Curriculum & Instruction
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Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Courses in Curriculum and Instruction (EDCI), Reading Education (RDG), and Special Education (SPED) are offered through the Department of Curriculum and Instruction along with the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies at the undergraduate level.

At the graduate level, the Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction, the Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Bilingual Education, the Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Elementary Education, the Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Secondary Education, and the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) are offered. The B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies leads to Teacher Certification in the state of Texas in one of seven specialty areas: Bilingual Education, Early Childhood Education, English, Mathematics, Spanish, Generic Special Education, and Reading. Additionally, the Department offers two endorsement programs recognized by the state of Texas in Bilingual Education and Early Childhood Education. Unlike most of the instructional units at the University, no minor is offered through this Department. The Department and associated instructional facilities are housed in the College of Education Building with the Department Office located in Room 214.

Students who are interested in detailed information regarding the graduate degrees offered through the Department are referred to the Graduate School Bulletin of Texas Southern University for detailed information.
The mission of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction is to prepare effective teachers to serve culturally diverse populations in schools in the United States with a focus on urban school populations.
The seven specialty areas for the B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies represent seven tracks that students may follow toward completion of the degree and the earning of Teacher Certification. All students pursuing anyone of the seven tracks must be admitted to the Department as well as to the Teacher Preparation Program in the College of Education.
Requirements for the B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies, by track, are summarized below. Interested students must first be admitted to the University, must satisfy TASP requirements (260 in Reading, 230 in Mathematics, and 220 in Writing), must eradicate deficiencies assessed at the time of admission through the General University Academic Center (GUAC) , and must petition the Department for admission as TASP requirements are completed. Students are admitted after review by a departmental committee; and, once admitted, they are assigned an official advisor who should be consulted on a semester or term basis. Advisors guide students admitted to the Department through the admission process for the Teacher Preparation Program, as well as oversee their matriculation through the Program. Advisors also advise students with regard to their status for graduation as they enter and complete their senior year.All requirements for the Teacher Preparation Program must be met (consult previous section of this document under the College of Education), and students must have an overall GPA of 2.50 or better to graduate. Courses designated as major courses must be completed with grades of "C", where grades of "C-" are unacceptable; and grade restrictions referenced for the Teacher Preparation Program must also be adhered to. Prior to graduation, a comprehensive departmental exit examination is administered to seniors.
Students who are interested in one or both of the two endorsement programs (approved by the state of Texas) should familiarize themselves with the requirements referenced below and for the Teacher Preparation Program at Texas Southern University; thus,students desiring to earn these endorsements must be admitted to the Teacher Preparation Program.
Bilingual Education Endorsement Requirements are as follows:
  1. Oral proficiency in the language of the target population as measured by the Texas Oral Proficiency Test (TOPT).
  2. Twelve (12) semester credit hours at the graduate or undergraduate level in the following areas:
    1. foundations of bilingual education, language acquisition, and culture (psycholinguistics);
    2. teaching language arts and reading in the language of the target population;
    3. teaching English as a second language, including reading and writing, and oral communication; and
    4. teaching mathematics, science, and social studies in the language of the target population.
  3. Documented evidence of one year of successful classroom teaching experience on a permit in an approved bilingual education program.
Early Childhood Education Endorsement Requirements are as follows:
  1. Twelve (12) semester credit hours of graduate courses in Early Childhood Education that include:
    1. course in curriculum development in early childhood;
    2. methods, materials, and creativity in early childhood curriculum;
    3. home and community partnerships in children's development; and
    4. assessment and evaluation in early childhood.
  2. Evidence documented of one year of successful early childhood teaching experience.
Persons who already hold bachelor's degrees with Texas teaching certification in Elementary and/or Secondary Educationand who wish to obtain additional certification in Reading Education, Special Education, Early Childhood Education, Bilingual Education, or any academic discipline should request aDeficiency Planthrough the Office of Field Experiences and Teacher Certification (Room EB 100 in the College of Education Building). The number of semester credit hours required will vary on an individual basis in accord with the evaluation of individual transcripts. The general requirements for these individuals are as follows:
  1. completion of all courses and requirements stated on the Deficiency Plan with grades of "C" or better (where grades of "C-" are unacceptable) and
  2. passage of the state-mandated ExCET Examination(s) for his/her area(s) of specialization.
In summary, students must gain admission to the University; must meet TASP responsibility; must. petition the Department for admission; and must qualify for the Teacher Preparation Program. Requirements for the Program should be reviewed carefully by all interested students. Two endorsement programs recognized by the state of Texas are also available through this unit. Additional information may be obtained from the Department Office at (713) 313-7267.

Contact Curriculum and Instruction

Tel: 713-313-7267

Fax: 713-313-4449