Master of Education

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Qualified students may pursue a master’s degree that focuses on advanced training in disciplines related to education, which generally leads to a Master of Education degree (M.Ed.).

Admission Requirements Applications should be submitted to the Office of Admission and Student Affairs of the Curry School of Education. To be considered, applicants must:

hold a baccalaureate degree,
have a B average or better for the last two years of undergraduate study,
submit an application for admission and official transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate work,
submit official score reports for the Graduate Record Examination(scores must be less than five years old),
submit at least two letters of recommendation from professionals who can attest to his or her promise as a graduate student and professional educator,
submit a statement of professional goals, and
meet any additional individual departmental or program area requirements.

Program Requirements

To earn a Master of Education degree, students must:

complete program requirements established by the faculty of the student’s program area,
demonstrate satisfactory performance on a comprehensive examination in the program area (in certain program areas, a project or thesis replaces the comprehensive exam requirement),
complete a minimum of 30 credits of graduate work (additional credits are required in selected programs),
complete at least 18 credits of coursework after admission to the program,
earn at least 24 credits from the University of Virginia (including 18 credits on Grounds unless the program is an intact, approved off-Grounds program),
submit an application for the degree to the Curry School of Education during the first thirty days of the semester in which the degree is to be awarded, and
register on Grounds during the final semester.

Comprehensive Examinations

When nearing completion of the program of study, the student must, with the advisor’s approval, take a comprehensive examination in his or her area of specialization. (In some program areas, a project or thesis may substitute for the comprehensive examination.) This examination is developed and administered in accordance with procedures determined by the department and approved by the dean. Satisfactory performance must be demonstrated before the student can be graduated. A student who fails to perform satisfactorily on the comprehensive examination may petition for one re-examination. A re-examination, however, cannot be taken sooner than the next semester at the scheduled administration of the comprehensive examinations. Failure to appear to take the test, after having applied for it, constitutes one failure.

Transfer Credit

A student, with permission of the advisor, may transfer a maximum of six graduate credits from another college or university into a Master of Education program.

Time Limit

No requirements, including transferred credit, completed more than five years before the M.Ed. is to be awarded may be credited toward that degree. Exceptions must be approved by the advisor, department chair, and the associate dean, and are granted only when some emergency, such as illness, interrupts the student’s work. In such cases, the student may be required to validate out-of-date work by examination.