Master of Science in Education – Educational Studies (Teach For America and TNTP)
This innovative two-year online master’s degree program for Teach For America Corps members and alumni and TNTP alumni is taught by experienced faculty to prepare candidates to be reflective practitioners, data-driven decision makers, and passionate advocates for equity in America’s schools.
Contact Us
Program Lead
Debbie Hollick
Sr. Academic Program Coordinator
Nancy Lauer
410-516-5245
soe-tdp@jhu.edu
Master of Science in Education – Educational Studies (Teach For America and TNTP)
At A Glance
Frequency
PART-TIME
Location
ONLINE
Credits
39
Start Term
FALL
Completion Time
2-5 YEARS
Application Deadline
Please see application requirements and deadlines
Application requirements and deadlines
| Master of Science in Education: Educational Studies - Teach For America and TNTP Collaboration Programs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment: | Part-Time | ||
| Start Term: | Fall | ||
| Fall 2023 Deadlines: | Application Completion Deadline* | Admission Notification | |
Priority Deadline | The application for Fall 2023 will open on December 1, 2022. May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2023 | |
| Final Deadline | June 15, 2023 | July 14, 2023 | |
| Application Requirements: | Online application form | ||
| Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended | |||
| Prospective applicants must first apply and be accepted to the TFA or TNTP Program. For more information, please visit the TFA or TNTP websites. | |||
| *Your application is considered complete once all required transcripts have been received by our admissions office. | |||
Tuition and fees
Tuition and fees are subject to change for ensuing academic years, and will be updated on the School of Education website accordingly.
| Master's Degree and Certificate Programs | |
|---|---|
| On-Site/Face-to-Face Graduate Education Courses (All master’s degree and graduate certificate programs except where listed below) | $918 per credit |
| Online Graduate Education Courses* (All master's degree and graduate certificate programs except where listed below) | $972 per credit + $20 per credit Technology Fee |
| Counseling On-Site/Face-to-Face Courses | $936 per credit |
| Counseling Online Courses | $991 per credit + $20 per credit Technology Fee |
| Digital Age Learning & Ed. Technology & Grad Cert. Technology Integration (DALET) - Online Courses | $991 per credit + $20 per credit Technology Fee |
| Education Policy Courses | $1,365 per credit (all formats, online or in-person) |
| M.Ed. Education in the Health Professions & Post-Master's Certificate in Evidence-Based Teaching in the Health Professions programs (MEHP) Courses | $1,452 per credit** **Classes in the Master of Education in the Health Professions (MEHP) or Post-Master's Certificate in Evidence-Based Teaching in the Health $1,452 per credit, except for Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System employees, who have assessed tuition at $850 per credit. |
| MS in Education International Teaching and Global Leadership Cohort Program | $50,400 Program Tuition + $1,500 Technology Fee |
Admissions Information
You could not have told me when I graduated from Johns Hopkins three years ago that today, I would stand before you as the 2019 D.C. Teacher of the Year and as one of four finalists for the 2019 National Teacher of the Year.
Kelly Harper, MS ’16
2012 Houston TFA cohort
Master of Science in Education – Educational Studies (Teach For America and TNTP)
Program Description
This rigorous and innovative two-year online master’s degree program for Teach For America (TFA) Corps members and alumni and TNTP alumni trains candidates to be reflective practitioners, data-driven decision makers, and passionate advocates for equity in our nation’s schools.
It is the only fully online, asynchronous program of its kind available nationwide and is led by nationally recognized faculty to train and empower future field leaders. Candidates select electives to focus on areas of personal interest advised by exceptional, established faculty.
The program provides ongoing mentoring, a broad network of Johns Hopkins alumni and peers, and the support necessary to flourish in graduate coursework while pursuing careers as teachers. Our TFA/TNTP graduates make a lasting impact on their students and communities.
The curriculum is based on current research in evidence-based instructional strategies and grounded in real-time, real-world practice. Courses include Seminar in Transformational Leadership and Teaching, Classroom Management, Effective Practices in Teaching and Learning, Teaching for Transformation, and Capstone.
