The mission statement for the Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction program is as follows, published in the Doctoral Program in Curriculum and Instruction Handbook.

The Doctoral Program in Curriculum and Instruction is a professional degree conferred upon teacher/scholars who have demonstrated distinguished achievement as practitioners or administrators in the educational field. Program graduates are prepared to serve in college and university settings and bear responsibility for preparing future generations of teachers. The degree awarded to candidates who successfully complete a 60-credit course of studies and all of the requirements for the degree is the Doctor of Education (D.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction. Successful completion of D. Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction acknowledges that the candidate has mastered the four components of the program: 1) educational theory, 2) teacher education, 3) curriculum evaluation, and 4) research methods.

The Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction Certification Program

In 2001, the Professional Studies in Education Department's proposal to begin offering a certification program lead to the Advanced Certificate, Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction. The proposal was reviewed and found to be in full compliance with the regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Upon approval, doctoral candidates who could meet all eligibility requirements to pursue the advanced certificate for the Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction were afforded the opportunity to design a curriculum project that conformed to PDE Standards II.A- II.H in conjunction with their doctoral studies.

The Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction Certification Program is embedded in the Doctoral Program in Curriculum and Instruction and linked to the required six semester hour practicum, CURR 798 Supervised Doctoral Internship. More detailed information about this internship is contained in the information booklet for candidates and faculty. Pursuit of the certificate is not an option for all students enrolled in the program. For example, International candidates do not have a valid Pennsylvania Certificate. Additionally, candidates who are already college or university faculty may opt to focus on research during the internship rather than pursuing the Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction endorsement. Thus, CURR 798 Supervised Doctoral Internship is the mechanism by which some doctoral candidates complete an interdisciplinary, school-based curriculum project that is in full compliance with PDE standards for the portfolio. However, pursuit of the advanced certificate is not always appropriate or of interest to the particular candidate. Although we have received numerous inquiries from public school personnel who seek a “certification only” program, it is the Professional Studies in Education Department's position that the PDE endorsement of a candidate as a Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction carries with it not only high expectations for knowledge and competence but also major responsibility for Pennsylvania's children, families, and professional teaching staff. Therefore, consistent with the College of Education and Technology's Conceptual Framework for Advanced Programs, candidates for the Advanced Certificate are rigorously assessed with respect to their knowledge, skills, and dispositions.