Maryland got so close to the top 10 best states for education, and according to U.S. News the state of Maryland ranks 11th. If you live in Maryland you already know that the state is full of interesting history, quaint towns, and scenic views. Maryland is home to a vibrant and charming city- Baltimore the home of one of the best universities in the world- Johns Hopkins University. Not to mention, Maryland is home to some other fantastic schools including their flagship institution, University of Maryland, the United State Naval Academy, Saint Johns College, McDaniel, and dozens of others. Maryland is full of opportunity, has great access to health care and other social services, is the number one state for household income. Maryland also ranks 11th best state for teacher salary with the average teacher making around $64,000 per year. Across the Beltway, you have access to Washington D.C.- a cultural curiosity in its own right, and a great place to head for the free museums, memorials and insights into culture. The Eastern Shore is practically a separate state and is filled with gorgeous little boating towns, and delicious seafood. If you are looking for a quality place to teach with a ton of opportunity and culture, Maryland may just be the hidden gem you were hoping for.
Requirements for Teaching Licensure
in Maryland
The “traditional” route to certification in Maryland involves four main steps:
1.) Complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Education
For the most traditional route towards certification, complete a bachelor’s degree in education. Usually, a bachelor’s degree in education requires about 120 credit hours of general education courses, education courses, electives, and practicum experience. Though in Maryland, those pursuing secondary education may be required to fulfill about additional credit hours for employment. The common curriculum usually aligns with state certification requirements, including both theory and practicum. We suggest you check the General Education Requirementsf for the University of Maryland.
2.) Complete a State-Approved Teacher Certification Program
Maryland teachers must complete an education preparation that has been approved by the Maryland State Board of Education. A “state-approved” teacher preparation program means working in an educational facility- typically a public school with a supervisor. Essentially it’s like having supervised on-the-job training before you are actually on the job. Teacher preparation programs are an important step into the field of education. Here you will gain exposure to the school system, learn how to work with a team, and learn how to put education theory into practice. Here’s a great resource for certifications areas in the state of Maryland.
3.) Pass the State-Mandated Exams
The Maryland exam requirements include the Pre Professional Skills Test, and the Praxis II exam.
Are you finished with your bachelor’s in education, teacher preparation, and exams? Here’s a helpful checklist to ensure you have everything in order for licensure:
- Complete a Background Check
- Demonstrate Proof of Degree Completion with Official Transcripts
- Demonstrate Proof of Teacher Preparation Completion
- Provide Passing Scores for State-Mandated Exams
- Complete an Application for Teacher Certification in the State of Maryland
- Pay a non-refundable Certification Processing Fee
If you have a bachelor’s degree in an area other than education or are simply looking for other methods that lead to licensure check out these alternative routes to certification for the state of Maryland.
Online Education Program Admission Requirements
Every school varies when it comes to admission and furthermore, admission requirements will differ depending on whether or not you are looking to complete an undergraduate or graduate degree. Let’s first take a look at general admission requirements for a bachelor’s degree in education at the University of Maryland
Generally speaking in order to gain admission to a bachelor’s degree in education you must have a high school diploma or have passed a GED with an acceptable GPA. College entrance exams like the ACT and SAT are still very common and score requirements vary per institution. In general, the application requirements include the application itself, the 2 or 3 letters of recommendations, an entrance essay demonstrating how you are good fit with the institution and occasionally an interview.
Admissions into a master’s program also varies but many require: a bachelor’s degree with least a 2.75 GPA, 2 years of teaching experience, 2-3 letters of recommendation from academic and professional supervisors, written essays of intent/ demonstrated passion and desire to attend program, and a GRE score. It’s important to check with your institution as some schools do not require a GRE score. If English is not your first language you must complete a TOEFL exam with a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based TOEFL.
