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online secondary teacher ed degree

Master of Arts in Education/Secondary Teacher Education

Start your online secondary education master's degree

The best secondary teachers give young people the tools to succeed in life. The next generation is waiting for a person like you to help them in their educational journey. Our Master of Arts in Education/Secondary Teacher Education degree is designed for adults who have no prior teaching experience or aren’t yet certified but have a bachelor’s degree in another discipline.

This degree program is designed to prepare you for teacher licensure and will help you build confidence as a single-subject secondary teacher. This master’s program includes a clinical component (field experience and student teaching), allowing candidates to acquire the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to positively impact student learning and development. The program aligns with national standards, ensuring candidates attain a quality degree that’s relevant to today’s classroom. View your state licensure requirements.

Ignite Your Passion

Start when you're ready

Courses

Browse courses for your education master's degree

Education should hold practical value. That’s why our courses meet rigorous academic standards and provide you with skills and knowledge immediately applicable to your career.

Program Handbook: Teacher Education Handbook or California Teacher Handbook (CA residents only)

Skills-aligned program icon

Look for this icon to see which skills you’ll learn in a course.

Requirements: 39 credits

You’ll need 39 credits to complete this Master of Arts in Education/Secondary Teacher Education. Your course schedule may vary based on previous experience, training or transferable credits.. 

1-2 Clinical Practice/Student Teaching Courses

During your clinical practice experience — one of the final steps to complete your degree — you’ll complete a student teaching experience where you will apply your instruction and classroom management skills full time. Working under the supervision of a teacher and a University of Phoenix faculty supervisor, you’ll develop lesson plans, teach, work with diverse student populations and incorporate technology into the classroom.

1-2 Clinical Practice/Student Teaching Courses

12-13 Core Courses

Here’s where you’ll pick up the bulk of your program-specific knowledge. By the time you finish these courses, you should have the confidence and skills needed in an education environment.

12-13 Core Courses

COE Central

College of Education students will find many helpful resources on COE Central. Program handbooks provide a wealth of information on topics such as professional expectations, clinical experiences, clinical practice, internships, edTPA and much more. Milestone roadmaps, technology and multimedia resources, and various toolkits are also available.

Schedule

Your academic counselor will help you schedule your classes.

Plus, you’ll find support from our dedicated education program specialists who work with you 1:1 during your 100 required hours of clinical experience (or more if required by your state) and a minimum of 12 weeks of clinical practice (or more if required by your state). Our education program specialists also help you navigate your state licensure requirements for teacher certification, and can help with questions along the way.

Program Purpose Statement

The Master of Arts in Education/Secondary Teacher Education is a graduate degree program intended for students with no prior teaching experience for initial teacher licensure. The program is designed for students who want to become single subject school teachers. Candidates for this program have already earned a bachelor's degree. The program includes a clinical component requiring field experiences and student teaching above and beyond program coursework. Requirements for licensure vary by state; please see your state's requirements. There may be additional qualifications and/or disqualifications applicable in order to work as a teacher with any local, state or federal entity.

Skills-aligned program icon

Earn career-relevant skills in weeks – not years.

Learning shouldn’t take years to put into practice. That’s why we’re empowering you to build career-relevant skills with every five- to six-week course.

We’ve worked with the labor market researcher Lightcast to identify in-demand skills for occupations and mapped those to our related associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

Tuition

Paying for school

Tuition is based on number of credit hours per course. Courses are typically 3 credits, but can range from 1-6 credits. Costs do not include savings opportunities like transfer credits and scholarships.

Tuition Guarantee

Master's cost per course

$1,815 / course

Cost per credit 

Credits per course

Resource fee

$540

x3

+ $195

Estimated cost per course

$1,815

An illustration showing a couple pushing a stroller with a dollar sign and clock in the background

What affects the overall cost of my program?

Your full program cost can vary by: 

  • Savings opportunities. Get your degree faster and for less with eligible transfer credits, scholarships and work experience credits. Students with eligible credits and relevant experience can save up to $6,800 and 9 credits off their master’s degree.
  • California Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF). If you’re a California resident or enrolled in a residency program, you must pay the state-imposed assessment for STRF which is currently $0 per $1,000 of institutional charges. The STRF assessment is nonrefundable.
  • Additional estimated costs. The Master of Arts in Education/Secondary Teacher Education requires payment of additional charges to third parties for Certificate of Clearance Application, fingerprinting, TB testing and competency exams, which are listed in the estimated cost table below.

With our Tuition Guarantee, you pay one flat, affordable rate from the moment you enroll to the day you graduate from your program.

Earn your master’s degree faster and for less with eligible savings opportunities:

Additional estimated third-party costs:

Charge type

Cost

California Certificate of Clearance Application Fee

$52.65

Fingerprinting Fees

$116[1]

TB Testing

$139[2]

California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) Exam

$297

Education Teachers Performance Assessment (edTPA)

$300

1 The amount shown for fingerprinting represents the maximum value from the range of possible amounts that could be charged to students. The actual amount the student pays will depend on the agency the student uses for their school district.

