Online Master of Arts in Gifted Education
Learn the skills you need to better identify gifted characteristics in students, develop effective curricula, and provide support throughout the learning process. You’re in control with completely online study options. Complete the full Master’s program, hand-pick a single course, or anything in between.
100% Asynchronous Online
Learn While You Work
Online coursework means you learn on your own schedule and at your own pace. Chart an accelerated course of study to complete your Master’s or take a single class and implement new skills and information into your classroom as you go.
Why Truman?
- An emphasis on current challenges and opportunities unique to gifted education
- A combination of Truman Education faculty and active expert practitioners
- Fully online coursework combined with practical field experience
- A program designed for the working professional
- Affordable tuition and a top-notch program
Curriculum
Browse the entire Gifted Education curriculum below, then chart your customized study path. If you choose to complete the full Master’s program, you’ll take all of the core coursework, plus electives and an internship.
Explore the nature and needs of gifted learners as you investigate concepts of intelligence and giftedness, methods used to identify gifted learners, and issues related to special populations of gifted learners. You’ll link the philosophy of gifted education, learner characteristics, understandings about intelligence, identification procedures, and curriculum into coherent and defensible services for gifted learners.
Examine your rights and responsibilities in educating students with gifted and handicapped conditions; current philosophy and terminology in gifted and special education programs; and the programming implications of students from culturally diverse backgrounds.
Examine research methodologies, designs, collecting and analyzing data, and writing and presenting findings through completion of an action research project.
Learn about the processes and recommendations for identifying gifted students and study how culture, economics, and family roles impact identification. You’ll also become familiar with different identification tools and apply their knowledge of gifted learners to create an identification process for a school.
Learn how to develop, implement, and evaluate effective curriculum, instruction, and assessment to improve learning for gifted students through discussion of gifted education theory, curriculum development theory, systems thinking, higher order thinking, questioning skills, creative thinking, technology use, differentiation, and assessment. Additionally, you’ll examine how curriculum design for gifted students can impact curriculum for all students.
Focus on the affective needs of gifted students by exploring research and material relevant to the social and emotional components of giftedness. You’ll examine the role(s) of the educator, motivational issues, relationships, perfectionism, common areas of psychological response, gifted children and youth with special needs, underachievement, and promising practices and interventions for meeting the affective needs of gifted children.
Learn to identify programming options for gifted learners including acceleration, enrichment, internships, mentoring, distance learning, etc. to enhance students’ learning while meeting their intellectual and affective needs. You’ll collaborate with others to create opportunities for diverse learners, as well as examine your school’s current system for gifted programming to create recommendations for improvement.
Study topics that cover national, state and local policies and procedures; advocacy vs. activism; current trends in gifted education; research; and professional development and communication.
Examine the theoretical aspects of creativity – what is creativity, and how do we develop it in ourselves and in our students? You’ll learn the major definitions, theories, and research related to the study of creativity and the creative individual, techniques for stimulating creative thinking, and creative problem-solving strategies to utilize with students.
Study the theory and application of multicultural knowledge and sensitivity, ethical treatment of individuals in a diverse society, demonstrated knowledge, skills and personal self-awareness relevant for helping professionals.
We work with your schedule to arrange an internship that meets your needs and state certification requirements. Under the guidance of mentor teachers, administrators, and University representatives, your internship provides extensive experience in all facets of your role as a teacher to gifted students.
