There are online degrees, degrees via CD or video, as well as traditional degree options available in the field of gifted education, and not all programs take the same amount of time to complete. For example, the University of Connecticut Graduate Programs in Gifted Education offers both online and campus programs that lead to a Master of Arts Degree in Educational Psychology or a Sixth Year Diploma in Professional Education. Students can choose to either spend three summers on campus plus an online course component or one year on campus. The University of Connecticut also offers a three-year on-campus Doctor of Philosophy program in gifted education that prepares students for leadership roles in gifted education. However, the University of Nebraska at Kearney offers a Masters of Arts in Education with special emphasis on gifted education. This program is designed for individuals with an undergraduate or graduate level degree in education who are seeking to pursue further specialized training. Coursework can be delivered online, by video or via CD. 36 credit hours are required for completion of the program. The Center for Gifted Education at The College of William and Mary is another option that offers both a Masters of Arts in Education with special emphasis on gifted education as well as a Masters of Arts in Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership with an emphasis on gifted education. Both programs are for people who already hold a teaching certificate. This particular college also offers a Doctoral program where students who already hold a Master's level degree can either pursue a Doctor of Education or a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership with an emphasis on gifted education. A final program, the University of Florida, offers an online Masters in Education with special at emphasis on gifted and talented instruction. It is a two-year program designed to increase your effectiveness as a gifted educator. This is a popular program due to the fact that it is completely online with no campus coursework required.
Different programs obviously have different admission requirements, so investigating each individual program is always a worthwhile task. However, in general, graduate level gifted education programs require an undergraduate degree in some field of education. Many also have certain grade point average, or GPA, requirements, such as the University of Connecticut, and most will require evidence of English proficiency. Students will also need to collect all previous transcripts as well as obtain letters of recommendation for the admission application.
Degrees in gifted education have a varied course curriculum that all centers around nurturing the exceptional student. Special emphasis is placed on identifying and encouraging creative thinking and problem solving, mastering skills necessary for educational research, social and emotional development of gifted adolescents, developing instructional materials and lesson plans for high aptitude learners, and methods of developing school enrichment programs. Thus, psychological as well as behavioral tendencies of gifted children are under exploration, and upon graduation, students are adequately prepared to face the challenges of teaching in a gifted classroom.
Job prospects after competing a degree in gifted education are quite varied. Graduates may pursue the traditional role of teaching gifted and talented students at the elementary or secondary level, but they also might choose to work at specialty schools such as magnet schools focused solely on the creative arts or science and mathematics. Leadership positions such as principal, assistant principal, or coordinator of gifted and talented programs are other possibilities. Doctoral students also have the ability to pursue university positions in gifted education.