Master of Education (M.Ed.)
Where reflection, practice, and transformation meet.
The M.Ed. is a synchronous online program designed to enhance your practice by integrating coursework directly into your work with students. Choose the track that fits where you're headed:
- Curriculum and Instruction, for educators deepening their impact with the students they serve
- Educational Leadership, for those ready to lead from any role.
Both tracks culminate in our teacher action research sequence, where your own practice setting becomes your research site.
You do not need a teaching certificate to enroll. If you work with students, this degree is open to you: classroom teachers, counselors, paraprofessionals, school librarians, instructional aides, therapists, coaches, and educators in out-of-school and community settings.
At a Glance
- Modality: Online synchronous
- Completion: 2 years
- Who can apply: Anyone working with students
- Costs: State rate of $534 a credit
- Tracks:
Curriculum and Instruction (30 credits)
Educational Leadership (33 credits)
Free Classes
The final two courses in both tracks (EDUC 704 and EDUC 705) are free.
Many districts reimburse up to four courses per year. By offering the last two courses at no cost, we make it possible for you to complete your M.Ed. in two years without paying out of pocket.
M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction
For anyone who works with students and wants to sharpen their craft and build expertise in an area that matters to the young people they serve. You'll design your own coursework pathway, then turn your own practice into a site of inquiry.
Year One: Four Electives
Choose four electives tailored to your goals. Most students concentrate their electives in a single area building toward a certification, endorsement, or certificate.
Concentration options
| Concentration | Credential |
| Artificial Intelligence | PDE AI Endorsement (4 courses) |
| Autism K–12 | PDE Autism Endorsement (4 courses) |
| Instructional Design | Special topics sequence (4 courses) |
| K–12 Human Resources Leadership | Certificate (4 courses) |
| Spanish Language and Culture for Educators | Certificate (4 courses) |
| Embodied Learning: Yoga and Mindfulness | Yoga Alliance–approved certification (200-hour, 7 credits) |
| English as a Second Language (ESL) | PA ESL Specialist Certification (5 courses) |
| Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness | PDE SEBW Endorsement (5 courses) |
| Reading | PA Reading Specialist Certification (7 courses) |
| Special Education PK–12 | PA Special Education Certification (9 courses) |
| Art Education | Focus area for arts educators and those who want to integrate art (4 courses) |
Every concentration is open to you as elective coursework, PDE endorsements and certifications may require you to do field hours in the state of Pennsylvania.
The four-course concentrations fit within your M.Ed. electives exactly. Longer sequences, including ESL, SEBW, Reading Specialist, and Special Education, extend beyond four courses, so you may complete the remaining coursework alongside or after your degree. Your advisor will help you map a sequence that works.
Year Two: Action Research Sequence
The action research sequence gives you the chance to dig deeply into your own practice while learning the full toolkit of action research — the skills and habits of mind that will keep improving your teaching long after the program ends. The final semester culminates in a professional development session you design from your own research findings. After getting feedback from your peers and professors, you can pilot it in your district and make a lasting impact.
| Fall I | EDUC 504 – Historical and Theoretical Foundations of Education |
| Fall II | EDUC 506 – Teacher as Researcher |
| Winter | EDUC 701 – Writing a Review of Educational Research |
| Spring I | EDUC 702 – Reflective Practice Seminar |
| Spring II | EDUC 704 – Action Research Thesis (no cost) |
| Spring | EDUC 705 – Action Research Thesis (no cost) |
The last two courses are on us.
We cover the tuition for EDUC 704 and EDUC 705. Most districts reimburse four courses a year, and those final two put many students past that limit right when they're finishing their thesis. Picking up the tab at the end keeps the road to your degree seamless.
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership
For educators who want to lead from wherever they are. Instructional coaches, teacher leaders, department chairs, curriculum specialists, and aspiring principals all belong in this track. It builds your capacity to shape practice beyond your own classroom, whether or not a principal's office is where you're headed.
You earn your PK–12 Principal Certification along the way. The leadership coursework is fully aligned with Pennsylvania Department of Education standards and competencies and satisfies the course and internship requirements for Administrative I certification, so the credential is there when you want it.
Coursework is delivered synchronously online, with internship hours embedded in real school environments across all five courses. The leadership work you do for this program is work you do in your own school.
Year One: Leadership Coursework
| Summer I | EDUC 683 – Foundations of Educational Leadership |
| Fall I | EDUC 684 – Organizational Leadership |
| Fall II | EDUC 685 – Leadership for Learning |
| Spring I | EDUC 686 – Leading Diversity |
| Spring II | EDUC 687 – Educational Leadership Capstone |
These five courses carry the full coursework and internship requirements for Pennsylvania Administrative I (Principal) certification.
Year Two: Action Research Sequence
The action research sequence gives you the chance to dig deeply into your own practice while learning the full toolkit of action research — the skills and habits of mind that will keep improving your teaching long after the program ends. The final semester culminates in a professional development session you design from your own research findings. After getting feedback from your peers and professors, you can pilot it in your district and make a lasting impact.
| Fall I | EDUC 504 – Historical and Theoretical Foundations of Education |
| Fall II | EDUC 506 – Teacher as Researcher |
| Winter | EDUC 701 – Writing a Review of Educational Research |
| Spring I | EDUC 702 – Reflective Practice Seminar |
| Spring II | EDUC 704 – Action Research Thesis (no cost) |
| Spring | EDUC 705 – Action Research Thesis (no cost) |
The last two courses are on us.
We cover the tuition for EDUC 704 and EDUC 705. Most districts reimburse four courses a year, and those final two put many students past that limit right when they're finishing their thesis. Picking up the tab at the end keeps the road to your degree seamless.
Learn More
Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Bess Van Asselt
Director of Graduate Education
vanasseltb@moravian.edu
Educational Leadership
Dr. Randy Ziegenfuss
Professor of Practice
ziegenfussr@moravian.edu
