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Master Teacher Certificate

Participate in high-level decision-making in your school and understand complex educational issues with our 12-credit online teacher leader certificate program.

York College of Pennsylvania’s flexible online Master Teacher Certificate program offers experienced teachers the opportunity to lead from within their school and thrive as a respected guide for other educators and administrators.

The 12-credit online Master Teacher Certificate program equips candidates with knowledge in reflective instructional practice, peer mentorship, education policy and reform, and teacher leadership. Complete coursework online and build real-world classroom leadership skills in a program designed for your busy life.

Graduates of this approved certification program will be eligible to earn the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)’s Skills for Teacher Leaders PK-12 Endorsement credential, qualifying them to serve as teacher leaders, department heads, mentors, team leaders, and curriculum and professional development program designers, while providing a foundation for many leadership positions in educational settings.

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About the Online Teacher Leader Certificate

  • Key Courses

    Online Teacher Leader Certificate Program Requirements

    Requirements of YCP’s Master Teacher Certificate program are matched with PDE standards to ensure candidates acquire the skills that are necessary to earn the Skills for Teacher Leaders Endorsement in Pennsylvania.

    Complete all four required courses in just 12 months of full- time study, gaining key competencies in enhanced educator induction, training, and development. You’ll also learn how to facilitate development of institutional culture and support students of all needs and backgrounds.

    If you’re looking to be professionally challenged and uplift the effectiveness of your fellow educators, the applied leadership experience and engaging online course content of YCP’s Master Teacher Certificate program gets you closer to fulfilling your goals.

    Teacher Leader Skill Courses

    Courses build transferable skills in communication, organizational behavior, and pedagogy to empower candidates to participate in higher-level decision-making, understand complex educational issues, support principals and administrators, and implement plans that elevate teaching and learning at their school.

    You’ll take the following required courses:

    • MED 578: Reflective Instructional Practice
    • MED 579: Peer Mentoring in Education
    • MED 582: Education Policy and Reform
    • MED 626: Teacher Leadership

    Flexible and Engaged Online Format

    Our fully online coursework still challenges future teacher leaders to collaborate with their peers, work colleagues, and district leaders.

    While each student can complete their online coursework from home on their own schedule, applied components in each course ensure students gain a wealth of hands-on work experience related to elevating educators and supporting students. Tailor these experiences to your own workplace and apply your learning conveniently and effectively.

    Earn a Master Teacher Certificate for Teacher Leaders at York College of Pennsylvania

    Teachers in York College of Pennsylvania’s Master Teacher Certificate program learn from dedicated educators and are well prepared to advance their career to lead their team, grade, school, or district in projects that enhance instructional effectiveness.

    Ready to gain credentials as a teacher leader through a Pennsylvania Department of Education-approved endorsement program? Request more information or apply now.

  • Career Opportunities & Benefits

    Preparation for Teacher Leadership Career Pathways

    Earning a graduate teacher leadership certificate — paired with the Pennsylvania Department of Education Skills for Teacher Leaders Endorsement — benefits current educators who seek advanced roles and responsibilities such as team leader, coach, or mentor. It may even become a launch pad for pursuing roles as department heads, chairs, deans, and other leadership positions in the educational field.

    Whether you are already stepping into a leadership role in your school or you want to open further career opportunities as a working teacher, verify that you can impact your institution and influence other educators to reach their full potential with PDE’s endorsement of your teacher leadership skills.

    A combination of field experiences, mentorships, and flexible online coursework empowers busy Pennsylvania educators to bring a varied portfolio of leadership and development projects to their current or future role as a teacher leader.

    Outlook and Salary for Teacher Leadership Careers

    With enhanced training in curriculum and instruction, excellence in peer mentorship and training projects, and exposure to higher levels of educational and institutional policies and practices, graduates of York’s Master Teacher Certificate program are well positioned to pursue advanced leadership roles in their own school building and beyond.

    Earning specialized credentials demonstrates a dedication to the profession, and to your students and colleagues. It can lift your earning potential as a teacher and empower you to seek advanced roles with higher compensation.

