M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning

Master of Education in Teaching and Learning Program

The online Master of Education in Teaching and Learning is designed for K-12 certified teachers who want to develop leadership skills that impact students and influence peers.

Offered by the College of Education and Human Development, the Teaching and Learning master's program aims to strengthen your ability to design and apply curriculum that develops a vision toward students, families and communities while also promoting equity, advocacy, and transformation. This program prioritizes your school-based contexts as the focal points of course discussions and assignments. Throughout the program you’ll learn how to advocate for curricular change via processes that can lead to transformation in education.

Learn more about the CEHD's Tuition Reduction Initiative that can be applied to the M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning Program!


Offered Online with Endorsements

The teaching endorsements are programs designed to broaden the expertise and knowledge-base of all educators at various levels, while adding valuable credentials through certifications to a teaching license if situated in Kentucky.


Concentration Areas

As a graduate student in the Teaching ad Learning program, you will work with a faculty mentor/advisor to develop a concentration unique to your professional needs. Some of these concentrations can lead to an Endorsement on your Teaching Certification through Kentucky’s Educational Professional Standards Board. Additionally, you may be interested in college’s Education Specialist in Curriculum and Instruction degree program.

New Concentration Area

Social Justice Education Get More Info

The University of Louisville’s Social Justice Education concentration positions teachers to enact culturally sustaining practices in the classroom and advocate locally and beyond for social justice policies. Graduates of the program will possess a skillset geared towards designing and implementing an asset-oriented curriculum along with the capacity to conduct social justice research in education. Coursework will illuminate how education in the U.S. got to this point of vast opportunity disparities across sociocultural groups in education by providing a deep understanding of the foundations of progressive education, curriculum theory, and how educational policies influence practice. Coursework will also provide a practical approach to teaching with various sociocultural identities in mind and provide insights related to conduct justice-focused research in education.

Special Education

Note: These options are limited to teachers who are already certified in Special Education

Related

Master of Education in Teaching and Learning (LEADMED)

Unit: College of Education and Human Development (ED)
Departments: Elementary, Middle and Secondary Teacher Education and Special Education, Early Childhood, and Prevention Science

Program Website
Academic Plan Code(s): See Degree Requirements tab.

Additional information about the M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning can be found in UofL's Graduate Catalog.

Admission Requirements

Now Offered Online!

Get More Info

Candidates for the Master of Education in Teaching and Learning are required to submit credentials supporting their academic ability to succeed at the graduate level as well as positive dispositions for teaching. Positive dispositions include: effective communication and critical thinking skills, professionalism, and commitment to diversity as well as the teaching profession. Admission credentials will include official transcripts, professional writing requirements, and letters of recommendation.

This program is open to all eligible candidates regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age.

Candidates should review the following rubrics, used to assess admission credentials:

  1. Professional Dispositions Rubric [PDF]
  2. Diversity Rubric [PDF]
  3. Effective Written Communication Rubric [PDF]

Application Process

Questions about the application may be sent to gradadm@louisville.edu. Candidates should apply no later than three weeks prior to the beginning of the semester (August 1st for Fall, December 1st for Spring and April 1st for Summer). Candidates will be notified via e-mail regarding the admission decision.

Applicants to the M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning program must submit the following:

  • Completed Online Graduate Application for Admission
  • Application fee (non-refundable)
  • *Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended with a minimum GPA of 2.75 in the Bachelor's degree and a minimum 3.0 GPA or higher for graduate work.
    • Please have transcripts sent to:
    • University of Louisville
      School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies
      2211 South Brook Street
      Houchens Bldg, Room 105
      Louisville, KY 40292

    • Or gradadm@louisville.edu (for official electronic transcripts)
  • Two letters of recommendation – Please list the email addresses for two recommenders in the appropriate section of the online application. Recommenders will receive instructions and forms that they will complete electronically.
  • GRE Scores – not required for applicants with a 2.75 minimum undergraduate GPA.
  • Kentucky Teaching certificate or statement of eligibility – Candidates certified in Kentucky are not required to submit this documentation as the information can be verified through the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board.
  • Signed Technology and Code of Ethics Form [PDF]. Please print, sign and upload with the on-line application.
  • Current Resume
  • Professional Writing Requirements. Please complete the following and upload with your application. Each essay should be double-spaced (Times New Roman 12 point font) and no more than three pages.

  • Essay #1

    • In what ways has your cultural heritage and background influenced the way you teach, and impacted your interactions with others who come from a different cultural background? Describe an example of an injustice or inequity that you witnessed, experienced, or became aware of during teaching - and your response at that time. Then, explain how you would respond if it occurred again. Finally, explain how you support respect for diversity in your classroom, and how you demonstrate a commitment to social justice and equity when teaching.

