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Online Master's in Effective Teaching (M.Ed.)

Consider a unique, flexible, and affordable opportunity to pursue your graduate degree in education.

The online Master of Education (MEd) degree program in Effective Teaching at York College of Pennsylvania allows K-12 teachers the freedom to complete a career-enhancing degree at their own pace.

York's 33-credit, fully online Master’s in Education encourages live interaction with colleagues, classmates, and faculty to facilitate informed engagement with today’s students. Our graduate students are empowered to influence progress in curriculum, instruction, and design. In this program, your studies translate directly to excellence in your classroom as you complete theory-driven curriculum and practicum applications.

Learn from expert faculty and benefit from real-world connections in the rich York community, carefully translated to an online environment. Plus, tailor your online MEd to meet your needs by concentrating in technology, teacher-leadership, literacy, or diversity.

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About the MEd in Effective Teaching

  • Key Courses

    Online Master of Education Degree Requirements

    York’s online Effective Teaching MEd program’s 33 required credits cover a range of necessary concepts, culminating in a design-based capstone project. All courses can be completed online in as few as two years.

    A balance of educational foundations courses, core MEd courses, and chosen focus pathway courses help our candidates to excel in culturally responsive education, curriculum design theory, emerging educational technologies, and leadership skills. Through applied teaching components such as the Innovation Practicum, students get the opportunity to apply their learnings to their practice.

    The best teachers are lifelong learners. Students who hold an active Pennsylvania Department of Education Teaching Certificate may fulfill requirements for further credentials through our online master’s in education coursework if applicable.

    Select an Effective Teaching Track

    From emerging technologies to understanding student resilience, YCP’s MEd candidates research and address issues that are ubiquitous in today’s classrooms. This forward-thinking online Master of Education program incorporates learning technology and design skills, as well as trends and global events that affect the field.

    Build practical, specialized skills by focusing your online Master of Education in one of the following tracks, designed to elevate effective teaching skills and strategies:

    • Literacy
    • Technology
    • Teacher Leadership*
    • Youth Resilience**

    *Students may earn the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Skills for Teacher Leaders Endorsement.

    **Students may earn the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness Endorsement.

    Online Master of Education Program Courses

    Ready yourself to bring heightened professional practice back to your public or private educational institution through coursework designed to help you improve your current teaching skills, develop new perspectives, and forge deeper connections with your students.

    Take required courses, track courses, and an elective course from our range of offerings, including:

    • MED 501: Introduction to Educational Research
    • MED 502: Development, Learning, and Inclusive Practice
    • MED 512: Foundations of Reading Instruction
    • MED 582: Education Policy and Reform
    • MED 620: Enhanced Technology Pedagogies
    • MED 622: Education Transformation and Change

    Engaged Online Modality for Busy Professionals

    The online master’s program in Effective Teaching allows busy educators to complete online coursework at a pace that works for them, with synchronous class attendance required up to eight times per semester.

    Earn a Master of Education Online at York College of Pennsylvania

    York College of Pennsylvania’s flexible, online Effective Teaching Master of Education degree program presents tools and techniques that challenge teachers to enhance their skills in ways that meaningfully impact their students.

    Ready to take the next step toward your highest potential as an educator? Request more information today. Or, begin your graduate application.

  • Career Opportunities & Benefits

    Online Master of Education Program Career Preparation

    Master’s degrees that enhance curriculum and instruction help practicing teachers thrive in the classroom, develop new skills, and increase their salary and advancement opportunities.

    The Effective Teaching online degree program’s breadth of study and embedded experiences prepare students to enter or advance education careers related to teaching, administration, training and development, technology and instructional design, reading and literacy, and more.

    With a focus on student-centered instruction and innovative pedagogy, students may pursue leadership possibilities in their school or district. Earning a master’s in education positions students for careers such as:

    • K-12 Classroom Teacher
    • Teacher Leader
    • Corporate Trainer
    • Instructional Coordinator
    • Educational Program Coordinator or Manager
    • Educational Consultant
    • Department Chair
    • Grade or Team Leader

    Get closer to your dream role, whether you picture yourself elevating instruction in your district or providing your expertise to develop innovations that further the field.

    Prepare for Further Professional Development and Doctoral Programs

    For advanced educational careers, whether it's a role as superintendent, principal, or curriculum and instruction expert, advanced training such as a doctoral degree program may be the next step after earning your master’s degree.

    By building field and research skills, background knowledge in educational policy, communication skills, and a design-informed perspectives on curriculum management, graduates of the online Effective Teaching master’s program are well prepared to seek further educational and professional development opportunities.

    Career Outlook and Salary for Master’s-Educated Teachers

    Teachers with a Master of Education degree demonstrate a maximized understanding of how to support and challenge students in primary and secondary academic settings. This expertise can lead to higher earning potential reflecting enhanced career prospects and professional responsibilities.

    Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that teachers with master’s-level credentials earn higher compensation than their counterparts with bachelor’s degrees alone. This also applies when they have the same level of experience. In the state of Pennsylvania, salary opportunities for educators with graduate degrees are even more substantial: The National Education Association reports that Pennsylvania teachers' average starting salary with a bachelor's degree is $46,991, and with a master's degree, the average starting salary goes up to $50,703 with top earners making over $80,000 per year.