Average Salaries
For Common Educator Roles in Maryland
- Preschool Teacher:$32,485
- Primary School Educator:$56,534
- Secondary School Educator: $65,930
- Higher Education Administrator:$143,276
- Principal:$108,872
- Special Education Teacher:$74,610
- Math or Science High School Teacher:$77,850
- ESL Teacher:$47,702
- School Psychologist:$75,780
Scholarships for Future Educators in the State of Maryland
Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship
Regina C. Williams Memorial Scholarship
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
The 5 Best Online Education Degree
Providers in Maryland
Maryland has a total of 8 education degree-granting institutions that provide online education degrees. These range from community colleges offering associates in early childhood development or human services, to nationally ranked universities that offer a wide spread of masters level and education endorsement-level programming. While future students may want to go to the “best” online institution in their state for education degrees, they should take some to double check what exact degrees are offered by their institution of choice at the directory of all online education degrees at the bottom of the page. To select the following top five universities, we’ve looked at two factors: the number of fully online education degrees offered by an institution, and an “academic prestige” score. The academic prestige score takes into account metrics such as average amount of financial need received, average class sizes, admissions standards, and the percentage of faculty holding terminal degrees in their field. Also note that the tuition numbers below are just indicators of relatively how expensive or affordable a college is. The tuition numbers below, specifically, are the in-state (where applicable) undergraduate yearlong tuition rates for education degrees. Many universities, however, have similar tuition rates at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Johns Hopkins University (JHU) is a private research university located in Baltimore, Maryland. There are 23,917 students enrolled, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education accredits JHU to award bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s degrees as well as professional certifications. According to U.S. News JHU ranks as the 11th best school in the nation, 19th best value school, 5th best school for high school counselors, 2nd best for biomedical, and 10th best for its global university ranking. JHU is renowned for its medical, engineering, mathematics, and other sciences programming. However, over the years JHU has ranked highly for its education programming. In fact, students may find education degrees that range from elementary education to urban education and leadership and everything in between. No matter what your area of interest, a degree from JHU is a phenomenal opportunity.
JHU offers a number of high quality online degrees in education. There are five graduate certifications available for a wide-range of individuals including parents, current educators and supervisors. The certifications are generally 15-18 credit hours in length and focus on technology, autism, as well as mind brain, and teaching. There are three Master’s of Science programs including the TNTP program in with a focus on educational studies. This program is designed for individuals who are interested in teaching in low-income communities. Along with the school of education, the school of Business, Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health offers their Master of Education in the Health Professions. This program is a great fit for individuals looking to become educators in the field of health. There are two foci: Educational Research in Health Professions and Educational Leadership in the Health Professions. The certifications programs are as follows:
- Evidence-Based Teaching in the Health Professions
- Leadership in Technology Integration
- Mathematics Instructional Leader PreK-6
- Mind,Brain, and Teaching
- School Administration and Supervision
- STEM Instructional Leader PreK-6
- Education of Students with Autism and Other Pervasive Developmental Disorders
As you can see, JHU has played to their strengths and offered a number of highly technical and practical options for future educators.
McDaniel College is a private liberal arts university located in Westminster, Maryland. There are 2,750 students enrolled, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education accredits McDaniel to award bachelor’s and master’s degree as well as post-baccalaureate certificates. According to U.S. News McDaniel ranks as the 134th best National Liberal Arts Colleges, and 157th for best online graduate education programs. To support their students, the university offers remedial services, academic counseling, career counseling, and credit for life experience. The academic offerings are what you might hope to find at a small liberal arts college and include programming in psychology, philosophy, foreign language, and education. Currently, the university offers 9 online degrees. Most of their online program are in the field of education.
McDaniel College offers a series of online graduate degrees in education. There are three master’s degrees available and two graduate certificates. The online master’s degree focus on: TESOL, Curriculum and Instruction, and School Librarianship. The Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction is a good fit for educators in a wide range of settings including public and private schools as well as organization. The featured courses include differentiation and technology, curriculum analysis and planning, and a seminar in curriculum and instruction. The school librarianship program is a 37-credit hour master’s degree that does meet the PK-12 certifications requirements for MSDE as a library specialist. For those interested in working the aging population, McDaniel does offer a graduate certificate as well as a Master of Science in Gerontology.
