A teacher accompanies a group of several elementary students as they walk outside in a single-file line.

Diversity and Student Resilience (M.Ed.)

In York College of Pennsylvania’s online Master of Education (MEd) in Diversity and Student Resilience graduate degree program, you’ll build the skills needed to help students overcome the many nonacademic factors that affect learning.

In this fully online MEd program with a focus on equity and social justice topics, you’ll develop the tools to create and maintain an inclusive learning environment in today’s complex world. Through convenient online courses and flexible part- and full-time options, you’ll study issues from child and adolescent mental health, social and cultural competence, social and emotional learning needs, structural inequity in education, and policy and reform.

Discover an interactive and engaging online format that positions educators to become informed practitioners that make a difference in their community and apply for the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)’s Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness endorsement credential.

Apply Today Request Information
Four young elementary students watch as their teacher stands at the front of a classroom, reading a book with the illustrations facing outward.

Learn More About the MEd Focus on Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion

  • Key Courses

    Online MEd in Diversity and Student Resilience Requirements and Courses

    A program that transcends disciplines, the online Master of Education in Diversity and Student Resilience degree equips educators to address inequity and discrimination that derive from systemic factors ranging from the level of ability to ethnicity to religion.

    The master’s in educational equity pathway is a 33-credit online graduate program that balances educational theory, project management, research, and specialized training that develops informed and empowered professionals. Held entirely online, courses you may take include:

    • MED 503: Curriculum Trends and Issues
    • MED 580: Structural Inequity in Education
    • MED 584: Education Policy and Reform
    • MED 586: Social and Cultural Responsiveness
    • MED 592: Research Seminar in Diversity and Resilience

    Gain Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness Endorsement From the Pennsylvania Department of Education

    Upon completion of the online program covering educational equity and diversity at York of PA, students will have met the academic requirements to pursue a specialized endorsement in Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

    Demonstrate your elevated capabilities to teach and lead in complex classroom situations with this specialized credential. It opens career opportunities as an educator and positions you to take on new projects in your school, organization, or community.

    Youth Resilience Online Certificate

    If you’re interested in enhancing your abilities in the field of youth resilience and emotionally and culturally responsive approaches to teaching, the Youth Resilience Certificate alone allows you to pursue the same PDE endorsement in a truncated format.

    Consisting of 12 credits, the Youth Resilience Certificate is flexible and entirely online, just like the complete master’s program.

    Learn how to advance your career with the standalone post-master’s certificate in Youth Resilience.

    Earn a Master of Education in Diversity and Student Resilience Online With York College of Pennsylvania

    The online master’s in Diversity and Student Resilience education degree program at York College challenges educators to address the root causes of inequity and transform their expertise into actionable change that elevates the learning experiences of all students.

    Get closer to helping students in the most meaningful ways. Request information about the Diversity and Student Resilience master of education program, or begin your application.

  • Career Opportunities & Benefits

    Equity in Education Program Career Outcomes

    Gain skills to amplify the learning of all kinds of students as an educator who knowledgeably confronts the nonacademic challenges impacting equity and inclusion. Candidates become empowered to earn higher salaries, become peer mentors and leaders, and collaborate with administration to begin DEI initiatives that promote the well-being of students and other educators.

    Graduates of the master’s in education program will become more qualified to pursue supervisory or executive roles in schools and educational institutions, especially those serving diverse populations. They are also prepared to move into consultatory or advisory roles in educational organizations or outside agencies. Roles you could pursue include:

    • Equity and Inclusion Program Coordinator
    • Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
    • Administrator or Dean
    • Education Specialist
    • Director of Education and Training
    • Director of Community Engagement
    • Educational Consultant
    • DEI Consultant

    Additionally, students can utilize their graduate training and expertise in DEI-related coordination and program management roles in educational technology and educational materials companies, community organizations, and government agencies. Holding a master’s degree and demonstrating specialized training may shorten the path to advanced positions and higher salaries in these fields.

    Research and Policy Career Preparation

    Graduates can impact a greater number of students and classrooms by pursuing research and policy careers—from performing educational research at a higher education institution or private company to lobbying for policy creation or change. The online Master of Education in Diversity and Student Resilience offers applied research opportunities that hone skills in data collection and analysis, as well as educational policy.