    After graduate studies, teachers are equipped for advancement to teacher leader and mentor positions, as well as a number of career possibilities outside traditional classroom instruction. MEd graduates may also continue their careers in high-earning professions such as: 

  • Internships & Work Experience

    Applying Design Thinking to the Classroom

    YCP’s online MEd students are highly encouraged to apply the high-level curriculum and instructional skills they learn in real-world contexts and classrooms.

    The Innovation Practicum experience is supported by two courses. The first is an Education Innovation Studio course, in which students explore and design a proposal around the execution of a new process, innovation, or student-centered learning technique. This is followed by an Education Innovation Practicum, where students are supervised as they execute the innovative product or project created in their academic setting, whether they're working with a public, private, or another form of educational academy. All students create projects designed to elevate their instruction and curriculum in real-world classrooms.

    Graduate Research Opportunities

    If you love research, tailor your education further with York’s regular student research opportunities. MEd candidates have presented their research at local and national conferences and published manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. All student research is presented during our annual graduate research day event.

  • Mentorship & Community

    Learn from Expert Faculty

    Faculty who teach your online curriculum and instruction courses are highly respected in the field and bring unique experiences and expertise to your learning. You will receive individualized attention during the online MEd program and develop mentorships that lead to professional relationships in the future.

    Beyond face-to-face meetings, you may work closely with professors on class projects, during the ideation and execution phases of your Innovation Practicum, and on their academic scholarship and research efforts.

    Graduate Advisory Board

    Expert professionals who are students and recent graduates of York’s Master of Education programs make up a graduate advisory board, tasked with keeping course content on the cutting edge of the field and advising program leadership.

    Tuition Benefits for Community Partners

    York College’s strong partnerships with regional institutions and industry leaders mean that local organizations may provide their employees with a discounted graduate tuition program. To discover if your employer supports this program, view our Tuition Discount Partnerships or contact your employer’s Human Resources department.

  • High-Demand Skills

    Learn Skills to Advance Curriculum and Instruction

    Teachers often seek graduate coursework to gain a secondary level of state certification, but many pursue further education to deepen their ability to connect with students with different learning styles, focus on a specific area, or position themselves for career advancement.

    Whether your online MEd is a stepping stone to further teacher education or leadership programs, or you plan on taking your expertise directly to your current or future classroom, get closer to your most effective and fulfilling teaching career with the development of skills such as:

    • Meaningful and productive integration of current and new educational technologies into teaching and learning
    • Critical understandings related to classroom practices that demonstrate the inclusion of cultures and different types of learners
    • Research and problem-solving skills leading to the ability to address issues and trace trends in curriculum content and educational theory, now and in the future
    • A deeper understanding of education policy as it relates to teachers and teacher evaluation, school choice, privatization, and reform efforts and initiatives
    • Professional communication skills empowering teacher candidates to participate in high-level dialogues with colleagues and stakeholders from administrators to policymakers
    • Essential design thinking skills for the development and application of engaging, student-centered lessons and curriculum components 

    Other Specialized MEd Programs at York

    York College of Pennsylvania offers several online Master’s in Education programs designed to flexibly and affordably set educators up for success in highly sought-after areas. Follow your interests and pursue certain specialist certifications with York’s specialized MEd degree programs, ranked by U.S. News & World Report as Best Online Master's in Education programs.

    Review all Graduate and Professional Studies programs at York College.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How long does it take to earn a master’s degree in education online?

    Students taking a full course load can complete a master’s in education in two or three years. A 33-credit master of education degree program can be completed in around four semesters if you continuously pursue two to three online courses each semester.

  • What are popular specializations for Master of Education degrees?

    The utmost goal of most master’s in education degree programs is heightened curriculum and instructional practice that candidates can apply to their teaching careers. Some students may choose to further focus their studies in emerging areas of the field in order to gain experience and expertise that is valuable to their students or employers, or to pursue state specialist certifications.

    Popular specializations for education master’s candidates include elementary, secondary, or post-secondary education, counseling, leadership, technology, diversity and inclusion, teacher education, corporate training, and literacy.

  • How do online Master of Education programs compare to traditional programs?

    YCP’s online master’s in education programs in curriculum and instruction deliver the same level of highly collaborative and innovative classroom experiences as traditional on-campus programs through a blend of synchronous and asynchronous course components. It’s more accessible for busy teachers, too.

    You’ll complete your coursework and connect with faculty virtually according to your schedule, then participate in field experiences in your own classroom or another location convenient to you, tailoring each requirement to your goals and interests along the way.

Program Requirements

Required Courses and Degree Requirements for Graduation
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2023-2024 Graduate Catalog

Related Programs

Contact Us
Graduate Programs - Behavioral Sciences and Education
Molly Milam, PhD, BCBA-D
Asst. Director, Graduate Programs in Behavioral Sciences and Education
Appell Life Sciences Building, Room 346
Phone: 717.815.2005
mmilam1@ycp.edu

Dawn Keiser, Administrative Assistant
Appell Life Sciences Building, Room 355
Phone: 717.815.1551
dkeiser@ycp.edu