As Prestigious colleges and institutions have always trailed the State of California. The need for qualified educators throughout each level and in all specialties is always very strong in this state since it is the most populous state in the U.S. In California, where educator shortfalls are rising, a Master’s in Education could be the ideal complement to your résumé, making you a sought-after applicant.

A report by Learning Policy Institute shows that approximately 80% of all educational institutions in California are experiencing a shortage of teachers. As such, a Master’s degree in Education frequently equates to greater and more diversified work possibilities, more compensation for educators, and a direct gateway to fascinating professions in administration.

The on-campus, traditional and hybrid degree programs incorporate the benefits of a distance learning experience that guarantee a comfortable path to a master’s as students strive to address their professional standards. In this guide, we have collated California Masters In Education Degree Programs that are accredited and accessible to all students. Keep on reading!

What Are the Masters In Education Programs in California?

Master’s in Education degree programs are in three subcategories: Campus-based, Hybrid and Online.

Campus-Based Master’s In Education Degree Programs

California Lutheran University

Accreditation: National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education

The Postgraduate College of Education at California Lutheran University provides Master’s degree programs in these areas of study:

• Special Education with concentrations in Severe to Moderate Disabilities 
• Guidance and Counseling: Pupil Personnel Services
• Guidance and Counseling: College Student Personnel

The graduate program at the university also provides a Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership and a Master of Education degree in Teacher Leadership.

Azusa Pacific University

Accreditation: National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education

Azusa Pacific University provides various Master’s level programs for administrators, educators, and teachers. These major specialization areas are available for Master’s degree academic programs:

• Teaching English to Non-native Speakers
• Physical Education
• Educational Technology
• Educational Learning and Technology
• Educational Leadership
• Leadership
• Organizational and Leadership Studies
• Global Leadership
• Physical Education

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California State University, East Bay

California State University provides graduate degree programs for educators, teachers, and administrators. At the institution, four specialty areas are available for a Master’s in Education. These disciplines include; educational technology, reading instruction, curriculum, online learning and teaching.

Master of Science programs are also available in Educational Leadership, Special Education with concentrations in moderate to mild disabilities, Counseling with concentrations in school psychology, and school counseling.

San Diego State University

San Diego State University provides Master of Arts in Education degree programs in various specialization areas. Some of these are: 

• Special Education, Teaching
• Cultural Education, Reading Education
• Educational Technology
• Mathematics Education K-8
• Community Counseling
• Educational Leadership with concentrations in PK-12

San Francisco State University

San Francisco State University offers Post-Baccalaureate degree programs for professionals and teachers looking to advance their careers. The following specializations are available for the Master of Arts in Education degree offered by the institution:

• Elementary Education, Adult Education
• Social and Equity Justice in Education
• Instructional Technologies
• Literacy and Language Education
• Early Childhood Education
• Educational Administration

Master of Arts degree programs in English, Consumer and Family Sciences, Spanish, French, Art, Geography, German, Italian, History, Japanese, Mathematics, Psychology, Spanish, e.t.c., are also offered.

Loyola Marymount University

Loyola Marymount University provides many alternatives in Master’s degree programs for educators and teachers. They offer Master’s degree programs in the below areas of expertise:

• Elementary Education
• Secondary Education with concentrations in; English, Science, Mathematics
• Teaching Mathematics, Bilingual Education
• Intercultural, Leadership, and Biliteracy Education
• Teaching English as a Second Language
• Child and Adolescent Literacy, Language and Literacy Arts
• General Education/Educational Studies
• School Administration, Catholic School Administration
• Early Childhood Education

San Jose State University

San Jose State University may be the best choice for an instructor or educator pursuing a Master’s degree. The institution offers a master of arts programs available in the following fields of study:

• Art Education, History Education
• Kinesiology with Concentrations in Sports management, Athletic Training, Sports studies, Exercise Physiology
• Teaching English to Non-native Speakers
• Mathematics Education

Stanford University

Stanford University provides different Master’s programs that are appropriate for teachers and educators and teachers.

Stanford has created the Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP) for students aiming for preliminary teacher certification within California. The college offers Master’s degree programs in the following major areas of expertise:

• Art Education, History Education
• Teacher and curriculum Education with concentrations in Science, History, English, –Mathematics
• Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies
• International Comparative Education
• International Policy Analysis and  Educational Administration.

California State University

Accreditations: Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association,  National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education

California State University, Chico, offers numerous Master’s degree programs relevant to teachers and educators. Specialization areas for the program include communication sciences and disorders, curriculum and instruction, educational administration and leadership.

