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Student teaching one-on-one in elementary school setting.

Elementary Education, M.S.

McDaniel’s Master’s in Elementary Education is a program for certified teachers who want to add to their professional toolkit and earn a master’s degree from one of the best colleges in Maryland.

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Degree Types
Master's
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Program Cost
$552 per credit
Key
Format
Online
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Total credits
33

About the Program

Tailored To Your Goals, Your Life

The 33-credit program offers the opportunity to work one-on-one with the program coordinator to self-design an academic plan that meets your individual professional needs. You’ll be encouraged to select an academic focus from a variety of McDaniel certificate programs and will have the ability to combine them to create a unique plan of study. You will also have the option to add endorsements to your teaching certificate, including:

  • Administrator I Certification
  • Elementary Math Instructional Leader
  • Gifted and Talented Education Specialist (GATES)

Why McDaniel for Elementary Education

You're looking to become a master teacher. We’ve designed our program to make sure it meets the needs of today’s best educators.

  • Reputation. McDaniel’s programs in education are respected across Maryland and the region.
  • Convenience. Courses are offered at times convenient for working adults, both in-person and online.
  • Flexibility. The self-designed course of study means you’ll get personalized guidance to build a program that meets your unique professional goals.
Official seal of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP)

McDaniel College is a member in good standing of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), a national accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The Master of Science in Elementary Education program has been awarded initial accreditation status by AAQEP through June 30, 2029. Accreditation acknowledges that a program prepares effective educators who continue to grow as professionals and has demonstrated the commitment and capacity to maintain quality.

What You Need to Know About the M.S. in Elementary Education

Admissions Requirements

Candidates must submit:

  • Application for graduate study (online) here. 
  • Official transcripts conferring bachelor’s degree (minimum of 3.00 GPA*) from an accredited institution; graduate transcripts if applicable.
  • Copy of a Teaching Certificate - Maryland State Department of Education Standard Professional Certificate (SPC I or SPC II). Students with Professional Eligibility Certification or evidence of completion of teacher preparation program and passing Praxis II scores can be accepted in lieu of teacher certification.  Teachers who hold a license or certification from states outside of Maryland must also provide a copy of their teaching certificate.  Students holding provisional or conditional teacher certification would not be eligible for this program. Provisional or conditional certificate holders should discuss program options with the Graduate and Professional Studies office.

Please note: Students who have a 2.75 to 2.99 GPA may be admitted provisionally and will be required to maintain a 3.0 GPA in the first 9-12 credit hours. Students with less than a 2.75 GPA will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis for provisional admission but may be required to provide additional documentation and/or participate in an interview. Admission may also come with additional conditions.

This program does not lead to initial teacher certification.  Students wishing to pursue initial teacher certification should consider the MS in Teaching, MS in Special Education or MS in Education of the Deaf programs.

Degree Requirements

  • Successful completion of 33 credit hours with a minimum GPA of 3.00
  • Successful completion of an individually developed capstone project.

See Program Requirements below for focus area options.

State Authorization & Professional Licensure

Program Requirements

33 credits

  • Core Courses
  • Specialization Courses
  • Elective Courses
  • Capstone Experience

Choose a Course of Study from 1 of the following Specializations:

Administrator I

  • Core Courses
    • ITL-502
    • ETM-521
  • Specialization Courses
    • EDL-502
    • EDL-504
    • EDL-505
    • EDL-540
    • ITL-509
  • Elective Courses
    • 9 credits to be chosen from graduate courses in education
  • Capstone Course
    • EDL-552

Equity & Excellence in Education

  • Core Courses
    • ITL-502
    • ETM-521
  • Specialization Courses
    • ETM-501
    • ETM-511
    • ETM-525
  • Elective Courses
    • 15 credits to be chosen from graduate courses in education
  • Capstone Course
    • EDU-551

Elementary Math Instructional Leader (EMIL)

  • Core Courses
    • ITL-502
    • ETM-521
  • Specialization Courses
    • MAT-501
    • MAT-502
    • MAT-520
    • EDU-542
    • EDU-559
    • EDL-504
  • Elective Courses
    • 6 credits to be chosen from graduate courses in education
  • Capstone Course
    • MAT-598

Generalist

  • Core Courses
    • ITL-502
    • ETM-521
  • Elective Courses
    • 24 credits to be chosen from graduate courses in education
  • Capstone Course
    • EDU-551

Gifted and Talented Education Specialist (GATES)

  • Core Courses
    • ITL-502
    • ETM-521
  • Specialization Courses
    • GFT-501
    • GFT-502
    • GFT-503
    • GFT-504
    • GFT-505
  • Elective Courses
    • 9 credits to be chosen from graduate courses in education
  • Capstone Course
    • GFT-552

Innovations in Teaching & Learning (ITL)

