Online Master's in Elementary Education
Master of Arts in Education / Elementary Teacher Education
If you have an undergraduate or graduate degree in another field, the Master of Arts in Education/Elementary Education degree is your next step toward becoming an elementary school teacher. Develop advanced skills in classroom management and lesson planning for teaching elementary age children. Earn over 12 weeks of full-time clinical practice in a classroom setting that emphasizes the latest educational standards and helps prepare for certification.
Teaching licensure and placement
You won’t be in this alone. Our dedicated program support specialists help you navigate your application for teacher licensure and credentialing requirements. We can also help you identify a placement for your clinical experience and clinical practice.
Master of Elementary Education highlights
- 12 weeks of full-time clinical practice teaching in a classroom setting at a local school of your choice
- Receive 1:1 guidance and support to apply for elementary education licensure
Ignite Your Passion
Start when you're ready
Courses
Browse courses for your MAED
Complete your Master of Elementary Education degree with 15-16 core courses and one clinical practice teaching) courses to build both theory and first-hand experience. Two clinical practices courses required in select states.
Program Handbook: Teacher Education Handbook or California Teacher Handbook (CA residents only)
Look for this icon to see which skills you’ll learn in a course.
Completion requirements: 44-45 credits
You’ll need 44-45 credits to complete this Master of Arts in Education/Elementary Teacher Education. Your course schedule may vary based on previous experience, training or transferable credits.
MAED Teacher Licensure
Why is teacher licensure important?
Before becoming a teacher, you must demonstrate the skills and knowledge needed for effective classroom practice. Licensure provides professional and public assurance that educators have met state teaching standards and have demonstrated their readiness to teach.
Help with your program requirements
Education program specialists
Our dedicated education program specialists work with you 1:1 during your required hours of clinical experience (or more if required by your state) and a minimum of 12 weeks of clinical practice (or more in select states). They also help you navigate your state’s licensure requirements for teacher certification and help answer your questions along the way.
Review your state licensure requirements
The Master of Arts in Education/Elementary Education is offered in many states. Learn more about your state licensure requirements.
Master of Elementary Education enrollment requirements
Students with a bachelor’s degree in another initial teacher licensure program are not eligible for an MAED.
- You must have an undergraduate degree from an approved, college or university with institutional accreditation, or hold a comparable degree from a recognized institution outside the United States.
- You must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) as shown on the undergraduate degree posted transcript.
- Must successfully complete program objectives and apply concepts you learn in our courses.
College of Education Central
Find helpful resources for your elementary education degree on COE Central. Program handbooks provide robust 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.
Program Purpose Statement
The Master of Arts in Education/Elementary 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 multiple 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.
Schedule
Your academic counselor will help you schedule your classes.
Why earn your MAED?
Continue your education with post-master certificates
Upon completing your MAED, you can pursue specialized certificates in education such as:
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.
Master's cost per course
$1,815 / course
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/Elementary 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
Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA) Exam
$171
Education Teachers Performance Assessment (edTPA)
$300
1 The amount shown for fingerprinting represents the estimated cost for fingerprints. 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 for 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/Elementary 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 an elementary education master’s degree?
A MAED can prepare you to be an:
Top skills learned in this program:
Classroom Management
Lesson Planning
Child Development
Differentiated Learning
Reflective Teaching Practice
Teaching
Professionalism
Leadership
Learning Strategies
Ready to get started?
Start your application for free or request additional information.
What you’ll learn
When you earn your master of elementary education degree, 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 elementary classroom to positively impact student learning.
- Evaluate effective professional practice in an elementary classroom.
- Apply professional dispositions and ethics to instructional practices among the various communities in an elementary school setting.
- Evaluate educational principles and make use of various data sources necessary to differentiate instruction for the diverse learners in an elementary 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 for kindergarten and elementary 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
How to enroll at University of Phoenix
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)
Call or chat with us 7 days a week.
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 master’s program without giving up what matters most. Start your MAED degree year-round and take one class at a time.
Online learning
Your program gives you flexibility. Enroll in online classes and attend class whenever it fits your life, day or night. In-person clinical experiences are required in your home state.
Around-the-clock support and resources
You have a support team available up to 14 hours a day, 5 days a week.
Network with other education professionals through student organizations
Meet other education students while you study. You can even join Pi Lambada Theta International Society of Professional Association of Educators, an honor society for educators.
Faculty Spotlight
Education professionals dedicated to you
Our faculty are active teachers or leaders in K-12 schools. They are required to stay up to date in the field of education by keeping their teaching licensure current.
Industry Spotlight
Elementary education today
Depending on the school district, many experienced teachers may be expected to satisfy updated coursework upon renewal or learn to develop competency in new teaching developments and methods.
What is changing in elementary education
New approaches to teaching basic skills, such as reading and math, is already underway in many educational preparation programs. Many school districts across the United States have already adopted approaches such as the Science of Reading to improve reading scores among elementary school students.
Your MAED
A Master of Arts Elementary Education already includes innovative teaching methods such as the Science of Reading as part of what you learn. The master’s program prepares you with this and other contemporary or state-required methods for teaching as you enter the modern classroom as a professional elementary school teacher.
Mastering the classroom through direct experience
Learning in actual classroom settings
Theory only goes so far. That’s why our College of Education takes steps to ensure you are engaged in throughout the master’s program, so you can apply theories from your coursework to the real life elementary classroom. You get first-hand experience in diverse classroom settings, diverse student populations, and diverse teaching techniques using technologies that bring these experiences directly to you throughout the curriculum.
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.
Frequently asked questions about the masters in elementary education degree
To enroll in a master’s of elementary education program, you must have:
- Completed an undergraduate degree or higher from a college or university with approved institutional accreditation with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 for all coursework.
- A minimum equivalent of three (3) years of full-time, post-high school professional work experience within the past ten years.
- Select states require coursework in some programs that you will earn prior to program admission.
Learn more about admission requirements
Students with a bachelor’s degree in another initial teacher licensure program are not eligible for an MAED.
You must pursue an application for state licensure in your home state to become an elementary school teacher. The Master of Arts in Education/Elementary Education program helps you meet requirements in many states, but not all. After completing your master’s program, you can pursue licensure in many states. Learn more about your state licensure requirements.
A master’s degree in elementary education prepares you for the role of elementary school teacher. A state licensure is required. Learn more about what you will need to meet the requirements for a teaching licensure in your state.
Students with a bachelor’s degree in another initial teacher licensure program are not eligible for an MAED. The Master of Arts in Education/Elementary Education degree is open to students who have earned an undergraduate degree or master’s degree in another field and wish to pursue a career in elementary school education.
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.