In association with the Cato College of Education, UNC Charlotte is creating a completely-online masters program. The Master of Education in Urban Education program is set to equip educators with the tools to instruct students in culturally, racially and socioeconomically diverse communities.
The program is the first of its kind in North Carolina to align itself with the goal to improve urban environments through research and community engagement. The education program consists of a mash of educational theory and practice that will prepare teachers, counselors, administrators and community leaders to meet the demand of students in increasingly diverse populations.
The course of study includes programs such as Culturally Responsive Classroom Management, Critical Media Pedagogy, and Urban Education, Globalization, Communities and Schools and Race in Education and Schooling.
“I am most excited about the interdisciplinary focus of the program,” says Associate Professor in Middle, Secondary and K-12 education, Bettie Ray Butler. “The curriculum has been designed to offer something for anyone who currently works with, or aspires to work with, urban youth in a school or community setting.”
Many educators nationally believe that there is little preparation for teachers to work in urban schools. Director of the UNC Charlotte Urban Education Collaborative said, “Given the unique opportunities and challenges in urban schools and communities, I saw a tremendous opportunity for UNC Charlotte to lead the way in preparing education professionals to meet the unique needs of students in an innovative delivery format.”
The UNC Charlotte Urban Education Collaborative believes that the University will be providing strategic outreach to schools to improve the educational environment of urban students. The Urban Education faculty will provide graduates with the personal attention, instruction and mentoring needed for students in an urban community.
The primary goal of the program is to arm teachers with the skills to work with students of diverse backgrounds in order to analyze issues of culture and race that affects the quality of services in urban communities. Graduates will learn by working in the field with students of urban communities to identify problems and find solutions to reflect on the outcomes of implementation.
Graduates will get the opportunity to work in the field with collaborators to directly apply their lessons to urban communities.
Leaders of the program say that the Masters of Urban Education will be based on the amount of resources available. That being said, only approximately 20 of the most ambitious applicants will be accepted into the program. The deadline to apply is Aug. 1 2019 and will begin the following fall semester.