The graduate program at Catawba College is built upon the strengths of the undergraduate curriculum. The program in elementary education is based upon the recognition that a strong academic background is a vital part of a teacher's preparation.

The graduate program is designed to provide the practicing licensed teacher with advanced work in content along with a further development of professional knowledge and skill. In addition to the College being regionally accredited, the Division of Teacher Education is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). This accreditation includes both basic and advanced levels of professional education programs offered at the institution.

Degree Requirements

A student must complete thirty-six semester hours of course work with a minimum 3.0 grade point average. Moreover, the student must successfully complete and defend a graduate portfolio before an evaluation team.

Coursework counted toward the degree must be completed in five years, beginning from the earliest course counted for degree credit. Any exception to this policy must be approved by the Graduate Council.

Overall Goals for Graduate Program In Education

The goals of the graduate program incorporate the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's (NCDPI) Competencies for Advanced Licensure, and the five propositions of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). These goals extend the competencies addressed by the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC).

1. Students will demonstrate, through discussions and successfully completed projects, an increased understanding of the American educational system, its history, its philosophical foundations, and its organizational structure.
2. Students will demonstrate a greater understanding of academic subjects, pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogy of subject areas.
3. Students will use findings in educational research in their development of improved instructional techniques and curriculum.
4. Students will apply research methods that enable them to design and carry out research projects within the school setting.
5. Students will demonstrate an enhanced ability to plan and implement appropriate monitoring and management practices that maintain student engagement in learning.
6. Students will demonstrate an ability to design and deliver instruction that reflects an enhanced understanding of and respect for individual differences, including developmental differences, exceptionalities, and cultural diversity.
7. Students will demonstrate an improved ability to assess and evaluate learning in ways that reflect their understanding of established and emerging assessment techniques.
8. Students will demonstrate an increased ability to use technology to enhance student learning and to facilitate research.
9. Students will demonstrate an ability to use reflection as a means of strengthening professional and personal development, classroom practice, and leadership skills in the learning community.
10. Students will demonstrate an increased understanding of learning theories and teaching methods that are developmentally appropriate for elementary children and are responsive to their unique needs and interests.
11. Students will demonstrate improved ability to use multiple teaching strategies in designing and delivering individual lessons and integrated units.
12. Students will demonstrate curricular decision making that balances content and skills.