Curriculum & Instruction - University of Houston
Skip to main content

College of Education

Curriculum & Instruction

Two students working on a table with a teacher leaning over the one on the left

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

The Department of Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Houston College of Education prepares teachers, teacher leaders and other educators committed to student success and lifelong learning. We offer an award-winning teacher education program and specialized graduate programs to help professionals advance their careers. Specifically, we offer a B.S. in teaching and learning, an education minor, an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction, an Ed.D. in professional leadership and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction. As part of a Tier One public research university in a diverse, dynamic city, we strive to end inequities in education in Houston and beyond. Join us!

Important Dates for Graduate Students: Admissions & Comprehensive Exams

CUIN Quick Links

Teacher fist pumping student

WANT TO BE A TEACHER?

We offer the following programs to help students become certified teachers in Texas:

We’re proud to be a three-time winner of the Distinguished Program in Teacher Education Award from the Association of Teacher Educators. We’ve also earned a commendation from the Texas Education Agency for “Innovative Educator Preparation,” and our program diversity and selectivity has been recognized by the National Council on Teacher Quality. Our students participate in a yearlong student-teaching internship with strong mentor support, giving them real world experience that sets them apart from their peers.

Get Certified: Learn more!

SEEKING A GRADUATE DEGREE?

We offer master’s and doctoral programs with various specializations to meet your career goals.

Master's Programs
Doctoral Programs
  • Ph.D. in curriculum & instruction
    • Art education
    • Bilingual/ESL education
    • Early childhood education
    • Learning, design & technology
    • Literacy education
    • Mathematics education
    • Science education
    • Social studies/social education
    • Teaching/teacher education

NEWS & FEATURES

  • A woman with long brown hair in regalia standing in front of the UH administration building

    Top Spring Graduates Give Advice Amid Challenges

    Staying organized and creating a support system rank among the top tips for undergraduates. “Your major is something you must be passionate about because without that passion, there is no resilience, and when there is no resilience, there is no success,” said Leslie Zuleith Benavidez.

  • A black women and a black man looking at a computer

    UH Education Research Showcased at AERA Conference

    More than three dozen researchers from the UH College of Education will share their scholarship on teacher development, STEM education, college culture and other initiatives at the 2024 conference.

  • Joanna Batt

    Assistant Professor Wins National Dissertation Award

    Joanna Batt earned the award from National Council for the Social Studies for her research, which focused on how recent high school graduates felt their history courses represented — or didn’t represent — their identities.

  • Black male typing on a laptop

    College of Education Online M.Ed. Programs Earn Top 15 Ranking

    The College’s online master’s degree programs ranked among the nation’s best on the 2024 U.S. News & World Report list. The top placement reflects the credentials of the faculty, effective use of technology, student engagement and more.

  • Woman and man reading to two children

    Teaching Professors Share Tips to Help with Children’s Boredom

    Clinical Associate Professors Carrie Cutler and Anne Katz suggest cost-saving ways to keep children entertained and informed. “No matter where your household’s current interests lead, there are activities that can stretch the imaginations of young thinkers,” said Katz.

  • UH Campus with red flowers in the foreground

    UH College of Education Welcomes New Faculty in Fall 2023

    “The faculty joining the College this year represent an amazing depth and breadth of expertise and experience,” said Dean Cathy Horn. “Their superpowers will join with our already amazing faculty to move the College forward in ensuring that everyone has access to outstanding public education and a healthy environment in which to thrive.”

  • Mikel Cole

    Associate Professor Earns UH Teaching Excellence Award

    Mikel Cole, who teaches in the bilingual/ESL education program, drew praise for his “expertise and instruction, mentorship, dedication to the profession and advocacy work in bilingual education,” according to one of his Ph.D. students.

  • Child with headphones watching a video game

    Research on Video Gaming May Ease Parents’ Worry

    A research team involving Associate Professor Jie Zhang found that there were no meaningful links between fifth graders’ video game playing and their cognitive ability. The study was published in the Journal of Media Psychology.

SHORT TAKES

A sampling of faculty, staff, student and alumni happenings:

Grace Lee, who earned a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction — bilingual/ESL education in 2023, won first place in the Texas Association for Bilingual Education’s 2023 dissertation award competition.

At least 12 department alumni have won Teacher of the Year (TOY) awards for 2023-24: Jaquelin Alvarez, Kingwood Middle School in Humble ISD (Rookie TOY); Delmi Antunez Valdez, Smith Elementary School in Aldine ISD (Bilingual TOY); Beatrice Cruz, Queens Intermediate School in Pasadena ISD (New TOY); Brianna Damián, Kranz Junior High School in Dickinson ISD (First Year TOY); Jesus Esparza, DeAnda Elementary School in Houston ISD (Beginning TOY); Aleida Gonzalez, Jessup Elementary in Pasadena ISD (New TOY); Caroline Hill, Carolyn and Vernon Madden Elementary in Fort Bend ISD (Rookie TOY); Elizabeth Maldonado, Morales Elementary in Pasadena ISD (New TOY); Asma Mohd, Mission Bend Glen Elementary in Fort Bend ISD; Fathima Noordeen, Malala Elementary in Fort Bend ISD (Rookie TOY); Megan Proulx, Kingwood Middle School in Humble ISD; and Anna Suarez, Robertson Elementary in Katy ISD.

Bernadette Castillo, a clinical assistant professor of teaching/teacher education, will become program chair of the American Educational Research Association’s Latina/o/x Research Issues special interest group for the 2024-25 academic year.

Deirdre Riordan, who earned an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction – learning, design and technology in 2016 and an Ed.D. in professional leadership – K-12 in 2022, has been named principal at Cage Elementary in the Houston Independent School District. 

BY THE NUMBERS

  • 800+CUIN students
  • 95%Overall passing rate on certification exams (TEA)
  • 1.5MHouston-area K-12 students
  • 1stFounding member of US PREP reform coalition
  • 3-Time WinnerTeacher Education “Distinguished Program” (ATE)
Waterfall outside Farish Hall

CONTACT US

Department of Curriculum & Instruction
University of Houston College of Education
3657 Cullen Blvd.
Farish Hall, Suite 236
Houston, Texas 77204-5029

Department phone: 713-743-0958