The Online Masters in Teaching Programs Guide

Online teaching degree programs focus on blending learning theory with hands-on, field-based teaching experiences. That emphasis mirrors the standards of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), which call for content and pedagogical knowledge, attention to equity, diversity and inclusion, and high-quality clinical practice. Prominent themes can include:

• Equity, diversity and inclusion in learning
• Incorporation of technology in the classroom, including the national or state approved technology standards that CAEP expects candidates to model and apply
• Instructional planning and assessment, which CAEP’s standards also address

Broadly speaking, learning goals focus on enabling students to build positive classroom environments to meet the challenges of today’s schools.

Advances in educational technology have made online programs better suited than ever for 21st-century learning. Built-in cameras and microphones in our computers, the ability to quickly and easily watch video, and online discussion boards and testing tools are all basic technologies that most people have access to, and strong online teaching degree programs put these technologies to good use.

Strong online master's in teaching programs should have the following:

• Live virtual classes
• Learning management systems
• Interactive course content
• Technical support
• Mobile access

Online Masters in Teaching Concentration Areas

Licensure is set state by state, the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement notes, so the grades and subject areas a certificate covers can differ. Confirm the grade range and subject areas for the state where you plan to teach.

Secondary Education

Earning your MAT in secondary education (also referred to as adolescent education) prepares students to become a middle school teacher or a high school teacher, with the specific grade levels depending on state licensure. Programs generally pair subject-area preparation with teaching methods and attention to how adolescents learn; CAEP’s standards call for content and pedagogical knowledge along with attention to equity, diversity and inclusion.

Secondary programs are commonly organized by subject area, such as English, social studies, science or mathematics. Each subject’s national teaching association publishes standards for preparing teachers, and they describe the content knowledge a program builds:

• English concentration: The NCTE standards for the initial preparation of teachers of English language arts 7–12 (2021) center content knowledge on literary and informational texts, composition, and language, including language acquisition, dialect and grammar, and they call for theoretical perspectives on each. Coursework in this track is typically organized around those areas, such as writing, literature, literary criticism and theory, and language study.
• Social studies concentration: The NCSS national standards for the preparation of social studies teachers expect candidates to know the concepts, facts and tools of civics, economics, geography, history and the social and behavioral sciences. Coursework in this track is typically organized around those disciplines, such as economics, history, American government and sociology, alongside social studies teaching methods.
• Science concentration: The NSTA/ASTE standards for science teacher preparation (2020) frame content knowledge around the fields a teacher is licensed to teach, along with crosscutting concepts and the practices of science and engineering. Science preparation may therefore focus on general science or be broken into specific content areas such as biology, earth science or physics, depending on the program and the state license.
• Mathematics concentration: The NCTM standards for the preparation of secondary mathematics teachers (2020) call for knowledge of number, algebra and functions, statistics and probability, geometry, trigonometry and measurement, calculus, and discrete mathematics. Coursework in this track is typically organized around those areas, such as calculus and probability.

Confirm with the program and your state licensing agency which license a subject track leads to.

Online MAT Curriculum

Coursework in an online teaching degree program is organized around grade level and subject area, such as multiple subject preparation for elementary education and subject-specific preparation like the concentration areas listed above. Because each program sets its own curriculum, ask how an online program’s coursework compares with its on-campus version.

A Master of Arts in Teaching degree is designed to equip students with the foundational knowledge, hands-on field experience and teaching strategies to plan and assess instruction and support learning for all students; CAEP’s standards call for candidates to assess, plan for instruction and use a variety of instructional strategies to provide equitable and inclusive learning experiences. Core coursework typically addresses areas such as:

• Learning and development
• Teaching methods and instructional strategies
• Assessment of student learning
• Inclusive classroom practices
• Classroom technology

Culminating requirements, such as a capstone or portfolio, vary by program.

Clinical practice is central to educator preparation. CAEP’s standards call for effective partnerships and high-quality clinical practice. Online MAT programs should therefore have offline components for students to gain practical experience, such as fieldwork and student teaching in a K-12 classroom, so plan for in-person time and travel to a school placement even when your coursework is online.

Disclaimer: Each online MAT program is unique, with the governing institution stipulating its own prerequisites, courses, hours, credit requirements, and other particulars. For information regarding a specific program, be sure to contact the administering school.

Online MAT Requirements

As mentioned above, while working educators can pursue their online masters in teaching degree, previous teaching experience is not always required. Admission requirements vary by school: programs typically ask applicants to hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, and each school sets its own prerequisites and application materials, so check the admissions page of each program you are considering. Our guide to applying for your master's in teaching walks through the application step by step.

