---

Curriculum & Instruction

Types of Degrees Curriculum & Instruction Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Curriculum & Instruction can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	6
Bachelor’s Degree	38
Master’s Degree	19,479
Doctor’s Degree	1,808

What Curriculum & Instruction Majors Need to Know

Programs in Curriculum & Instruction build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Curriculum & Instruction graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Curriculum & Instruction emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Curriculum & Instruction program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Curriculum & Instruction careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Curriculum & Instruction graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.2 / 7
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People	4.0 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Curriculum & Instruction professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Instructure Canvas	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Curriculum & Instruction graduates include:

• Instructional Design Technologist
• Special Education Curriculum Specialist
• Instructional Coach
• Learning Development Specialist
• Instructional Systems Designer
• School Curriculum Developer
• Curriculum Manager
• Education Supervisor
• Instructional Designer
• Technology Infusion Specialist
• Teacher Support and Student Intervention Team Lead
• Instructional Systems Specialist
• Curriculum Specialist
• Instructional Technologist
• Technology Integration Specialist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Curriculum & Instruction graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	44.0%
Master’s degree	35.2%
Bachelor’s degree	13.0%
Post-master’s certificate	5.6%
First professional degree	2.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Curriculum & Instruction?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 82.8% of Curriculum & Instruction degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	17,663	82.8%
Men	3,668	17.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Curriculum & Instruction graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	14,303	67.1%
Asian	594	2.8%
Hispanic or Latino	2,378	11.1%
Black or African American	1,775	8.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	119	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	78	0.4%
Two or More Races	515	2.4%
Race Unknown	1,069	5.0%
International Students	500	2.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Curriculum & Instruction Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Curriculum & Instruction graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$58,665
4 years	$57,335
5 years	$63,055

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $63,055 — roughly 7% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Curriculum & Instruction Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Curriculum & Instruction. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	2	2
Master’s	174	90
Doctoral (Research)	21	22

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Curriculum & Instruction Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Curriculum & Instruction graduates earn a median of $57,335 four years after completion — roughly 51% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Education	13
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education	13.02
Education, General	13.01
Education, Other	13.99
EDUCATION	13.00
Educational Administration and Supervision	13.04
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research	13.06
Educational/Instructional Media Design	13.05
International and Comparative Education	13.07
Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education	13.09
Special Education and Teaching	13.10
Student Counseling and Personnel Services	13.11

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.