    • Campaign Analyst
    • Campaign Manager
    • Lecturer/Research Fellow
    • Education Research Coordinator
    • Director of Higher Education Policy
  • Internships & Work Experience

    Classroom Integration

    Flexibility in the online educational equity master’s program allows working educators the opportunity to take courses while still in the classroom. This natural integration facilitates opportunities for MEd students to reality-test the theories and practices they study.

    Students can use situations from their workplace to inform their scholarship in the Research Seminar in Diversity and Resilience to develop novel research or an evidence-based program proposal that synthesizes their knowledge of student resilience and equitable education.

    Master of Education Experiential Learning

    By choosing an elective such as Reflective Instructional Practice or Administrative Internship I, students in the online Diversity and Student Resilience Master of Education program may have the opportunity to take their hands-on learning to the next level. Faculty support students in taking advantage of meaningful internship experiences while maintaining a manageable schedule.

  • Mentorship & Community

    Educational Partnerships in Pennsylvania

    Graduate students in York College of Pennsylvania's Master of Education program learn directly from local, regional, and national experts in the field. You’ll have access to a sustained network of experienced faculty and fellow educators through an engaging online learning environment.

    Program partnerships extend to educational institutions throughout Central Pennsylvania and beyond. YCP collaborates with various organizations to offer discounted tuition to their employees. To determine if your employer is a participating organization, consult your Human Resources department or view a list of our participating tuition benefit program partners.

  • High-Demand Skills

    Skills for Culturally Responsive Classrooms and Social-Emotional Learning

    Coursework in the online MEd in Diversity and Student Resilience degree program examines the root causes of equity issues, and students develop sophisticated and informed strategies to confront them. In collaborative online classes, gain the soft and hard skills necessary to enact change in your school or community, including:

    • How to name and respond to limitations affecting the school experience of students from marginalized groups, including mental health factors
    • Evaluating existing programs and pedagogies for their impact on the social, emotional, and behavioral wellness of students
    • Strategic and inclusive interventions for behavioral or social issues
    • Responding in an emotionally and culturally informed manner to individual students, their families, and other stakeholders
    • Interpersonal and leadership skills to collaborate with other educators and administrators to implement programming
    • Trauma-informed teaching approaches grounded in child development and behavioral intervention
    • How to identify national trends and how educational policy reform could protect students from the consequences of stratification, privatization, school resegregation, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Is an MEd in Student Resilience the same as an MEd in Social Emotional Learning?

    With coursework covering the social, emotional, and mental health factors of children and adolescents—and how to support students in these areas—the online MEd in Diversity and Student Resilience will be similar to training in social-emotional learning.

    Our Diversity and Student Resilience program elevates educators' understanding of structural inequities that impact student wellness, helping to develop a comprehensive response to issues in the classroom and in policy.

  • How long does completing the online MEd in Diversity and Student Resilience take?

    This 33-credit online Master of Education program focused on diversity, inclusion, and social justice will take around two years of full-time study to complete.

  • What can you do with a master’s in education focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion? Can I be licensed?

    Depending on the state you want to teach in, graduate credits earned in YCP’s online Master of Education program may contribute to your academic requirements for licensure. Research the requirements of graduate teaching programs for licensure in your state. If you want to teach in Pennsylvania and have a bachelor’s in a field other than education, this online MEd program can be a stepping stone to examinations and credit hour requirements, but does not include field supervision.

    This program is primarily designed for current educators seeking specialized training in DEI and in youth resilience and can result in Pennsylvania-based graduates being qualified to receive a special endorsement in the youth resilience field by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Program Requirements

Required Courses and Degree Requirements for Graduation
Loading...
catalog icon

2023-2024 Graduate Catalog

Related Programs

Contact Us
Graduate Programs - Behavioral Sciences and Education
Molly Milam, PhD, BCBA-D
Asst. Director, Graduate Programs in Behavioral Sciences and Education
Appell Life Sciences Building, Room 346
Phone: 717.815.2005
mmilam1@ycp.edu

Dawn Keiser, Administrative Assistant
Appell Life Sciences Building, Room 355
Phone: 717.815.1551
dkeiser@ycp.edu