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.
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Courses
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.
Look for this icon to see which skills you’ll learn in a course.
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.
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.
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.
The Master of Arts in Education/Elementary Education is offered in many states. Learn more about yourstate licensure requirements.
Students with a bachelor’s degree in another initial teacher licensure program are not eligible for an MAED.
Find helpful resources for your elementary education degree on . 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.
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.
Your academic counselor will help you schedule your classes.
Upon completing your MAED, you can pursue specialized certificates in education such as:
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
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.
$1,815 / course
What affects the overall cost of my program?
Your full program cost can vary by:
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:
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.
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.
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 ۴ý.
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
AMAED 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
Start your application for free or request additional information.
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:
-1% Growth
According to the,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 ۴ý students or graduates.
Admissions
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.
How to enroll at ۴ý
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
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
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.
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.
You have a support team available up to 14 hours a day, 5 days a week.
Meet other education students while you study. You can even join , an honor society for educators.
Faculty Spotlight
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
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.
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.
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.
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
Since 1978, ۴ý has maintained institutional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), . Learn more about the value of ۴ý accreditation and how it benefits our students.
To enroll in a master’s of elementary education program, you must have:
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 theteacher licensure pageor theprincipal licensure pagefor 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.