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Deciding which college to attend can be a daunting task. For many, it will be the most important decision that they make in their lives. To make an informed decision, you have to consider a lot of variables, such as cost of attendance, financial aid, student/teacher ratio, academics, student life, and more. These factors will either positively or negatively impact the quality of education that you receive.

Do you want to acquire an online doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction, but don’t know what institution you should attend? Well, if you are as ambitious as I was in my late teens, then you want to attend a top school, instead of an average or mediocre one. Fortunately, we have already done the legwork for you. To help you find the right school for your interests and goals, we’ve compiled a list of 2022’s best online doctorate in curriculum and instruction programs.

What institution did we forget? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

1. University of Florida – Online, Gainesville, FL

The College of Education at the University of Florida has undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs covering an array of fields in education. The college offers learners with numerous alternatives for growth and development, including online programs, internships and scholarships, professional development services, outreach programs, and access to research centers, including the Lastinger Center for Learning.

The School of Teaching and Learning has an online doctor of education in curriculum and instruction with a concentration in curriculum, teaching, and teacher education degree program for education professionals seeking to advance their careers as leading figures in curriculum and instruction. The degree program develops advanced knowledge with an emphasis on professional practice via holistic classwork covering hypothetical and real-life approaches, along with in-depth research via a dissertation project.

The curriculum covers such key concepts as education in American culture, issues in school reform, approaches to curriculum and instruction, instructional assessment, teaching in under-resourced schools, and more. Learners prepare to work in various careers, including school or district leaders, curriculum specialists, and instructional supervisors. The online EdD in curriculum and instruction degree program encompasses a minimum of 90 credit hours. Learners in the online doctor of education in curriculum and instruction degree program must finish a dissertation and defense. Learners must attend three weeklong summer residencies. Learners can finish the degree program in four years.

Candidates seeking to enroll in the online doctor of education in curriculum and instruction degree program should have a relevant master’s degree from a regionally sanctioned institution, three years of professional experience in the field of education, and current employment as a full-time educator.

2. University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY

Established in 1931, the Graduate School of Education at the University of Buffalo SUNY has a long history of experience and tradition in teacher preparation, meeting the needs of a diverse body of learners with undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs of study.

The Department of Learning and Instruction offers an online doctor of philosophy in curriculum, instruction, and the science of learning degree program with four concentration paths: general CISL, English education, math education, and science education. The degree program meets the needs of each learner and their career objectives, incorporating an adaptable path of study developed by the individual learner and their advisor. Learners engage in classwork covering foundational concepts, including curriculum design, instructional assessment, and scientific approaches to curriculum and instruction, along with focused classwork in areas such as new literacies, educational informatics, social learning and culture, and situated cognition. Learners prepare to work in general and focused careers in education, including instructional supervisor, school administrator, and curriculum specialist.

The online PhD in curriculum, instruction, and the science of learning degree program requires 72 credit hours for completion. The degree program utilizes adaptable curriculum developed by the individual learner and their advisor, and along with an array of focused classwork, it contains the following two classes:

• Introduction to Doc Learners in Learning and Instruction
• Seminar in Curriculum, Instruction, and the Science of Learning

Learners in the online doctor of philosophy degree program must finish a dissertation and defense.

For application into the degree program, learners must hold at least a relevant bachelor’s degree from a regionally sanctioned institution. Learners may earn a master’s degree as they finish the doctoral degree program.

3. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

The College of Education and Human Development offers learners with rare chances for development via internships and scholarships, along with adaptable online programs, outreach programs, and research centers, such as the Center for Research and Development in Dual Language and Literacy Acquisition.

The Department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture has an online doctor of education in curriculum and instruction degree program intended for professionals in K-12 public and private education who seek to advance their careers as leaders in the curriculum and instruction field. The degree program culminates in hypothetical discussion of the field, real-life applications, and real-life learning via internships and externships and a record of the study project. Curriculum for the degree program develops advanced knowledge via key concepts, such as instructional leadership, problem-based research frameworks, curriculum assessment and development, concepts of research, and grant writing. Learners prepare to advance professionally, pursuing high-level careers in education, such as school administration, instructional specialists, and curriculum developer.

The online EdD in education in curriculum and instruction degree program requires 64 credit hours.

Learners in the online doctor of education in curriculum and instruction degree program must finish two internships and externships and a record of study. The degree program utilizes a cohort model. Learners can finish the degree program in four years. Learners must also attend three face-to-face orientations during the degree program.

Candidates for the online doctor of education in curriculum and instruction degree program should have five years of professional experience, preferably in PreK-12 schools, and a relevant master’s degree from a regionally sanctioned institution.

4. Liberty University Online, Lynchburg, VA

Liberty University offers learners with an array of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree program alternatives to work on general and niche educational fields. Programs are designed to prepare learners to enter various roles in K-12 education, institutional education, focused fields of study, public education, private education, and more. Learners benefit from access to internship and study abroad programs, career development resources and supports, and more.

The Department of Teacher and Graduate Education sustains a commitment to Liberty University’s Christian mission, advancing Christian values and principles in education. Using Liberty University Online platform, the Department of Teacher and Graduate Education has an online doctor of education degree program with a curriculum and instruction cognate. The degree program develops advanced knowledge and expertise in the area of curriculum and instruction via a balance of hypothetical and real-life classwork and in-depth doctoral-level research. The curriculum covers concepts such as educational leadership and its history and social foundations, along with curriculum theory; curriculum alters conflict resolution, and leadership principles, and ethics. The degree program culminates in a dissertation project and defense, based on the individual learner’s research interests.