Sample Plans of Study
Accelerated Plan
| FALL | SPRING | SUMMER | |
| YEAR 1 | First Block: ED 550 - Intro to Gifted Second Block: ED 604 - Professional Learning | Full Semester: ED 605 - Psychology of Exceptional Children ED 632 - Research | First Five-Week Session: ED 626 - Creativity ED 652 - Meeting the Affective Needs of Gifted Second Five-Week Session: ED 650 - Identification of Gifted ED 653 - Programming and Administration |
| YEAR 2 | First Block: ED 651 - Curriculum Full Semester: ED 619 - Internship/Practicum |
One Class at a Time
| FALL | SPRING | SUMMER | |
| YEAR 1 | First Block: ED 550 - Intro to Gifted | Full Semester: ED 605 - Psychology of Exceptional Children | First Five-Week Session: ED 652 - Meeting the Affective Needs of Gifted Second Five-Week Session: ED 650 - Identification of Gifted |
| YEAR 2 | First Block: ED 651 - Curriculum Second Block: ED 604 - Professional Learning | Full Semester: ED 632 - Research | First Five-Week Session: ED 626 - Creativity Second Five-Week Session: ED 653 - Programming and Administration |
| YEAR 3 | Full Semester: ED 619 - Internship/Practicum |
Accelerated Plan
| FALL | SPRING | SUMMER | |
| YEAR 1 | First Block: ED 550 - Intro to Gifted Full Semester: ED 605 - Psychology of Exceptional Children | First Five-Week Session: ED 626 - Creativity ED 652 - Meeting the Affective Needs of Gifted Second Five-Week Session: ED 650 - Identification of Gifted ED 653 - Programming and Administration | |
| YEAR 2 | First Block: ED 651 - Curriculum Second Block: ED 604 - Professional Learning | Full Semester: ED 619 - Internship/Practicum ED 632 - Research |
One Class at a Time
| FALL | SPRING | SUMMER | |
| YEAR 1 | First Block: ED 550 - Intro to Gifted | First Five-Week Session: ED 652 - Meeting the Affective Needs of Gifted Second Five-Week Session: ED 650 - Identification of Gifted | |
| YEAR 2 | First Block: ED 651 - Curriculum Second Block: ED 604 - Professional Learning | Full Semester: ED 605 - Psychology of Exceptional Children | First Five-Week Session: ED 626 - Creativity Second Five-Week Session: ED 653 - Programming and Administration |
| YEAR 3 | Full Semester: ED 632 - Research | Full Semester: ED 619 - Internship/Practicum |
Accelerated Plan
| SUMMER | FALL | SPRING | |
| YEAR 1 | First Five-Week Session: ED 550 - Intro to Gifted ED 652 - Meeting the Affective Needs of Gifted Second Five-Week Session: ED 650 - Identification of Gifted ED 653 - Programming and Administration of Gifted | First Block: ED 651 - Curriculum Second Block: ED 604 - Professional Learning | Full Semester: ED 619 - Gifted Internship ED 632 - Research |
| YEAR 2 | First Five-Week Session: ED 626 - Creativity ED 605 - Psychology of Exceptional Children Graduate in December |
One Class at a Time
| SUMMER | FALL | SPRING | |
| YEAR 1 | First Five-Week Session: ED 550 - Intro to Gifted Second Five-Week Session: ED 650 - Identification of Gifted | First Block: ED 651 - Curriculum | Full Semester: ED 632 - Research |
| YEAR 2 | First Five-Week Session: ED 652 - Meeting the Affective Needs of Gifted Second Five-Week Session: ED 653 - Programming and Administration of Gifted | Second Block: ED 604 - Professional Learning | Full Semester: ED 619 - Gifted Internship |
| YEAR 3 | First Five-Week Session: ED 626 - Creativity Second Five-Week Session: ED 605 - Psychology of Exceptional Children Graduate in August |
Meet the Faculty
Dr. Kimberley L. Chandler
Dr. Kimberley L. Chandler, Ph.D., is the Curriculum Director for the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland; in this role, she is responsible for assisting with strategic oversight of CTY’s curriculum across in-person and online modalities. She completed her Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership with an emphasis in gifted education administration at William and Mary. Her professional background includes teaching gifted students in a variety of settings, serving as an administrator of a school district gifted program, and providing professional development training for teachers and administrators nationally and internationally.
Dr. Chandler is the co-editor (with Dr. Jaime Castellano) of the book Identifying and Serving Diverse Gifted Students. She also served as the editor and contributing author of many curriculum materials (science, social studies, language arts, and mathematics) from the Center for Gifted Education at William and Mary. Currently she is writing a book about designing appropriate language arts activities for use with advanced elementary students.
She grew up in Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley. She currently lives in Virginia with her Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Callie.
Beth Knoot
A graduate of Truman’s M.A.E. program, Beth Knoot has an M.A.E. in Elementary Education and a B.S. in Psychology from Truman State University. She also has an M.A. in Gifted Education, a Graduate Certificate in Global Awareness and Civic Literacy Education, and a Graduate Certificate in STEM Education from Maryville University in St. Louis. Beth is a National Board Certified Teacher and a National Geographic Certified Teacher and has an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Science Education from Washington University in St. Louis as well. She is currently a gifted education teacher at Reed Elementary in the Ladue School District in the St. Louis area where she leads FIRST LEGO League and other STEM projects and teaches kids about cool things such as the rainforest and archaeology.
