DEPARTMENT MENU
Curriculum and Instruction
The Nicholls master’s degree programs in curriculum and instruction allow educators to advance their careers while mastering their skill areas. The Curriculum and Instruction Master’s degree includes five concentration areas in which candidates can specialize. These are as follows: Early Childhood Education, High Incidence Disabilities with Applied Behavior Analysis option, Reading Specialist, Elementary Education or Secondary Education. Further information is provided within each area of concentration.
Scholarship Opportunity
SR Education Group, an online education publisher, has developed a scholarship program specifically for education graduate candidates. The scholarship award is $5,000, and is awarded four times per year. Please visit the following website for more information and to apply. http://www.sreducationgroup.org/scholarships/graduate-scholarship-for-teachers
To begin the application process to the Nicholls Graduate School, individuals must submit the following at least one month prior to the semester of admission:
- Graduate Studies application form (apply electronically).
- Application fee of $20 (or $30 for international students), in the form of a check or money order payable to Nicholls State University.
Additionally, the following must be submitted to complete the application package:
- Official transcripts from all higher education institutions attended, must be sent directly from those institutions. Download record request form.
- Official GRE score reports, must be sent from the Educational Testing Service to Nicholls State University.
- Three letters of recommendation.
To begin the application process to the Nicholls Graduate School, individuals must submit the following at least one month prior to the semester of admission:
- Graduate Studies application form (apply electronically).
- Application fee of $20 (or $30 for international students), in the form of a check or money order payable to Nicholls State University.
Additionally, the following must be submitted to complete the application package:
- Official transcripts from all higher education institutions attended, must be sent directly from those institutions. Download record request form.
- Official GRE score reports, must be sent from the Educational Testing Service to Nicholls State University.
- Three letters of recommendation.
Concentrations
Early Childhood Education
The 39 credit hour fully accredited (CAEP) program is composed of professional research and the application of that research through developmentally appropriate field base practices and studies; professional leadership experiences; diverse virtual and on-site observations; and various opportunities to network/learn with and from other early childhood education professionals.
The coursework is offered through online delivery (within Nicholls Online), which incorporates an 8-week term instead of the traditional 16-week semester. Thus, the complete online delivery of this program provides full-time educators with the convenience of working at their own pace and on their own time in the completion of this advanced degree.
Helpful Links
Department of Teacher Education
Phone: 1-855-NIC-ONLINE
(for application, registration, and scheduling)
Email: tiffany.papa@nicholls.edu for degree information
Optional Early Interventionist Education Add-On Certification is available with the completion of this graduate degree as well as the required Praxis exams. Contact Program Chair, Dr. Tiffany Papa, for additional information.
Why Pursue a Master’s in Early Childhood Education?
- Improve Student Outcomes
- Job Security
- Salary Increase
- New Job Opportunities
- Professional Development
- Leadership Perspective
- Early Interventionist Add-On Certification
Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Current Teaching Certificate
- 2.5 GPA or Higher
- GRE (waived for full- time teachers)
Job Opportunities:
- Preschool Director or Administrator
- Home-Based Service Provider or
- Early Childhood Special Education Mentor or Coordinator
- Early Childhood Consultant or Specialist
- Pre-K–3rd Mentor or Early Childhood Master Teacher
- Early Childhood or Early Interventionist Curriculum & Instruction Director
- Principal/Vice Principal of Early Childhood or Early Intervention Schools
- Early Childhood Education Grant Writer or Researcher
- University Instructor
Advisor Information
Dr. Tiffany Papa
Title: Associate Professor; Early Childhood Education Master’s Program Chair
Email: tiffany.papa@nicholls.edu
High Incidence Disabilities
Keeping a class of energized students interested and involved in class activities is a daily challenge for teachers … especially those who have an inclusion classroom mixed with high ability, average and struggling students.
The high incidence disabilities concentration prepares educators to implement instructional intervention strategies to reach students with learning disorders. The curriculum includes numerous hours in the field, including a supervised individual practicum in special education. The program also focuses on assessment methods, behavior intervention and inclusion classroom instruction.
Nicholls State University has been formally recognized for its outstanding online ABA program and was selected as a Top 50 Online ABA Program in 2018.
Individuals pursuing the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) option will take the BACB® 4th Edition approved course sequence. The course sequence may be taken via one of three service delivery options: 1) On Campus (in-person); 2) WWW (online); or 3) Hybrid (combination of in- person & online). Please discuss the best option for you with your program advisor. Individuals seeking this option must also obtain 1,500 supervised field experience hours. The field experience must be approved by the program committee and supervision must come from a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) approved by the program committee. The combination of coursework and supervised field experience allows the candidate to apply to take the BCBA® examination. The coursework also allows the candidate to obtain certification with the Comprehensive Application of Behavior Analysis to School (CABAS©). We are the only program in the state and one of the few in the country to offer both certification options. Upon obtaining the BCBA® credential the candidate may then apply to become a Licensed Behavior Analyst.
The nexus of our ABA program options is using the the applied science of the behavior of the individual as the basis of a science of individualized instruction. Thus, our ABA program option focuses on building academic, social and verbal behavior repertoires, cusps, capabilities of the individual. We emphasize the principles, strategies, and tactics of the science are central to: 1) effective pedagogy, 2) competent classroom management, and 3) sophisticated curriculum design/implementation.
The concepts, practices, and analytic strategies of the science provide the novice or experienced teacher with the means to provide those educational outcomes for students and the community that are necessary for the well being or of the student and society. Those who have mastered the content and applied it to practice with their students have made significant contributions to the welfare of their students contributions that would have not been possible without the tools and strategies of the science.
