The MEd in Curriculum and Instruction degree is designed for licensed teachers seeking to become learning specialists in a selected area of the field of education, to advance within their career and to meet professional development renewal requirements. The MEd in Curriculum and Instruction aims at preparing individuals who will become curriculum and instructional leaders. The program emphasizes the development of competencies related to the design, development, and implementation of curriculum and instruction, as well as the use of research and data to guide curriculum and instruction decisions. The program focuses on leadership to support students in meeting the emphasis on this element in the Illinois State Board of Education's standards for teachers and the same emphasis in the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.