Master's Programs in Talent Development

These graduate programs are designed for educators who want to support creativity and talent enhancement in classrooms, professional learning settings, or communities, or who want to teach and lead in advanced/gifted education. We offer four master's degree programs and two graduate minors. All of the programs may be completed 100% online. 

• Master of Arts (M.A.) in Elementary Education - Talent Development Concentration
• Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Elementary Education - Talent Development Concentration
• Master of Arts (M.A.) in Secondary Education - Talent Development Concentration
• Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Secondary Education - Talent Development Concentration
• Expected for Fall 2024: M.Ed. in Elementary Education - Advanced/Gifted Education and Talent Development Concentration (approval pending)
• Graduate Minor in Gifted and Talented Education 
• Graduate Minor in Creativity Studies in Education 

Job Opportunities and Expanded Possibilities 

The courses in these master's programs provide a foundation for expanded possibilities and for flexibly pursuing a wide variety of job opportunities related to teaching and leading in schools and communities. 

Creativity and Talent Enhancement Examples:

• teacher mentors, and leaders of mentoring programs in schools and communities
• classroom teachers and special-area teachers with enhanced skills for creative teaching, learning, and leading and for educational justice efforts
• curriculum and instruction specialists 
• talent enhancement teachers in communities 

Advanced/Gifted Education Examples: 

• advanced/gifted education teachers and coordinators 
• classroom teachers 

In addition, these programs prepare interested students to go on to further studies such as Ph.D. programs. 

Our graduates have often said that these programs not only made them better educators but also opened up their thinking and possibilities in meaningful and important ways.

Flexible Master's Degree Program Formats 

We offer 30-credit-hour M.A. and M.Ed. programs for part-time and full-time graduate students. 

Our M.A. programs include a thesis. Our M.Ed. programs include a self-selected graduate minor and a capstone class instead of a thesis. 

The flexible formats of these programs have been designed to meet the needs of working professionals. The programs may be completed 100% online. You can earn one of our unique master's degrees from anywhere in the world.   

The programs' graduate advisor works responsively with students regarding registration for classes and more. 

Admission to the Master's Programs

The Graduate College admits students to these M.A. and M.Ed. programs on a rolling basis. New master's students may start their course work in Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters. 

Student Spotlight: Mary Ann Loesch

In the News

We are proud to announce that Mary Ann Loesch, current M.A. student, recently was a keynote speaker at the Mississippi Whole Schools Conference, an annual arts integration conference for educators. She presented on Creative Chaos: Creative Problem Solving for Elementary Theatre. 

Mary Ann teaches theatre and music in Leander ISD, Texas. She currently is pursuing a M.A. in Elementary Education with a concentration in Talent Development. Mary Ann’s thesis research focuses on the experiences of participants in a teacher mentoring program designed specifically for elementary fine arts teachers.

Together, we foster various types of individual and collective flourishing, participate in transforming assumed trajectories, and work toward a more just world.