Please note: Those individuals seeking the ABA option who are currently holding a valid master’s degree in an approved related discipline need only to take the approved course sequence + supervised practicum. Candidates without a master’s degree must take the High Incidence Disabilities master’s program coursework + the ABA approved course sequence + supervised practicum.
Dr. Grant Gautreaux
Associate Professor of Education
118 Polk Hall
Phone: 985.448.4316
E-mail: grant.gautreaux@nicholls.edu
Dr. Derek Shanman
Assistant Professor
119 Polk Hall
Phone: 985.448.4319
E-mail: derek.shanman@nicholls.edu
Dr. Mary Breaud, Assistant Professor
244 Polk Hall
Phone: 985.448.4341
E-mail: mary.breaud@nicholls.edu
Dr. Dolleen-Day Keohane, Adjunct Professor
- Special Education Liaison – mentoring teachers and working with special education services district-wide
- Special Education Director/Supervisor – manage student evaluation centers and oversee special education services district-wide
- ABA Specialist – with ABA option
- Educational Diagnostician – with EDC certification
Click the links below for more information related to the High Incidence Disabilities program and related affiliations.
CABAS – www.cabasschools.org
LaBAA – www.labaa.net
BACB – www.bacb.com
Reading Specialist
Perhaps no academic skill is as crucial as reading. Reading specialists work with students through “learning to read programs,” insuring that they will be prepared for future classroom exercises that require “reading to learn.”
The reading concentration arms educators with the skills needed to implement effective reading programs, assess and correct reading disabilities and utilize innovative methods and materials to promote literacy in schools and communities.
The program requires a supervision and literacy coach practicum, requiring students to support the instructional and supervisory roles of a reading specialist in a school-based setting. During the final semester, candidates must also submit a comprehensive portfolio.
To be admitted into the Curriculum and Instruction program at Nicholls, applicants should possess the following:
- A bachelor’s degree or graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- A minimum GPA of 2.50 on the final 60 hours of undergraduate coursework attempted.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Interview with program emphasis area faculty.
- A valid permanent-type teacher’s certificate.
- 18-24 hours in professional education as appropriate for the level selected.
Reading Specialist curriculum guide (PDF)
- Literacy Coach/ Consultant – assist teachers with reading programs in educational settings
- Reading Interventionist – implement reading programs for children with delayed reading skills within educational settings
Dr. Fran Crochet
Associate Professor of Education
236 College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Building
Phone: 985.448.4336
Email: fran.crochet@nicholls.edu
Elementary Education
Maybe math hasn’t changed in 20 years but how it’s taught in schools has evolved. As technology becomes more prevalent in the lives of even elementary students, instructional methods have to keep up with trends in order to keep students’ attention.
The elementary education concentration provides educators with advanced curriculum and instructional strategies for developing lessons from Common Core and national standards in ELA, general science, social studies and math. The curriculum focuses on how to create a classroom environment that promotes literacy and life-long learning for diverse students’ cultural, linguistic, economic, academic and social backgrounds.
The program requires field experiences in candidates own classroom environments and a clinical research project in elementary education, in which students identify an area of educational improvement within a school setting, as well as a comprehensive portfolio during candidate’s final semester.
To be admitted into the Curriculum and Instruction program at Nicholls, applicants should possess the following:
- A bachelor’s degree or graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- A minimum GPA of 2.50 on the final 60 hours of undergraduate coursework attempted.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Interview with program emphasis area faculty.
- A valid permanent-type teacher’s certificate.
- 18-24 hours in professional education as appropriate for the level selected.
- Elementary Master Teacher/Supervisor – oversee elementary grade-levels or district-wide supervision.
- Elementary Coordinator – school board position.
Dr. Stephen Triche, Professor of Education
232 College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Building
Phone: 985.448.4337
Email: stephen.triche@nicholls.edu
Secondary Education
Secondary school educators have a lot of competition. Today, students can teach themselves just about any lesson, whether it be related to academics or not, by surfing the Internet. Who needs school anymore? These students more than anyone. High school teachers help guide students through the massive amount of information available at their fingertips, providing one-on-one attention that a computer cannot simulate.
The secondary education concentration provides educators with advanced curriculum and instructional strategies for developing lessons from Common Core and national standards in ELA, general science, social studies, math, or FACS. The 36 hour curriculum focuses on how to create a classroom environment that promotes literacy and life-long learning for diverse students’ cultural, linguistic, economic, academic and social backgrounds. Included in the 36 hour curriculum includes 12 hours of concentrated study in the educator’s content area.
The program requires field experiences in candidates own classroom environments and a clinical research project in elementary education, in which students identify an area of educational improvement within a school setting, as well as a comprehensive portfolio during candidate’s final semester.
To be admitted into the Curriculum and Instruction program at Nicholls, applicants should possess the following:
- A bachelor’s degree or graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- A minimum GPA of 2.50 on the final 60 hours of undergraduate coursework attempted.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Interview with program emphasis area faculty.
- A valid permanent-type teacher’s certificate.
- 18-24 hours in professional education as appropriate for the level selected.
- Secondary Master Teacher/Supervisor – oversee elementary grade-levels or district-wide supervision.
- Secondary Coordinator – school board position.
Dr. Stephen Triche, Professor of Education
232 College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Building
Phone: 985.448.4337
Email: stephen.triche@nicholls.edu
CONTACT INFORMATION
College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
220 College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Building
P.O. Box 2053
Thibodaux, LA 70310
LOCATION