  • Core Courses
    • ITL-502
    • ETM-521
  • Specialization Courses
    • ITL-504
    • ITL-508
    • ITL-509
    • ITL-510
  • Elective Courses
    • 9 credits to be chosen from graduate courses in education, including National Board Certification courses.
  • Capstone Courses
    • ITL-516
    • ITL-602

Learning Technologies Specialist

  • Core Courses
    • ITL-502
    • ETM-521
  • Specialization Courses
    • ITL-508
    • LTS-502
    • LTS-504
    • LTS-520
    • SLM-508
  • Elective Courses
    • 9 credits to be chosen from graduate courses in education
  • Capstone Course
    • EDU-551

Special Education

  • Core Courses
    • ITL-502
    • ETM-521
  • Specialization Courses
    • SED-500
    • SED-501
    • SED-502 or -511
    • SED-504
    • SED-507
  • Elective Courses
    • 9 credits to be chosen from graduate courses in education
  • Capstone Course
    • EDU-551

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

  • Core Courses
    • ITL-502
    • ETM-521
  • Specialization Courses
    • TSL-500
    • TSL-503
    • TSL-510
    • TSL-532
    • TSL-535
  • Elective Courses
    • 9 credits to be chosen from graduate courses in education
  • Capstone Course
    • EDU-551

Writing for Children & Young Adults

  • Core Courses
    • ITL-502
    • ETM-521
  • Specialization Courses
    • WRT-501
    • WRT-503
    • WRT-505
    • WRT-507
    • WRT-510
  • Elective Courses
    • 9 credits to be chosen from graduate courses in education
  • Capstone Course
    • EDU-551

Find Out More

Discover more about this program and others at one of our monthly, virtual open houses!  

Register

Apply

This program begins in Fall, Spring, and Summer. 

Start Your Application

Program Coordinator

Steven Johnson
(410) 386-4672

Email the Coordinator

Advancing Your Career

The Elementary Education Program prepares certified teachers to:

  • Expand your teaching repertoire and content knowledge
  • Add endorsements to your existing teaching certificate
  • Increase opportunities within your school district

Top Alumni Skills

Our alumni report having developed the following skills following the completion of their program:

  • Curriculum Development
  • Lesson Planning
  • Educational Technologies
  • Differentiated Instruction
  • Instructional Design
Pat Dorsey M.Ed. '83

2025 Bailer Award Recipient Patricia S. Dorsey M.Ed. '83

2025 recipient of the Joseph R. Bailer Award, Patricia S. Dorsey M.Ed. '83 has had a long career in education in Carroll County. She was a student in Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) from sixth through 12th grade, began teaching in CCPS in 1972 after completing a bachelor’s degree from Morgan State University. She graduated with a Master of Education degree from McDaniel in 1983. She went on to earn a Doctor of Education from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1999, and continued to work for CCPS until 2011 as an elementary classroom teacher, Title I resource teacher, assistant principal, and principal.

After retiring from the public school system, she was a field assessment coordinator and field assessment administrator for National Assessment of Educational Progress Westat, which provided data collection and assessment services in support of the Education Department’s efforts to track student achievement. 

Since 2018, she has served as a member of the Carroll County Board of Education and has actively contributed to various committees with the Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE).

The Joseph R. Bailer Award was established by the family of Dr. Bailer, one of the college’s most highly respected career educators, and is presented annually to a McDaniel College master’s degree recipient who has made a significant contribution to the field of education.

Read about the 2025 alumni award winners at McDaniel.
2024 Bailer Award Melissa Couillard

2024 Bailer Award Recipient Melissa Couillard M.S. ’13

Melissa Couillard M.S. '13, 2024 recipient of the Joseph R. Bailer Award, earned teacher certification from the college in 1994 and went on to earn a master’s degree in Elementary Education with Elementary Math Instructional Leader Certification. She put her McDaniel degrees into action, serving as an elementary mathematics resource teacher for Carroll County Public Schools since 2006. 

From 2003 to 2005, she worked part time providing support to the elementary mathematics department in Carroll County Public Schools then taught fifth grade STEM at Mount Airy Elementary School for one year before taking on her current role. She also taught at McDaniel as an adjunct lecturer for one semester in August 2018.

Couillard holds Maryland State Department of Education certificate endorsements as an elementary mathematics instructional leader and in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

Read about the 2024 alumni award winners at McDaniel.

Related Programs

Reading Specialist: Literacy Leadership, M.S.

Find Out More

Discover more about this program and others at one of our monthly, virtual open houses!  

Register

Apply

This program begins in Fall, Spring, and Summer. 

Start Your Application

Program Coordinator

Steven Johnson
(410) 386-4672

Email the Coordinator
McDaniel College
2 College Hill
Westminster, MD, 21157
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