Learners prepare to work on or advance an array of careers in education, including curriculum specialists, instructional supervisors, school administrators, and professors. The online doctor of education degree program entails 60 credit hours. Learners in the degree program must finish a holistic exam, dissertation project, and dissertation defense.

5. Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA

GSU’s College of Education works with educational specialists and administrators who seek professional advancement in undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs. The Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading has an online doctor of education in curriculum studies degree program intended to meet the needs of working adults in the field. The degree program enables learners to select from four emphasis areas:

• Cultural Curriculum Studies
• Instructional Improvement
• Multicultural/International Studies
• Teacher Leadership

Learners earning the doctorate in curriculum and instruction online degree program engage with a multidisciplinary degree program that combines hypothetical and real-life approaches to the field. Learners get the knowledge and skills necessary to advance in an array of educational professions, including instructional specialist, director of curriculum and instruction, and school and degree program administration. The multidisciplinary core, coupled with the above emphasis areas, enables learners to develop a strong foundation while also customizing their study path.

For admission, candidates must hold a master’s degree from a regionally sanctioned institution earned with a 3.5 GPA. Candidates must also submit a GRE score, three professional letters of recommendation, and a writing sample. The degree program only grants admission to learners once per year, and new learners must begin in the summer semester.

6. University of South Carolina – Columbia, Columbia, SC

The College of Education at the University of South Carolina offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs in diverse fields in education, including physical education, special education, and curriculum and instruction. The College of Education offers learners plenty of alternatives for growth via internships and practicum experiences, outreach initiatives and educational partnerships in the community, and research centers.

The College of Education has a doctor of education in curriculum and instruction online degree program with a concentration in curriculum studies intended for professionals working in education who seek to advance their careers as curriculum specialists in various professional settings. The degree program utilizes the curriculum informed by the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate Consortium (CPED). It covers key concepts such as instructional design and assessment, curriculum leadership, and real-life and hypothetical approaches to curriculum design.

The degree program places a strong emphasis on the importance of comprehending, acknowledging, and accommodating diversity in the classroom and in curriculum design. Learners prepare to work in careers as curriculum specialists in areas such as PreK-12, higher education, and private education. The online EdD in curriculum and instruction degree program entails 60 credit hours. Learners must finish a holistic exam, dissertation, and defense.

7. New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM

The Department of Curriculum and Instruction has an online doctorate in curriculum and instruction degree program resulting in a doctor of education or a doctor of philosophy degree. Designed for mid-career professionals, the degree program readies learners with the advanced knowledge necessary to work on an array of upper-level careers in education. The curriculum contains theoretical and real-life approaches via classwork covering concepts such as curriculum mediation, curriculum and diversity, social justice issues, and instruction and technology, along with in-depth research via dissertation work.

Learners prepare to advance professionally in education, in careers such as curriculum specialists, instructional supervisors, and school administrators.

The doctoral in curriculum and instruction online degree program entails 48 credit hours. Learners must finish a dissertation and defense, along with three one-week summer residencies. For admission into the online doctoral in curriculum and instruction degree program, learners must hold a master’s degree in education and have three years of teaching experience at the PreK-12 or post-secondary level.

8. Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA

The School of Education at Regent University offers learners an array of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs in diverse fields in education. The School of Education has an online doctor of philosophy in education degree program with a concentration in curriculum and instruction for learners seeking to advance careers in education. The degree program utilizes classroom teaching, along with in-depth research via dissertation work. The curriculum develops advanced knowledge in curriculum and instruction via a curriculum that covers diversity and inclusion, degree program evaluation, curriculum assessment, concepts of development, and more.

Learners prepare to work on or advance careers in professional roles and settings, including education, curriculum, and instruction consultant, school district administration, and more. The online PhD in curriculum and instruction degree program entails a minimum of 75 credit hours. Learners must finish a dissertation and defense, along with three one-week residencies.

9. University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA

The School of Education at the University of Louisiana at Monroe offers learners with a host of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree program chances in diverse fields of study in education, including early childhood, reading, special education, educational leadership, educational technology, English as a second language, and curriculum and instruction. The School of Education has an online doctor of education in curriculum and instruction degree program intended for mid-career professionals seeking to advance their careers via higher education. Because the degree program is entirely, learners may finish their school without having to fulfill residency hours on campus.

The degree program develops advanced knowledge in the area of curriculum and instruction via focused classwork and a dissertation project composed of the individual learner’s research. The curriculum contains the study of instructional design and technology, research methods, effective teaching principles, ethical decision-making, and education and diversity. Learners prepare to advance careers in an array of professional roles, including educational administration, curriculum development, instructional supervision, and more. The EdD in curriculum and instruction online degree program entails 60 credit hours. Learners in the online degree program must finish a dissertation project and defense. For admission into the online EdD in curriculum and instruction degree program, candidates should have a master’s degree in education or a related field.

10. Carson-Newman University, Jefferson City, TN

Adult and graduate studies at Carson-Newman University serves learners pursuing continuing education, offering an array of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree program chances. The Adult and Graduate Studies department has an online doctor of education degree program with a concentration in curriculum and instruction leadership. The degree program incorporates in-depth curriculum, real-life research, and field experience via an internship. Learners develop key advanced knowledge in subjects such as creating and applying research, leadership models, implementing curriculum change, and concepts and practice of educational leadership. Learners prepare to advance professionally in the education field in careers such as curriculum specialists, instructional supervisors, school administrators, and more. The online doctor of education degree program entails 57 credit hours.