals, creativity and problem solving, assessment techniques for identifying gifted and talented individuals, the development and evaluation of gifted programs and services.,and research in gifted education. Graduates may be employed as gifted education specialists in public or private schools, private foundations, state or federal agencies, and universities.
The Masters (M.Ed.) degree in Gifted Education prepares graduates are prepared to conduct assessments, develop curricula, and implement appropriate instructional strategies and tasks for working with gifted students. Doctoral graduates (Ph.D. or Ed.D.), because of their in-depth study and research expertise, are qualified to become university professors and assume leadership roles in the field of gifted education learners. The doctoral studies are divided into two programs. The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Gifted Education prepares researchers and scholars for careers in higher education, state and federal agencies, and educational research institutions. The courses and research mentorship experiences focus on conducting and disseminating research. The Education Doctorate (Ed.D.) in Gifted Education prepares practitioner-scholars to improve practice by drawing on both experience and systematic inquiry. The courses and internship experiences focus on studying practical contexts for the purpose of identifying and solving problems for practical application.
The Gifted Education Add-On Endorsement program supplements the teaching license and is designed for individuals seeking a specialized credential in Gifted Education. The four-course sequence and additional internship prepares pre-service and in-service teachers with a state-recognized endorsement to the teaching license.
The Gifted Education program hosts the federally funded National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT), as well as focused research funds in Javits-funded Project Parallax and the AP Challenge Program. Additionally, this program sponsors the four annual professional development events through the Institutes on Academic Diversity, the internationally recognized professional development program focusing on Differentiating Instruction.