This degree is designed to prepare career-ready graduates for career and technical education-related careers as well as provide continued growth and development for those already employed in career and technical education fields.
This flexible master's degree combines core courses in four areas: History and Philosophy of CTE, Research, Instructional Management in CTE, and School-Community Relations in CTE, with courses in a concentration that each student can customize to meet their own educational and professional needs.
Please note that this is not a secondary education certification program.
The Master of Education in Career and Technical Education 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. You will take coursework in five core areas: Career and Technical Education, Research, Education Foundations, Curriculum or Administration, and Education Psychology. You will also take coursework in a selected emphasis area. Three emphasis areas are offered: Administration, Teaching, or Educational Technology. There are many course options to allow the degree to be flexible 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.
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:
Read the full policy here.
In addition to University Requirements:
| Minimum Units for Completion | 30 |
| Additional Admission Requirements | Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required. |
| Comprehensive Exam | Comprehensive Exam is required. |
| Research | Individualized research is required. |
| Some online/blended coursework | Required |
| Progression Plan Link | View Program of Study |
| Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan | Optional |
Purpose Statement
The purpose of the Career and Technical Education (CTE), Master of Education is to address the need for educators, practitioners, and occupational trainers in and advocates of career and technical education. For those already employed or educated in this field, completing this degree will provide a deeper understanding of the role CTE plays in preparing and maintaining a skilled and diverse workforce for a strong economy to continue to grow and develop as leaders and advocates in the field. The degree also prepares professionals who have occupation-specific knowledge/skills/experience to transition into the field as educators and advocates in formal education or business settings (including corporate trainers).
All graduates will have the knowledge and ability to
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 Office of Graduate and Professional Studies.
Admission requirements include the following:
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.
Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
This Master’s degree requires 30 units distributed as follows:
Take the following 30 units:
Required Coursework (12 units)
Concentration (18 units)
In consultation with your advisor, select from either CTE courses or approved interdisciplinary coursework that comprise a coherent area of study, which may include EPS, EDF, and EDL courses.
Areas from which you may select concentration courses include, but aren't restricted to, curriculum and instruction, higher education, educational technology, human resource development, CTE Administration, and/or advanced coursework in your occupational area to meet HLC (or other) accreditation requirements.
We offer courses for this plan via web-based delivery only. There are no other delivery methods for this program.
This program is available as an Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan wherein a student may start a master's degree while simultaneously completing their bachelor's degree.
Students enrolled at the Online campus for both undergraduate and graduate programs are eligible to complete the Bachelor of Science in Education in Career and Technical Education 90-30 and start a Master of Education in Career and Technical Education at NAU.
Students accepted into the Accelerated Program should complete the following requirements:
This Master’s degree requires 30 units distributed as follows:
Take the following 30 units:
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.