2013-2014

Career and Technical Education, Master of Education

Department of Educational Specialties

College of Education

This flexible Master's degree offers you an opportunity to design a customized program of study, in consultation with an advisor, to meet your individual educational needs. This degree program is designed to prepare you for a career in career and technical education. Our graduates are CTE administrators, educators, and training and development personnel in secondary, post-secondary, and business and industry settings. The diverse course options can be chosen to meet the future goals of many diverse students. Your advisor can assist you putting together (and approving) a customized program of study that will prepare you for your growth in your current career or to meet your future goals.

Please note that this is not a secondary education certification program. If you are interested in secondary education certification in CTE, please explore the Masters in Secondary Education, Certification Emphasis programs.

  • To receive a master’s degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject areas, consisting of at least 30 units of graduate-level courses. Many master’s degree programs require more than 30 units.

    You must additionally complete:

    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s). This may include a thesis.
    • All graduate work with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
    • All work toward the master's degree must be completed within six consecutive years. The six years begins with the semester and year of admission to the program.

    Read the full policy here.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • Complete individual plan requirements.

Minimum Units for Completion 30
Additional Admission Requirements

Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
Thesis Thesis may be required by chosen emphasis or offered as an option.
Comprehensive Exam Comprehensive Exam may be required by chosen emphasis or offered as an option.
Oral Defense Oral Defense may be required by chosen emphasis or offered as an option.
Research Individualized research may be required by chosen emphasis or offered as an option.

Additional Admission Requirements

  • Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

  • The NAU graduate online application is required for all programs. Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Graduate College.

    Admission requirements include the following:

    • Transcripts.
    • Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale ("A" = 4.0), or the equivalent.


    Visit the NAU Graduate Admissions website for additional information about graduate school application deadlines, eligibility for study, and admissions policies.

    Ready to apply? Begin your application now.

    International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy.

    • Responses to Specific Essay Questions
    • Program of study signed by applicant and advisor
Master's Requirements

  • Take the following 30 units:

    • CTE 591, CTE 691, CTE 692, CTE 696 (12 units)
    • Select one course from: EDF 670, EDF 671, EDF 672, EDF 677 (3 units)
    • A concentration, from either CTE courses or advisor approved interdisciplinary courses within the College of Education that comprise a coherent area of study which may include 3 units of EPS courses and up to 6 units of CTE 699, for the research, writing, and oral defense of an approved thesis (15 units)
    Areas from which you may select a concentration include but aren't restricted to curriculum and instruction, higher education, educational technology, human resource development, and CTE Administration. Note that a concentration in CTE Administration does not lead to any type of administration certification. Consult with your plan advisor for the courses suggested in these areas of concentration.

  • If you choose the thesis plan, you can only count 6 units of thesis credit toward your degree. However, you may end up taking more units because you must enroll for CTE 699 each term while you are working on your thesis.

    If you choose the extended coursework plan rather than the thesis plan, you must pass a final oral exam administered by the faculty, in addition to the coursework listed here. The exit oral exam covers content in the four core CTE classes (CTE 591, CTE 691, CTE 692, and CTE 696).

    We offer courses for this plan via web-based delivery only. There are no other delivery methods for this program.

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.