*Note: This MS degree offered by the Johns Hopkins University School of Education does not award teacher certification or licensure.
Master of Science in Education – Educational Studies (Teach For America and TNTP)
PROGRAM PLAN
Prerequirements
The minimum eligibility requirements are:
- Be a full-time pre-K–12 teacher by the start of the academic year to which you are applying
- Have an undergraduate GPA of 2.65 or higher
- Be in good standing with TFA or TNTP
- TFA Corps members or alumni are eligible
- TNTP teachers are eligible after their first year of teaching
Coursework
The degree consists of 39 credit hours of coursework plus the portfolio capstone.
- 21 credit hours are focused on teaching pedagogy
- 9 credit hours are elective options
- 9 credits are waived for successful completion of TFA or TNTP summer training*
You will be provided with a suggested program plan, and you will work with your adviser to determine the course sequence that works best for you. Your long-term goals, current teaching placement, and program affiliation will determine your actual program plan.
*Students must provide proof of successful completion of TFA/TNTP summer training in order for these credits to be waived and to graduate.
Core courses: teaching pedagogy
- Seminar in Transformational Leadership and Teaching I–IV
- Classroom Management I–II
- Effective Practices in Teaching and Learning I–II
- Teaching for Transformation I–II
- Capstone
- Literacy Courses*
*Note: Baltimore, PG County, and ACPS students only.
Elective courses
Students will choose three elective courses to complete. Below is a sample list of electives that have been offered in past semesters. Students have a variety of electives to choose from, and this list is not exhaustive.
- Politics of Education
- Leading and Managing Change
- Human Development and Learning
- In the Age of Change: School Reform in the United States
- Introduction to Education Budgeting
- Introduction to Global Education Policy and Analysis
- Educational Alternatives for Students with Special Needs
- School Law
- Gaming and Media Design for Learning
- Data-Driven Decision-Making
- Technology Leadership for School Improvement
- Designing and Delivering Online and Blended Learning Environments
- The Social Context of Urban Education
Please note that enrollment in all courses is subject to availability.
Course Information
Course descriptions, locations, and availability
Master of Science in Education – Educational Studies (Teach For America and TNTP)
WHAT TO EXPECT
Curriculum
The MSEd program curriculum focuses on content that is meaningful, relevant, and authentic for teachers in a variety of school settings and regional locations throughout the country. The curriculum is aligned to research-based best practices, provides opportunities for critical thinking, collaboration, and reflection, and encourages candidates to apply their learning to their instructional practice.
The curriculum is organized by series of courses that candidates take throughout their time in the program:
- The Seminar in Transformational Leadership and Teaching series is made up of four courses. Each of the seminar courses allows for candidates to take a deep dive into three topics that impact classroom culture, curriculum, and instruction. The final session in each seminar course includes a focus on reflection and continuously increasing effectiveness.
- The Classroom Management series includes two courses where candidates explore how to refine their classroom culture and management strategies to support positive mindsets that lead students to reach their academic goals. Candidates learn how to include families and caretakers as active participants in their children’s education.
- The Effective Practices in Teaching and Learning series focuses on the most foundational ideas, strategies, and skill sets needed to be an effective educator. Candidates explore special education and how to plan for instruction that includes all students. Candidates learn and implement backwards planning and create and implement effective assessments.
- The Teaching for Transformation series teaches candidates how to integrate ideas of access and advocacy into their instruction. Candidates also dive into best practices for planning and instruction within their specific content area and grade band.
- There are also multiple opportunities for candidates to deepen their practice by selecting to take Literacy courses and program-approved electives.
Capstone
As the capstone of their degree, graduate candidates build a digital portfolio. This serves as a demonstration of a candidate’s understanding of the Transformational Teaching Paradigm outcomes and the InTASC Standards that guide and influence teaching.
Candidates enroll in an online course dedicated to the process of gathering artifacts and building a capstone portfolio. As graduate students, candidates have focused and continue to focus on developing a deeper understanding of their work in the classroom. Once candidates begin the Capstone course, they will spend several months creating a capstone. This is created in lieu of a master’s thesis and is based upon experiences from classroom teaching and graduate coursework.