    Essay #2

    • Please review the Professional Dispositions Rubric [PDF] and consider how you would evaluate your areas of strength as well as those for potential growth in each of the categories. In your essay, please identify three categories that you would rate yourself as "target" or "exemplary" and explain why. Then, identify one area for professional growth, and explain how you envision this program supporting your growth in this area.

*Note: Candidates who earned a baccalaureate (and/or advanced) degree outside the U.S. and whose native language is not English must submit official TOEFL scores that meet minimum criteria, and must submit an evaluated transcript from WES (World Education Services) or ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators).

Contact Us

You must be a certified teacher to apply for the M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning. For more information, please contact the person below whose program aligns with your initial certification.

Program Coordinators for the M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning

Interdisciplinary Early Childhood, or Special Education

Justin Cooper
College of Education and Human Development
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292
Office phone: 502-852-2183

Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Education

Justin McFadden
College of Education and Human Development
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292
Office: room 236
Office phone: 502-852-3976

Career Pathways and Degree Endorsement Options for the Teaching and Learning Program

In accordance with 16 KAR 5:010, section 12, upon completion of the M.Ed in Teaching and Learning and a recommendation from the faculty advisor, a candidate may apply for graduation and apply to the EPSB for a Teaching and Learning Endorsement.

Master of Education (30 hour program earning an M.Ed)

  • Teachers are eligible to apply to this program after completing initial teacher certification through a Bachelor's degree or the Master of Arts in Teaching
  • Must hold a teaching certificate

Teaching and Learning Endorsement (Only 15 hours)

  • Complete only Levels I and III of the program
  • Complete within a Rank I or after a Rank I program
  • Complete as a stand-alone endorsement or as part of a Rank I program

For more information about the Teaching and Learning Endorsement-Only Option, please see Endorsements.

Financial Aid

In addition to the financial aid opportunities offered by the University, the College of Education & Human Development also has information about financial aid.

Other financial aid opportunities available include graduate assistantships and other employment opportunities.

Supervising and Resource Teachers

In recognition of valuable service to the preparation of teachers and the need for all teachers to have continual professional growth, a Supervising Teacher or a Resource Teacher for a teacher intern may, with prior approval of the course-offering institution, take a maximum of six (6) credit hours per term at any public postsecondary institution and pay no tuition. The postsecondary institution shall waive the tuition up to a maximum of six (6) credit hours.

To apply, you must complete the Tuition Waiver Certification for Supervising and Resource Teachers Application . Please make certain that all Eligibility Criteria have been met. When completed by the Supervising Teacher and certified by the school principal, return the form to the Student Financial Aid Office at UofL. Students may exercise the tuition waiver option up to twelve months following the assignment.

For additional information, contact Lindsay Driskell at 502-852-8379 or lindsay.driskell@louisville.edu.

I have some credit hours from another program/university. Can the credit be transferred?

Once you are admitted to the program, you may request to transfer up to 6 credit hours if your UofL advisor approves the request. Transfer requests are then submitted to the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies.

What degrees or endorsements do I receive if I complete the UofL Teaching and Learning Program?

Successful candidates will graduate with a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Teaching and Learning and receive a Teaching and Learning Endorsement (with possibility of other endorsements within the Specialization). If you already have a Masters degree and seek only the Teaching and Learning Endorsement, you will complete Levels I and III of the Master program.

How long does it take to complete the MEd program?

The program can be completed in as few as two years or as many as six years.

Where are courses being delivered?

Courses are being offered at UofL, JCPS and OVEC district locations. Online courses are still being developed.

Will the UofL Teaching and Learning Endorsement help me prepare for National Board Certification?

Most courses in the UofL Teaching and Learning program are designed to align with at least one of the NBPTS Core Propositions, as well as the Kentucky Teacher Standards (Advanced Level), Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) initiatives, and Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) themes. Each course in the program includes a description of its relationship to NBPTS Core Propositions.

The UofL Teaching and Learning Master's degree program is designed so that candidates practice types of entries required in the National Board Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) portfolio. The NBPTS portfolio is a Rank I option in Kentucky.

How will I be able to individualize my program of study?

After you are admitted, you will meet with a faculty advisor who has been selected based on the specialization area you identified on your application. During your first session, you will use a modified version of the Kentucky Guide to Reflective Classroom Practice [PDF] to design a specialization that will reflect your professional growth plan.

Will this program lead to principal certification?

No, but the CEHD does offer a principal certification program.