Department of Curriculum and Instruction

The Curriculum and Instruction Department is a community of scholars and educators engaging in scholarship, practice, and praxis to address pressing local and global issues in language, literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies learning, teaching, curriculum, and teacher education. The faculty and students in the department’s undergraduate, masters, and PhD programs use sociocultural, sociopolitical, and critical lenses, as they explore, and contribute to the advancement of, teaching and learning for equity and social justice at a variety of contexts. The department has a long and celebrated history of developing impactful scholars, educators, and leaders whose work has shaped the educational research community nationally and internationally, and the practices and contexts of education in K-20+ settings including the Chicago Public Schools, one of the nation’s largest school districts.

The department educates over 50% of the students in UIC’s College of Education. It houses the BA in Urban Education: Elementary Education, the largest undergraduate program in the college with more than 400 students, over 60% identifying as Latiné. Two of its programs entitle students for an Illinois Professional Educator License, along with opportunities for adding various endorsements. Students in the department’s masters and PhD programs study under award-winning faculty and become leaders and scholars of educational transformation. Curriculum and Instruction is currently ranked among the top 24 best graduate programs in the country by US News & World Report.

Department Contacts Heading link