Candidates will build the following sections, focused on the four Transformational Teaching Paradigm outcomes:
- Access
- Advocacy
- Culturally responsive teaching
- Dramatic academic growth
The capstone is a holistic reflection of candidates’ best work and their growth as teachers during their time in the program.
edTPA
edTPA is a performance-based, subject-specific assessment and support system used by teacher preparation programs throughout the United States to emphasize, measure, and support the skills and knowledge that all teachers need from their first day in the classroom.
edTPA is a subject-specific assessment that includes versions for 27 teaching fields, ranging from pre-kindergarten through high school. The assessment features a common architecture focused on three tasks: Planning, Instruction, and Assessment. For candidates in elementary placements, a content-specific fourth task may also be necessary.
edTPA requires aspiring teachers to demonstrate readiness to teach through lesson plans designed to support their students’ strengths and needs; engage real students in ambitious learning; analyze whether their students are learning; and adjust their instruction to become more effective. Teacher candidates submit unedited video recordings of themselves at work in a real classroom as part of a portfolio that is scored by highly trained educators in their content area. edTPA builds on decades of teacher performance assessment development and research regarding teaching skills and practices that improve student learning.
The edTPA course is a 16-week course designed to prepare and support candidates toward a successful edTPA submission. Candidates will be broken up into content-specific groups and assigned an edTPA facilitator. This facilitator will act as a content expert, provide high-level noncorrective feedback, and host various conferences to support positive academic outcomes.
Student outcomes
Upon successful completion of the MSEd degree, we expect each graduate will:
- Collaborate with colleagues on a variety of relevant topics.
- Develop awareness of current best practices in the field of education, including those related to teaching students with special needs.
- Apply course resources and learning to instructional practices and to colleague, student, and family partnerships.
- Plan and execute meaningful opportunities for students according to the principles of student access, advocacy, and the Habits of Mind.
- Demonstrate proficiency in topics including backward design, data analysis, differentiation, classroom management, family engagement, and Culturally Responsive Teaching.
- Engage in opportunities for meaningful reflection and commitment to continuous growth and ongoing development.
Master of Science in Education – Educational Studies (Teach For America and TNTP)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I apply transfer credits to this program?
Yes, but to transfer credits, the following requirements must be met:
- Credits must have been earned in the last five years;
- Student must have earned a B or better;
- A maximum of 6 credits can transfer;
- Credits must be related to education;
- Credits must have been taken at the graduate level.
Note: Graduate-level credits that were earned as part of a bachelor’s degree program cannot be transferred.
Do I have to teach in the same school for the duration of the program?
No, you just have to be teaching in a K–12 classroom full-time. You can be in any school—public, charter, private—in any location. Some of our students even teach internationally.
How many hours per week will I spend doing coursework?
This will vary, but you should expect to spend 3 hours per credit hour completing coursework per week. For example, a 3-credit hour course is about 9 hours of work each week. Keep in mind, our coursework is designed to complement the work you do as a teacher. Many of your assignments will be part of your typical work as a classroom teacher.
Can I use this degree to get a teacher or school administrator certification?
Teacher Certification: This program is a noncertification program—meaning that it does not lead to a teaching certificate. You should contact your state’s department of education to see what they require for certification and ask whether the coursework here is sufficient.
School Administrator Certification: Each state has different requirements for school administration certificates. You will need to contact your state’s department of education to determine whether this degree will meet the requirements to become a school administrator. It’s also useful to know that the School of Education offers an online school administration certificate program. Many TFA/TNTP students take courses from this program as electives and then go on to complete the certification program after earning their MSEd degree.
Is this degree only good for those who want to stay in the classroom?
No. Our alumni are doing all kinds of work after completing their degree. The ability to choose electives that align with your interests enables you to tailor the degree to your future goals. Here are some examples of what alumni are doing:
- Classroom teachers
- Principals and vice principals
- Medical school students
- Doctorate in education students
- Law school students
- White House fellows
- School district employees
- Education nonprofit founders
- Instructional coaches
- Instructors for our program