Licensure and accreditation

Each jurisdiction keeps its own licensure requirements. Under the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement, member jurisdictions communicate their jurisdiction-specific requirements, and an educator’s license from one jurisdiction is not automatically exchanged for a license in another, so educators who move may have to meet additional requirements. Before you enroll, confirm that a program leads to licensure in the state where you want to teach. For help preparing for teacher licensing exams, see our guide to the Praxis tests.

Accreditation is also worth checking. CAEP describes accreditation as a voluntary peer-review process that assesses and enhances educational quality, and its accredited provider and recognized program search lets you look up providers.

Online or Traditional: Which Program is Right for You?

The answer to that question depends on a number of other questions: What are your current responsibilities and obligations? Are you able to quit your job to attend school or do you need to keep it? Do you have children or other family members whom you must be near? Do you have your heart set on a certain school or program? Are you comfortable using technology?

These are all questions to ask yourself when determining whether you should pursue your Master of Arts in Teaching online or on-campus, because neither can be the perfect answer for everyone.

Who Should Get an Online Masters in Teaching?

The benefits of an online teaching degree program include flexibility, convenience, and accessibility. Therefore, an online MAT is a strong fit for those students who are pressed for time, who want to access a program from a far-away campus or who can’t (or simply don’t want to) leave their professional or personal obligations to relocate for school. You can take online classes at home – or from your desk after work or your hotel on vacation – without commuting to campus for class. Online coursework does not remove in-person requirements, however: student teaching and fieldwork take place in a K-12 classroom, so budget time and travel for them and ask each program about its placement schedule. For the coursework portion of a program, the online format can be a strong fit for:

• Full-time workers, during online coursework;
• Parents who work or stay at home;
• Those who can’t relocate or commute to school;
• Those who live far from a desired program with an online component.

An online MAT may also allow students to obtain their degrees faster than otherwise possible at a traditional on-campus program. The logistics of commuting could force an on-campus student to pursue his or her degree part-time, while the flexibility and convenience of an online program could allow that same student to take a full-time course load. Program length varies by school and enrollment pace.

But again, that's not to say an online MAT program is right for everyone - there are a variety of factors that might lead to a traditional format making more sense for your education. Weighing a master of arts in teaching against a master of education? Our guide to MAT vs. MEd degrees compares the two.

Online MAT vs. Traditional MAT Coursework

A key difference between traditional and online MAT programs is the coursework experience. Depending on the program you enroll in, your experience will vary, but the best programs shouldn’t differ drastically in terms of their coursework. Much like the distinction between in-class assignments and homework in a traditional on-campus program, online programs can have synchronous and asynchronous elements.

• Synchronous elements require real-time interaction through tools like text chat, voice chat and video conferencing.
• Asynchronous elements can be addressed at your leisure, like reading documents, viewing presentations, listening to audio files or watching videos.

E-mails, discussion boards, social networks, collaborative documents and e-portfolios are also asynchronous elements. Like homework in a regular classroom, these offline components support the online curriculum. If your program holds live class sessions, you may be expected to have watched lectures and completed homework assignments beforehand so you’re ready to participate in discussions and other in-class activities.

Masters in Teaching Job Outlook and Salaries

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that 51 percent of public school teachers held a master’s degree as their highest degree in 2020–21, and that salary levels within states or districts are often set by years of experience and education credentials. Wondering whether the degree pays off? See our guide on whether a master of teaching is worth it.

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Paying for an online MAT

The U.S. Department of Education’s TEACH Grant Program provides grants to students in TEACH Grant-eligible programs who agree to teach in a high-need field at a school that serves low-income students. The Department’s May 2026 announcement lists a statutory maximum award of $4,000 and requires a 5.70 percent federal sequester reduction, which lowers the maximum award to $3,772 for TEACH Grants first disbursed on or after October 1, 2020 and before October 1, 2027.

Schools decide which of their programs are TEACH Grant-eligible, so ask the financial aid office at each school you consider. Recipients must sign an agreement to serve as a full-time teacher for at least four school years at a school or educational service agency that serves low-income students, teaching the majority of their classes in a high-need field, and to finish that service within eight years after they graduate from or otherwise stop being enrolled at the school where they received the grant.

If the service obligation is not met, all TEACH Grants the student received convert to Direct Unsubsidized Loans that must be repaid in full, with interest charged from the date of each disbursement; see the Department’s service and repayment terms. For other funding options, see our guide to scholarships for graduate teaching students.

Finding the Best Online Masters in Teaching Program For You

In searching for the best online MAT program for you, it’s important to take into account the degree type, the classroom setting, and the credit requirements necessary to complete the program. Check the licensure and accreditation points above before you compare programs, and use the table of online teaching degree programs below to browse options, confirming each program’s details with the school.