Why Choose a Masters in Education With UoPeople

From opening doors to higher earning potential, these are the main reasons why to choose a Masters in Education with UoPeople.

Whether it’s been a lifelong passion or a new start, you’ve chosen to become a teacher, and now you’re looking to earn your master’s degree to enhance your career. While you have many options to choose from for your education, University of the People’s unique philosophy and one-of-a-kind education system proves to be advantageous on various levels — including financially, educationally, and personally.

Teaching is the largest single employment sector in the U.S, and there’s no doubt as to why teachers are needed in our world. According to the National Center of Education and Statistics (NACE), the number of students enrolling in primary and secondary school is increasing. Between fall 2018 and fall 2027, 52.1 million new students will enroll in primary and secondary education, which means the demand for teachers is only going to increase. Therefore, earning a Master’s in Education is beneficial to open more teaching opportunities with higher earning potential.

So, where do you begin?

At University of the People, the accredited and well-known program is coupled with high accessibility and low cost, making it virtually possible for anyone from anywhere to earn their Master’s in Education.

Let’s take a look at some of the facts!

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Who is the M.Ed Designed For?

The program is available for students worldwide. It’s US accredited but don’t worry no visa is necessary because everything is online. Most students who enroll in the program are typically 25-40 years of age and are working adults and/or individuals with family responsibilities, but anyone, anywhere is welcome to apply to the program.

There are few requirements needed to be accepted. These include:

1. Demonstrate undergraduate degree completion
2. English proficiency

Students must first complete at least three M.Ed. Core courses as a Non-Degree Seeking Student (NDSS) and earn a grade of 2.67 or higher in each course. Only once they have demonstrated that they have the appropriate preparedness for graduate-level work can they be admitted to study toward the degree.

In general, courses taken by non-degree seeking students can be accepted for credit towards one’s degree program after being accepted as a Degree Seeking Student (DSS), so no time is lost on the path towards a degree.

While having prior coursework in education and/or teaching experience is beneficial, it is not necessary. If you’ve already started graduate-level courses in education, UoPeople may award 50 percent of the credits required for the M.Ed. Program. Hence, UoPeople will apply no more than 18 transfer credits toward the completion of the M.Ed. degree.

Internationally Accredited Program

The M.Ed. in Advanced Teaching was designed in cooperation with the International Baccalaureate (IB). The IB is a global leader in the provision of high-quality, accessible programs for K-12 students. Offered by almost 5,000 schools in more than 150 countries, IB programs encourage both personal growth and academic achievement. The IB requirement to attend a Category 1 Workshop is waived for qualified graduates of the M.Ed. program.

IB staff members were part of a Combined UoPeople-IB Working Group that took the creation of the program from its inception through to receiving approval from the accrediting agency. The courses were developed by doctoral-level Subject Matter Expert/Course Developers with teaching expertise. This has made for a program that values peer-to-peer learning and is set up practically.

And, the learning doesn’t stop inside the “classroom.” With the Master’s in Education, students are provided with resources for career planning, such as resume writing, interviewing, and job processing skills.

Additionally, students are encouraged to develop their personal Research and Practice Portfolio throughout the degree program by collecting information related to teaching practices to combine for their own future professional usage. This means that upon graduation and entrance into a teaching job, students already have a resource and portfolio set up to continue building upon as a teacher.

Academic Leadership

At UoPeople, the academic leadership hails from iconic institutions and comes together with the same goal to revolutionize and democratize education. Our dean’s office is comprised of professors and professionals that continue to support the curriculum and its students.

The Education program is led by Dr. James W. Fraser who is a professor of History and Education at New York University (NYU). He is a consultant and teacher who has shared his knowledge about the status of education in the United States and abroad as he continues to lead the program at UoPeople, as well as teach at NYU.

Coursework Structure and Flexibility

The flexibility of the program is incomparable to most other institutions, mostly because of its online nature, but also because of the technology used to administer classes.

To complete the program, students must complete the four components of the curriculum:

1. Core Courses
2. Specialization Core Courses
3. Specialized Elective Courses
4. Capstone Courses

Students are required to take a minimum of 39 semester hour credits, which amounts to a minimum of 13 courses. Based on where a student wants to teach, whether it be primary or secondary school, the Specialized Core Courses and Specialized Elective Courses will be determined.

For a full-time student taking 2 courses per term, graduation can be accomplished in as little as 17 months. Throughout the program, students will have access to a degree audit to track their progression.

As a 100% online program, students can flexibly choose when and where to learn, on their own time, as long as they have internet connection. While it’s required to complete the program within five years of beginning, each student is welcome to learn at their own pace.

Unlike a traditional university, the online model allows for individuals to work on their own time while still feeling part of a class and community setting. Utilizing technology like Moodle, classwork can be submitted with the press of a button, and virtually everything other than tests can be completed on a mobile phone.

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Affordable and Accessible

Because the program is completely online, there are no overhead costs for buildings or maintenance. This translates to a tuition-free model where students don’t have to bear the burden of the university’s costs. Instead, the non-profit structure invites donations, grants, and scholarships — and because of the internet, students have minimal costs to earn their master’s degree.

The only fees required by students are the $60 application fee and $200 assessment fee per course. This means that if the minimum required 13 courses are completed, a student can expect to pay a total of $2,660.

Although the program doesn’t include teacher certification, not all schools require teachers to have it. With a Master’s in Education, without certification, graduates still qualify to work in nursery schools and technical colleges in the US. Plus, the International Baccalaureate Organization waives the Category 1 workshop requirement, and allows students to work at almost any private school around the world.

The Quality of Education

It almost goes without saying that the quality of education is top of the line. With a mission to offer affordable, quality online degrees to any qualifying student, UoPeople infuses our education with these necessary keys for success:

• Maintain high academic standards
• Include core components to foster critical thinking, communication, and commitment to lifelong learning
• Focus on competencies and skills required for success in the global economy
• Continually assess and improve through regular outcome assessment and external reviews
• Promote a culture of shared learning through collaboration, interaction, and peer-to-peer teaching and assessment

Nowhere Like It

There’s no other institution in the world with the same caliber of learning provided at such a low cost. For those who are looking to enhance their teaching knowledge or work in education, the UoPeople’s Master’s in Education program offers a tuition-free, accredited, fully flexible, openly accessible, and collaborative degree with beginning-to-end support.

To find out more, and apply visit the program overview and details here.