Dr. Robin Lady Crosby
Dr. Robin Lady Crosby, NBCT, is a 24+ year educator. She developed and taught two rural K-12 gifted programs in southeast Missouri where she grew up. In 2007, she moved to St. Louis, earned a doctorate at SLU, became a National Board Certified Teacher and Mentor, and started teaching in the Rockwood School District’s Gifted Program, where she has taught middle and high school. She served on the Board of Directors for the Gifted Association of Missouri from 2002-2019, including President and Legislative/Public Issues. From 2011-2018, she served on the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Advisory Council for Gifted and Talented, which advises on policy and reports to the State Board of Education. She has taught graduate classes, authored curriculum, white papers, legislation, advocacy platforms and agendas. She has led events at NAGC’s National Affiliates Conference in Washington, D.C., and serves as a speaker and consultant. In 2022, she returned to her home area in southeast Missouri and is now an administrator in the Sikeston School District. Dr. Crosby teaches ED604G Professional Learning and ED550G Intro to Gifted (summer course) for Truman's Master of Arts in Gifted Education program.
Dr. Wendy Miner
Dr. Wendy Miner earned her B.A. from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania in special education and elementary education. She earned her M.S. in curriculum and instruction from George Washington University and her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in gifted. Wendy has teaching experience in multiple settings including a gifted pullout school and magnet school in Virginia Beach, Va. Through her work at the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, she worked with multiple school districts providing professional development on differentiation, assessment, and program evaluations with her colleagues. She was an assistant director and director for the Summer Institute on Academic Diversity. Wendy has served in various roles for the National Association of Gifted Children. She helped create the gifted certification courses at Truman State University and coordinates a science club at the primary level for local students.
Dr. Christi Sanderson
Dr. Christi Sanderson, EdD, NBCT, serves as science program manager and instructional specialist at Washington University's Institute for School Partnership mySci department. She brings extensive experience as a classroom teacher, district administrator and leader in differentiated learning, gifted education and curriculum development. Christi has been an assistant principal at the Rockwood School District’s Center for Creative Learning, a gifted educator for over 15 years for both the Rockwood School District and School District of University City, and a 6th grade teacher for five years in the Northwest School District. Christi holds an M.A. in Educational Administration and Doctorate of Education in Teacher Leadership from Maryville University, an M.A. in Gifted Education from Drury University, an M.A. in Teaching from Webster University and B.A. in Science Education from SEMO. She has taught adjunct courses in assessment, gifted education, and curriculum for over five years. Christi has also written and published over fifty curriculum resources for Teacher Created Materials, Shell Publishing, and Pieces of Learning.
Sharon Slodounik
Sharon Slodounik's professional background includes being a gifted specialist, district gifted coordinator, trainer for gifted certification hours, library/media specialist for grades K-12, middle and high school social studies teacher, and middle school literacy, science, and math teacher. She has been involved in innovative programs in gifted education, the arts, aesthetic education, and special education. These work experiences include working in the School District of Clayton (St. Louis suburb) and various cities/towns in central Illinois, regional programs, and rural and urban schools, including Title I buildings. As a gifted teacher/coordinator, she has worked in pull-out programs and collaborative teaching arrangements with elementary classroom teachers in mathematics and literacy. She has also worked closely with building and district content specialists and coordinators. Working with students and collaborating with colleagues are her top passions. As a gifted coordinator in Clayton and Decatur Public Schools (Decatur, Illinois), she has developed and overseen transitions in gifted identification and developed gifted programs for all grade levels. In addition, she was active in the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) for nearly two decades and served as chair of the NAGC Global Awareness Network.
Sarah Young
Sarah Young earned her B.A. in elementary education and M.A. in gifted education from Lindenwood University. She earned her Ed. S. in educational leadership with an emphasis in gifted education from Arkansas State University. She worked for nine years in public school as a gifted educator before starting her own business as a gifted education consultant. She is the creator of The Gifted Guide website, and she now helps schools across the U.S. to implement and improve their gifted programming through professional development, curriculum writing, and working virtually with educators and students.
Admission
Spring 2024 START:
Apply by December 1
Summer 2024 START:
Apply by May 24
Fall 2024 START:
Apply by August 15
Rolling Admission
Admission is made on a rolling basis and treated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Application Requirements
Interested in Gifted Certification Credential?
Also available is a certification credential in K-12 Gifted Education. This 25-credit certification program culminates in an endorsement from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education but does not bestow a master’s degree. If you’re interested, apply using our non-degree seeking application. NOTE: Non-degree seeking students are not eligible for federal financial aid programs.
Apply as Non-Degree Seeking StudentEstimated Costs
*Total estimated tuition based on 2024-25 academic year. Tuition subject to change.
Financial Aid
Degree-seeking students enrolled in at least six credit hours per semester are eligible for federal financial aid programs. For more information, see Financial Aid Resources for Graduate Studies or contact the Financial Aid Office at (660) 785-4130 or finaid@truman.edu.
Schedule a Virtual Visit
Virtual Visit
Get an inside look at the online learning environment, meet your professors, and get all your questions answered during a virtual visit