NU’s master’s degree in Special Education specialization provides you with a leading-edge understanding of the characteristics and needs of individuals qualifying for services under the major areas of the exceptionality of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA/IDEIA). Under the guidance of your mentoring professors, you will focus on research results, new assessment models and current perspectives on today’s children, families, schools and communities. The history of the special education movement, the provisions of IDEA/IDEIA, inclusion, transition, classroom modifications and instructional strategies are also analyzed. You will also explore how various disabilities may affect individuals and their families, factors that place students at risk, cultural and linguistic diversity and giftedness.

The field of curriculum and teaching is a growth industry in K-12, corporate and higher education settings. If you have a passion for teaching others through quality curricula and desire to advance your skills and increase teacher effectiveness inside and outside the classroom, then NU’s master’s degree in Curriculum and Teaching specialization is for you. With NU’s unique one-to-one mentoring approach, you will enhance your skills in curriculum review, analysis, development, design, implementation and evaluation in diverse contexts. Under the guidance of your doctoral professors, you will also learn to analyze and implement best practices to ensure excellence in instructional delivery.

If you have a desire to shape, coach and guide young children through their first years of life when social, physical, cognitive, and emotional development occur, the master’s degree in Early Childhood Education specialization is an ideal choice. Mentored by your doctoral professors, you’ll learn to assess educational potential, create instructional programs, direct and coordinate learning activities, and manage early childhood classrooms. As an Early Childhood Education graduate, you are prepared to pursue positions at public or private schools, daycare centers, kindergarten institutions or community colleges, such as curriculum developer, manager or administrator, early childhood consultant and early childhood case manager.

Making reading engaging and a lifelong joy for students can make a world of difference throughout their lives. NU’s School of Education offers a Master of Education specialization in Reading Education. The University’s exemplary reputation for instructional quality will provide a strong foundation involving scholarship, research, and enhanced leadership skills for reading educators.

English Language acquisition is of extreme importance in today’s global community and English continues to be the common language of commerce around the world. NCU’s master’s degree in English Second Language specialization prepares you to integrate communication techniques to successfully instruct students in English proficiency and to meet the needs of second language learners. You will also develop the skills and knowledge to put these methods and approaches into practice within the setting of your classroom, school, district and state.

Build on your fundamental knowledge and skills related to teaching, learning, and student support by earning a Master of Education with a specialization in Trauma-Informed Educational Practices.

As economies and businesses change, there is growing demand for adult education and worker retraining. The skills and knowledge you will gain in our Master of Education (MEd) in Adult Learning and Workforce Education specialization translate across a wide range of industries, including higher education, workforce development agencies, human resource organizations and adult career centers. Your courses and mentoring by professionally experienced professors will provide you with the tools and competencies required to critically reflect on workplace issues, solve organizational problems, develop programs and training to increase overall performance, and anticipate and respond to change. With a master’s in Adult Learning and Workforce Education, you will be prepared to influence public policy and organizational decision-making as it relates to the workforce.

At its most basic level, successful coaching requires some experience and basic leadership skills, but at advanced levels, coaching sports in an educational setting often requires more advanced leadership skills and knowledge in everything from nutrition to ethics and performance enhancement. NU’s master’s degree in Athletic Coaching specialization provides you with a formalized training process for the coaching profession. Mentored by professionally experienced professors, you will enhance your coaching leadership skills, explore practical, successful coaching strategies and the latest performance enhancement techniques for the athlete, and practice application of ethics and values in all aspects of coaching sports.

Specialists in K-12 instructional leadership are needed to improve student achievement through assessment. NU’s master’s degree in Instructional Leadership specialization is designed to help you analyze the instructional capacity of schools, improve student achievement, and develop teacher leadership skills to provide assessment and improvement strategies in various K-12 educational settings. In this 100% online program, you will use reflective decision-making to assist with the development and implementation of practical solutions to contemporary education issues. With this master’s degree, you will be prepared to help a K-12 institution evaluate, assess and report on student success.

NU’s master’s degree in Leadership in Higher Education specialization is an excellent choice if you are interested in pursuing a career as a higher education specialist or manager. Mentored by your doctoral professors, you will develop a strong knowledge of the inner workings of higher education as you explore a variety of specific topics including how higher education is organized and financed, legal issues, and the history of higher education. In the Leadership in Higher Education MEd program, you will also have the option to take an in-depth look at community colleges, which are an important aspect of higher education. This specialization emphasizes application, and you will be encouraged to apply what you learn to the real world as you continue to advance your knowledge and skills. An accelerated approach to this specialization is also available.

Institutions need leaders who have a strong understanding of organizational dynamics. NU’s master’s degree in Organizational Leadership specialization will advance your skills as an effective organizational leader in areas such as conflict resolution, organizational capacity and executive leadership. You will develop a strong knowledge base in the practice of leadership in a variety of fields and examine the intrinsic role of mission, vision, purpose and core values in the development of an organization. In addition, you will learn the essential elements of effective leadership, dynamic cultures and an interactive community, and their influence in shaping organizational health and wellness.

Students who feel safe and secure at school are better able to learn by engaging the curriculum, their teachers, and their peers. Grow your educational knowledge and skills related to teaching, learning, and student support by earning a Master of Education with a specialization in School Safety, Security, and Emergency Management.

Athletic administration and coaching are both growing professional disciplines. NU’s master’s degree in Sports Management specialization will enhance your leadership skills, strengthen your teaching and administrative abilities and helps you apply ethics and values in the direction of an athletic program. Under the mentorship of experienced professors who all hold doctoral degrees, you will explore practical and successful administrative strategies, and examine all facets of administering an athletic program, such as leadership, legal aspects, financial analysis, marketing, sports governance, events and facilities management and ethics. Courses will have a contemporary focus and address current problems and opportunities related to this specialization.

NU’s Master’s in Education specialization provides a broad base of knowledge, research and critical thinking skills from which to tailor your education to your career interests and goals. NU’s online education master’s degree program will further your understanding of education theory and best practices, as well as how to apply these principles in your profession. With the guidance of your mentoring professors, you will also develop a strong core of education and research knowledge, which you will partner with elective courses that further your own particular interests.

NU’s master’s degree in Global Training and Development specialization helps to develop skills to identify emerging workforce issues and to resolve those issues through effective training and instruction. Through a combination of theory, research and practical application, you will critically analyze needs and evaluate the influences of how performance improvement and training should be designed from a tactical and strategic standpoint. You will also research methodology based on organizational leadership, human resources, adult education, and organizational change in emerging trends for solution-driven effectiveness. Graduate from this specialization will be prepared for positions in public or private agencies and organizations involved in instructional technology, human resources, organizational development or human performance technology.

NU’s master’s degree in International Education specialization is designed to help you develop the skills needed to be an effective educator in a global community. You will explore concepts and theories of education systems around the world, including the cultural and historical bases of these systems and the spread of educational trends across the globe. You will also examine educational systems comparatively and evaluate connections between diverse education systems, international education policy and various theories of comparative education. Graduates will be encouraged to act as change agents ready to expand the outlook of educational programs and examine education from a global perspective as you prepare for careers in international and community-based organizations.

This specialization integrates curriculum development, instructional design and course delivery using technology and online learning management systems. The specialization focuses on providing a knowledge base of current research for the planning and implementation of teaching and delivery modalities using instructional design methodologies incorporating educational media