MVNU launches new Master of Arts in Education

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio — Mount Vernon Nazarene University will launch a new Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed) in Curriculum and Instruction in October 2026, designed to help licensed teachers advance their careers, deepen instructional expertise and step into expanded leadership roles — without duplicating prior professional learning.

Built for working educators, the program blends academic rigor with practical application. Students complete four core courses in curriculum leadership, ethical practice, innovative instruction and inclusive education before selecting one of three concentrations: Curriculum Studies, Mathematics or English. Each pathway includes six additional three-credit-hour courses and culminates in a capstone experience designed to connect graduate study directly to classroom impact.

“Our M.A.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction is a program designed with the licensed teacher in mind,” said Program Director Angela Castleman, Ed.D. “Whether you are seeking to increase your depth of knowledge while strengthening your instructional craft, develop your leadership potential, or you wish to enhance your credentialing to expand your teaching repertoire, this program accomplishes all these goals. We have intentionally focused on incorporating innovative resources to enhance the classroom experience for both the students and the teacher.”

A key feature of the M.A.Ed is its partnership with AccuEd. Through this collaboration, educators may apply up to nine credit hours of approved AccuTrain professional development toward degree requirements, allowing prior district-based training to count toward graduate credit. This structure reduces redundancy, lowers overall cost and recognizes the professional learning teachers are already engaged in within their schools.

The program offers three concentrations, each designed to align with distinct professional goals. The Curriculum Studies concentration prepares educators to lead instructional innovation through coursework in curriculum design, educational technology, brain-based learning, data-informed instruction and action research. The Mathematics pathway provides advanced study in mathematical problem-solving, statistics, linear algebra, finite mathematics and instructional methods. The English concentration strengthens content knowledge through advanced study in composition, fiction, narrative identity and related areas that enhance classroom practice.

Rooted in MVNU’s Wesleyan-Arminian tradition, the program affirms teaching as a calling and emphasizes the dignity of every learner as created in the Imago Dei. The curriculum also equips educators to engage thoughtfully with emerging technologies, including generative artificial intelligence, while developing the ethical frameworks needed to integrate these tools responsibly in schools.

“Teaching is a calling, and at MVNU, we believe the best preparation for our vocation happens at the intersection of faith and learning,” said Dr. Castleman. “This belief forms the foundation of how we develop and deliver our programs. ‘To Seek to Learn is to Seek to Serve,’ is more than our motto; it is our instructional design.”

The capstone experience is designed for immediate professional impact. Students will either complete action research addressing a real instructional challenge or design and implement a curriculum, instructional or technology integration project with measurable outcomes. Graduates complete the program with a professional portfolio and the ability to clearly communicate results to school leaders and stakeholders.

The M.A.Ed offers the flexibility needed to support full-time educators balancing classroom and professional responsibilities. All courses are three credit hours.

To learn more, visit mvnu.edu/curriculum-and-instruction-maed.