2023 Best Online Master's Degrees in Secondary Education

Pace University is a private, nonprofit institution offering an online Master of Science in Education, Literacy Specialist - Middle Childhood/Adolescent (grades 5-12). This program also helps students meet the requirements for an advanced or professional certificate in Middle Childhood/Adolescent (grades 5–12) literacy. This 30-credit program generally takes full-time students 1.5 years to complete.

Pace delivers online curriculum via Brightspace. Students in this online education program enroll in courses such as Teaching Literacy Skills to Children with Special Needs, Literature and Digital Storytelling, Foundations of Bilingual Education, and Creating Responsive Early Childhood Environments. They must also complete a practicum and capstone project to graduate.

The University of Massachusetts Global (UMass) is a private, nonprofit institution offering an online Master of Arts in Teaching, Secondary Education with a Single Subject Credential accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. This remote program is available to California residents only. Graduating requires completing a minimum of 39 credits. However, an additional 12 may be necessary if an internship or teaching experience is required. Full-time students may complete this program in two years.

UMass uses Blackboard as its learning management system (LMS), which delivers online coursework and instruction. Classes to choose from include The Art and Craft of Teaching, Collaboration for Inclusive Schooling, and Effective Literacy Instruction for Single Subject Candidates. The program curriculum can help prepare online students to teach a single subject in California at the middle or high school level.

California State University - Fullerton (CSU Fullerton) is a public institution offering an online Master of Science in Transformative Teaching in Secondary Education. Students choose one of two advising pathways: (1) Cross-Disciplinary or (2) Teaching Foundational Mathematics. Those attending full time may complete this 31-credit program in 21 months by taking two classes each term and two during the summer.

CSU Fullerton delivers online course content and instruction via the Canvas LMS. The online curriculum for this secondary education degree includes the following courses: Curriculum Theory and Development, Advanced Proficiency in Educational Technologies, Conceptual Foundations of Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Teaching, and Graduate Studies in Secondary School Writing. Students must also complete a capstone project to graduate.

George Washington University (GWU) is a private, nonprofit institution offering an online Master of Arts in Education and Human Development in Interdisciplinary Secondary Transition Services. Coursework is aligned with the Council for Exceptional Children's Advanced Transition Specialist Standards for Preparation and Practice. This 30-credit program may take two years of full-time attendance to complete.

GWU's online students access coursework and instruction through the LMS Blackboard. Those enrolled in this online education and human development program enroll in classes such as Foundations of Transition Discoveries Youth Driven Practice, Leadership in Disability Public Policy, Person-Centered Assessment Practices, and Universal Design for Learning and Assessment. They must also complete an internship to graduate. Alumni often pursue careers as secondary educators, agency transition professionals, and other positions within academia.

New York University (NYU) is a private, nonprofit institution offering an online Master of Arts in Teaching - Secondary Education. Content area options include English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Special Education. While this is a primarily online program, students are required to complete a residency at partner schools across the United States. Graduating requires 30 credit hours, which may take full-time students at least two years.

NYU provides access to Brightspace, an LMS that allows students to access online content and instruction. Modules within the online master's in secondary education program include Preparation/Foundation, Active Practice, and Peak Teaching. Instruction within these modules supports a progressive learning experience. Once they graduate, students achieve recommendations for initial certification in New York State if desired.