2 The amount shown for TB testing represents the estimated cost of a TB test. The actual amount the student pays will depend on the agency the student uses for their school district.

Transfer credits

Your prior eligible college credits could save you time and money, helping you graduate faster. That’s why we’ve accepted transcripts from 5,000+ institutions. Check to see if you can apply eligible transfer credits from an institutionally accredited university or college toward your Master of Arts in Education/Secondary Education degree.

Scholarships to earn your master’s degree, more affordably.

Everyone deserves an affordable education. That’s why we offer an unlimited number of scholarships, so if you qualify, you can get one. We believe everyone deserves an affordable education they shouldn’t have to compete for. Starting with your first course, every qualifying new student will be awarded one of our scholarships - regardless of your financial situation or GPA, or you’ll get the best savings you qualify for. Whether you’re a new or transfer student, you can apply for a scholarship. Explore scholarship options at University of Phoenix.

Financial aid

You may have options when it comes to paying for college tuition and expenses, such as federal grants and loans. Our finance advisors can answer your questions about financial aid and can help guide you through the process.

Federal Student Loan Basics

Careers & Outcomes

What can you do with a Master of Arts in Education / Secondary Teacher Education?

Discover where your degree might take you and make informed choices about your future.

A MAEd/TED-S can prepare you to be a:

  • Secondary teacher
  • English teacher
  • History teacher
  • Math instructor
  • Science teacher
  • Social studies teacher

Top skills learned in this program:

  • Classroom Management

  • Lesson Planning

  • Technology Integration

  • Differentiated Instruction

  • Cultural Responsiveness

  • Teaching

  • Professionalism

  • Leadership

  • Learning Strategies

  • Innovation

Ready to get started?

Start your application for free or request additional information.

What you’ll learn

When you earn your online Master of Arts in Education/Secondary Teacher Education, you’ll be equipped with a concrete set of skills you can apply on the job. You’ll learn how to:

  • Design and implement effective instruction in the secondary classroom to positively impact student learning.
  • Evaluate effective professional practice in a secondary classroom.
  • Apply professional dispositions and ethics to instructional practices among the various communities in a secondary school setting.
  • Evaluate educational principles and make use of various data sources necessary to differentiate instruction for the diverse learners in a secondary classroom.
  • Create innovative strategies to improve student learning through the use current research and technology.

-1% Growth

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth projected for high school teachers is projected to decline between 2023 and 2033.

The BLS Projected Growth for 2023-2033 is published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects the BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.

Admissions

Apply for free – no application fee, no obligation.

Starting your degree is a big decision — and we want you to feel great about it. That’s why we remove obstacles from your application.

  • No cost to request prior transcripts
  • No GMAT
  • No essay required

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 90% of our surveyed students.[1] Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

[1] Transactional Survey, August 2021-22 (18,645 respondents)

Gabriel G., Enrollment Representative

Call or chat with us 7 days a week.

G. Galindo - Enrollment Representative

Gabriel G., Enrollment Rep

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 85% of our surveyed students.[1]

[1] Transactional Survey, September 2022-August 2023 (23,739 respondents)

Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

Call us at 844-937-8679 or chat with us 7 days a week.

Student Experience

An education that fits your busy life

Balancing family, work and school

Work toward your degree without giving up what matters most. Start your degree year-round and take one class at a time.

Online learning

Enroll in online classes and attend class whenever it fits your life, day or night.

Around-the-clock support and resources

You have a support team available up to 14 hours a day, 5 days a week. 

Computer requirements for courses

Many course assignments will require you to use a computer to complete and submit your assignment. 

Student completing homework at night while child plays on floor.

Faculty Spotlight

Professionals dedicated to you

Your success is a top priority for our deans and faculty members. They bring an average of 28+ years of experience and hands-on perspective to the classroom, and help bridge the gap between academics and industry knowledge.

Donna Lange

From the very beginning, I always try to make students feel comfortable and connect with them.

Donna Lange
Faculty of the Year 2020, College of Education

From the very beginning, I always try to make students feel comfortable and connect with them.

Accreditation

Accredited for 45+ years

Since 1978, University of Phoenix has maintained institutional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org. Learn more about the value of University of Phoenix accreditation and how it benefits our students.

The following program educationally prepares students to apply for initial teacher certification in select states:

Master of Arts in Education/Teacher Education – Secondary (MAED/TED-S)

Educator/Principal licensure requirements vary by state. Candidates located in a state that does not provide a direct path to licensure will be required to obtain Arizona certification first, prior to seeking licensure in their home state as an out-of-state prepared teacher/principal candidate. Arizona certification requires candidates to pass all Arizona-specific licensure requirements, including any Arizona-specific exams (or home state equivalents if recognized by Arizona Department of Education.) After obtaining an Arizona teacher/principal certificate, candidates can then apply for licensure in their home state and may be required to complete additional testing and/or requirements at additional cost. Program requirements may change based upon your home state’s agency licensure requirements. Please visit the teacher licensure page or the principal licensure page for state specific requirements prior to reaching out to your state agency.

While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.