The University provides Master’s of Arts in Education and Master of Science degree programs in Agricultural Education, Mathematics, Nutritional Education, and Agricultural Education. 

Check Here: Best Masters in Education Degrees Nevada

University of La Verne

The University of La Verne offers many Master’s degree programs for educators and teachers. Master of Education programs are available in Educational Leadership, Advanced Teaching Skills, and Educational Leadership. 

Also, Master of Science degrees are obtainable in the following areas of specializations: Educational Counseling, Leadership and Management, School Psychology, etc.

University of the Pacific

Many Master’s program options are available to teachers and educators at the University of the Pacific. The college provides Master’s degree programs in curriculum and instruction, music therapy, sports sciences, educational administration and leadership (with a specialization in student affairs).

Sonoma State University

Sonoma State University offers a range of Master’s degree programs in the following concentrations: History, Psychology, Organizational Development, and Kinesiology. In addition, there are Master’s in education programs in Early Childhood Education, Educational Leadership, Reading and Language, and Special Education.

California colleges and private institutions that provide online or hybrid Master’s degree programs in Education include:

Umass Global (Formerly Brandman University)

Umass Global offers online Master’s degree training to education professionals looking to enhance their career paths in various disciplines. Several degree options are available through online programs and on-campus locations in California through Brandman’s School of Education. 

Candidates may specialize in one of these fields to obtain a Master of Arts in Education disciplines; Educational Leadership, Teaching and Learning, and Early childhood education.

Meridian University

Meridian’s hybrid educational learning format integrates online courses to deliver a cutting-edge curriculum to students pursuing a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. The program aids in enabling students to obtain their graduate education at a relaxed pace.

California Baptist University

California Baptist University offers Master’s in Education programs through its online learning platform that prepares students to advance their professions as administrators, teachers, curriculum developers, counselors, and leaders in diverse educational settings.

University of Phoenix

The University of Phoenix offers campus and online education degree programs to candidates or professionals from different academic and cultural backgrounds. On completion of programs, learners will obtain a Master of Arts in Education degree in one of the following concentrations:

• Elementary Teacher Education
• Administration and Supervision
• Special Education
• Adult Education and Training

Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology offers online and hybrid programs to help students obtain a prestigious graduate degree through a combination of excellent live-streamed lectures with practical training.

Pepperdine education curriculum educates graduates for professions in fields including clinical psychology, family and marriage therapy.

Concordia University – Irvine

Concordia University offers online and campus-based graduate education degree programs in leadership and undergraduate majors in liberal studies. The School of Education at Concordia has always prioritized preparing qualified teachers.

The following Master of Arts in Education (MAED) degrees with some of the following emphases are available at the institution: Educational Administration, Curriculum and Instruction, and School Counseling.

Teachers College of San Joaquin

Teachers College provides Masters in Education (M.Ed.) degree programs via the institution’s distance learning platform. The college offers three M.Ed. concentrations: Special Education, Environmental Literacy, and Early Education. Graduates pursuing these programs must complete a capstone assignment for their project before being awarded a master’s certificate.

During the program, candidates are to think about and create new school concepts, do action research, construct curricula, refine their leadership abilities, and evaluate the results of their work.

Humphreys University

Humphrey’s University Master of Arts in Education online program is fully designed majorly for respective working adults, without the need for coming to receive lectures on campus. Graduates enrolled in the education program will learn how to;

• Create initiatives to collect information to address issues or provide answers to research questions
• Collect data, evaluate it, and use it in educational settings
• Evaluate theoretical ideas in Education and explain how theory influences practice.

Trident University International

Trident University offers an online Master of Arts in Education academic program to undergraduates willing to advance in their profession. The Master of Arts in Education coursework instills in learners the core knowledge to understand and apply relevant organizational management, learning, and leadership theory.

Trident provides Master’s education concentrations in the following areas:

• Curriculum and Instruction
• Aviation Education
• Higher Education Leadership
• Secondary/Elementary Education Administration and Leadership
• Adult Education
• Athletics Administration

On completion of the program, graduates will be able to:

• Develop analytical and research skills to identify issues in the field of Education and provide solutions
• Implement practices and theories that support collaborative communication, innovative leadership, and student performance in the classroom.

The Master’s University and Seminary

TMU offers an online Master of Education degree in Teaching program to help students grow professionally as teachers and be prepared to incorporate the Bible into every classroom element. The M.Ed. curriculum is structured for graduates either working as teachers or not.

The coursework cuts across educational leadership, educational technology, philosophy and history of Education, classroom management, e.t.c.

