The M.Ed. in Urban Education is a fully online degree program designed to prepare education professionals who are committed to delivering high-quality, culturally relevant/sustaining instruction and services that meet the needs of students in increasingly diverse, urban school systems across the United States. UNC Charlotte is particularly focused on providing professionals with practical tools and resources that increase multicultural competence and awareness. To achieve its objectives, the program aims to equip teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, counselors, and those alike – who currently work or aspire to work in, or with, urban schools – with practical approaches to implementing evidenced-based best practices that improve the educational experiences and academic outcomes of racially, linguistically, socioeconomically, and culturally diverse populations. Students who graduate with an M.Ed. in Urban Education from UNC Charlotte not only gain a pedagogical (instructional) skill set that informs their understanding of culturally responsive/sustaining teaching practices, but they are also trained to recognize and examine larger issues related to culture, race, and racism that influences the quality of non-academic services (counseling, mentoring, social/behavioral support, etc.) prospective graduates may provide to urban communities.
The M.Ed. in Urban Education requires 33 credit hours of coursework. The program is designed as a cohort model that admits students as a group beginning each Fall semester. Students admitted to this selective online program average two (2) courses per semester and are expected to complete the program in two (2) years (including one full Summer term).