Morgan State University is a public 4-year institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. This Historically Black College was founded in 1876. There are 7,689 students enrolled, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 13:1. The Middle State Commission on Higher Education accredits Morgan State to award bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s degrees as well as post-baccalaureate certifications. According to U.S. News Morgan State ranks as the 231st best university in the nation, 16th best historically black college, and 224th for best online graduate education programs.To support student success Morgan State offers remedial services, academic and career counseling services, and credit for life experience. The academic offerings are wide-ranging including programming architecture, journalism, accounting, education, and museum studies. Morgan State currently offers 10 online degrees.
Morgan State offers two online degrees in education: an online Master’s Degree in Community College Administration and Instruction, and an online doctoral program in Community College Leadership. The doctoral degree requires just 3 years for completion. Students may access information 24/7. The pace is fast-requiring 3 or 4 courses per semester where each course is 5 weeks in length for a total of 21 courses. You will learn about leadership and administration in community college, contemporary issues in community college, finance and budgeting, legal aspects of education, and more. This program culminates with a dissertation. The master’s degree is a great option for anyone looking to explore their options in higher education as this program offers two areas of concentration: student affairs and administration. The administration concentration focuses on politics of higher education, legal aspects of education, and the learning college. The student affairs focus centers its programming around student development. This online master’s degree culminates with an internship and a practicum experience.
Stevenson University is a private 4-year institution located in Stevenson, Maryland. There are 4,122 students enrolled, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 14:1. The Middle State Commission on Higher Education accredits Stevenson University to award bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as post-baccalaureate certificates. U.S. News ranks Stevenson as the 86th best university in the region, 45th best value school, and 107th for best online bachelor’s programs. The university offers the full gamut of student support services including remedial support, academic counseling, career counseling, employment for students, and credit for life experiences. The majority of academic offerings focus on fields like business, education, and biology. Though there are a handful of liberal arts and sciences programs available. Stevenson currently offers 14 online degrees including their online bachelor’s in business/ corporate communications, online master’s in speech communication and rhetoric, and online bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Stevenson University offers two online master’s degrees in education and two certificates in education.The certifications are in community-based education and leadership, and literacy in education.The certification in community-based education is a good opportunity for individuals looking to expand their understanding and expertise in the field of education. Whether a non-profit leader or teacher in an informal setting, this certification provides its students with the frameworks necessary for quality education. You will learn about socio-political and cultural influences on families, community-based education, community engagement and leadership, innovation, youth, emotional development, and so much more. For those who want to take it further, there’s also a Master of Science in Community-based education. Their Master of Arts in Teaching program is designed for individuals who have a math or science bachelor’s degree and are looking to move into a teaching career. This online degree does lead to initial teacher licensure and is a great fit for anyone looking to move into a teacher career .
University of Maryland University College (UMUC) is a public institution located in Adelphi, Maryland. There are 57,529 students enrolled, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 20:1. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education accredits UMUC to award associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s degrees as well as professional certifications This is a great option for nontraditional learners. UMUC offers online degrees for both undergraduate and graduate students alike. There are a currently over 90 online degrees offered through UMUC including their online associate’s in liberal arts and online doctorate in commerce.
UMUC offers a number of graduate-level degrees and certifications in the field of education. Students may pursue a master’s degree in distance education and e-Learning, Instructional Technology, Learning Design and Technology, and Teaching. The certifications focus on technology in education and include Instructional Technology Integration, and Learning Design and Technology. The focus appears to be on teaching with technology. The Distance Education and E-Learning master’s degree requires 36 credit hours for completion and focuses on course material like: Learner Support, Technology involved with Distance Education, Teaching and Learning in Online Distance Education, Library and Intellectual Property Issues in Distance Education, as well as the Business of Distance Education and E-Learning. This program culminates with a capstone experience.