Western Governors University (WGU)

Accreditation:  Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)

WGU provides an online Masters in Education (M.Ed.) degree in Learning and Technology intended for professionals or qualified teachers who want to expand their knowledge base and improve their technology integration expertise. The robust curriculum will educate students on how to improve education and training outcomes through the appropriate use of technology tools to facilitate learning, teaching, and performance boost initiatives. Graduates will also gain expertise in both technology and Education.

The institution also offers:

• M.Ed. in Instructional Design
• M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction
• M.S. in Educational Leadership

Walden University

Walden University offers a hybrid online master’s in Higher Education that will enable students to have the chance to collaborate with and learn from a dynamic community of problem solvers, critical thinkers, and innovators as a part of the academic program. Learners will develop a broad range of skills that will help them remain on top of changes in this area of specialization.

The Master’s program prepares teachers for diverse positions and possibilities in professional development and postsecondary education. Specializations obtainable in this course include:

• Adult Learning
• Global Higher Education
• College Teaching and Learning

University of South Carolina

The University of South Carolina offers an online Masters in Education (M.Ed.) degree in Educational Leadership & policies. The program trains revolutionary (innovative) candidates in a range of informal and formal leadership positions at the school level. These positions include principal leadership, instructional leadership, and teacher leadership. Graduates will greatly understand how to lead a PK-12 school setting.

The institution also awards Masters of Education (M.Ed.) in the following areas;

• Education Administration
• Educational Psychology and Research
• Teaching
• Special Education

Notre Dame de Namur University

Notre Dame provides an online Masters of Arts in Education program to aspiring educators or teachers. The coursework emphasis is on curriculum and instruction. Through enhanced teaching techniques, program planning, instructional evaluation and design, the graduate program seeks to increase prospective teachers’ tendency to strengthen social justice in their communities and schools.

Middlebury Institute of International Studies

Middlebury Institute offers a Master of Arts degree in International Education Management (IEM) via its hybrid and online learning platform, which is created for optimum flexibility to cater to the needs of teachers/professionals that want to further advance in their careers. The coursework cuts across:

• International Education Assessment
• Comparative International Education
• Language Studies and Intercultural Competence
• Higher Education Administration
• Global Education and Technology

University of Redlands

The University of Redlands provides an online Master of Arts degree in Education to cater to the needs of professionals or educators working within the immediate community for governmental, educational, or nonprofit organizations that assist those in need. Graduates of the program will learn to identify various academic and social injustices and act as advocates for the marginalized and neglected.

The institution also offers a Master of Arts degree in Learning and Teaching that prepares professionals to educate students with moderate to mild disabilities in a private or public K-12 setting.

Westcliff University

Westcliff University provides a Master of Arts degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA TESOL) and a Doctor of Education in Curriculum, Leadership, and Instruction (EdD) via its hybrid and innovative online learning platform. Students will use the most recent educational technologies to sharpen their analytical and writing abilities, perform linguistic analysis, and learn about the most current curriculum developments.

Before completing the curriculum, candidates will be trained for various educational environments and jobs through the programs’ practical exposure and assignments.

Alliant International University (AIU)

AIU offers offers a Master of Arts degree in Education via its hybrid (on-campus) and online learning platform to students within the country. The curriculum is well structured to offer students a wealth of learning opportunities that will equip them with the knowledge and abilities to effectively manage educational initiatives, conduct action research, and work as experts in advanced learning communities.

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Biola University

Biola University provides an online/hybrid Master of Arts degree in Education. It’s a graduate degree emphasizing research and equips students to work in various academic environments. For learners or educators that want to pursue graduate study in a doctoral school or work in educational leadership, this program is a great fit for you because of its focus on theory, professional writing, and research.

Note: The program can be finished online or with a mix of on-campus courses, based on your area of concentration.

The institution offers concentrations in;

• Early childhood education
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Special Education (Moderate/Mild)

California Polytechnic State University

California Polytechnic offers a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction to meet the demands of aspiring learners through its hybrid and online learning platform. The program will help community college educators gain the in-depth knowledge and skills with research-based teaching methods required to support P.K.–16 students’ development and instill literacy practices required to fulfill 21st-century needs.

A focus of the program is to establish a productive learning environment for participants based in universities and schools, with the shared objective of improving teaching practices to support student learning.

Final Thoughts

Many online and hybrid graduate degree education programs have made getting a master’s degree simpler and more accessible. California’s Master’s in Education can help you enhance your abilities in areas like policy and administration. Through the institutions above, you can obtain your first teaching certification in the state to have additional qualifications for your teaching career. Good Luck in your pursuits!