    Overall employment in educational occupations is predicted to grow 7% from 2021-2031, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). According to the BLS and sources like Salary.com, average annual salaries for teacher leadership careers may look like:

    Gain the Skills for Teacher Leaders Endorsement PK-12 from the Pennsylvania Department of Education

    By earning the Master Teacher Certificate through York College of PA, students also become eligible to earn the Skills for Teacher Leaders Endorsement by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

    After successfully completing the coursework and field experiences associated with the graduate teaching certificate, students can apply for PDE endorsement as an individual trained in the skills and practices of effective teacher leaders.

    Learn more about PDE endorsements for emerging areas of the profession.

  • Internships & Work Experience

    Applied Teacher Leadership Experience

    In addition to live interaction with professors and peers, students complete convenient applied course components that help translate their knowledge in teacher leadership to their school, academy, or institution.

    The Master Teacher Certificate program positions students to foster a working relationship with another educator at their school as an anchor for enhancing and improving their own practice. Additionally, teacher leader candidates will gain unparalleled professional experience by serving on a committee in their local educational organization, either at the building or district level.

    Practical Research Opportunities

    Deepen research skills and draw on new knowledge to develop carefully organized products and skills you’ll return to throughout your career in teacher leadership.

    As a candidate for the Master Teacher Certificate, you’ll take charge to create complete projects such as needs assessments, professional learning program proposals, school policies, implementation plans, and more. You’ll learn how to identify historical and contemporary trends, and understand how to analyze institutional data to draw conclusions and create plans.

  • Mentorship & Community

    Learn from Expert Educators

    The professors you'll meet in the online MEd program are experienced educational leaders themselves, having built their careers on evidence-based practice and forward-thinking educational policy creation. Benefit from, then learn how to re-create, their professional development program designs and their skills in teacher mentorship and observation.

    Completing Teacher Leader Endorsement training at York College of Pennsylvania exposes students to a range of professional connections in the region. Your professors are well-respected current or former professionals who can build personalized networks of support in the mid-Atlantic area and beyond.

    Supportive Online Environment

    Your expert professors will be available to interact and chat with you virtually. They'll be a source of support, offering guidance as you work through your projects and thought processes. You'll also become connected with a cohort of your classmates and peers, developing community through the program's digital format.

  • High-Demand Skills

    Skills for Effective Teacher Leader Careers

    As you prepare for a teacher leader role, you'll not only help students grow but actually effect positive change among your adult colleagues. You'll support ongoing innovation and development by:

    • Learning how to promote institutional effectiveness and perform competently in situations such as training and information dissemination, interpersonal and organizational conflict resolution, and navigation of organizational structure
    • Acquiring deeper knowledge of types of teaching behaviors and leadership styles to confirm effective and productive teams of educators who are satisfied with their professional development
    • Deepening your understanding of legal and ethical dimensions informing standards of professional integrity and transparency
    • Growing implementation and assessment skills regarding challenging, personalized, and effective learning and development curriculum and instruction

    YCP Teaching Specialist Certificate Programs

    York’s array of certificate programs are approved to guide students to specialized professional certifications from organizations like the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. By completing these programs of study, York College students are broadening their career prospects as teacher leaders and specialists.

    Review all professional certificate programs at York College.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is a teacher leader?

    A teacher leader is an experienced educator who formally or informally takes on additional responsibilities beyond the classroom to serve as a mentor and coach for other teachers and for students. 

    In addition to influencing and improving the quality of teaching and learning in their school, teacher leaders work collaboratively with colleagues to help them grow and achieve their potential, as well as advocate for change and reform at the district level and above.

  • Why earn a Master Teacher Certificate online?

    One of the hardest parts about taking your teaching career to the next level is the time commitment. Opting for an online course format empowers working teachers and teacher leaders to complete their learning whenever it works best for them, meeting online a few times a semester.

    Look for a teacher leadership certificate program that designs field experience components with the same flexibility. By completing relevant projects in their home district and local school buildings, students in York’s online Master Teacher Certificate program can gain new credentials without commuting long distances for both class and field obligations.

  • Who is eligible for admission to the teacher leader program?

    Both certified and not-currently-certified teachers may apply for the Master Teacher Certificate program. In Pennsylvania, Level I and Level II educators are both eligible for admission to the teacher leader certification program. Students also need access to an educational setting and a mentor in an educational leadership role.

    If you hold a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, or a bachelor’s degree alone, pursuing the certificate program will add demonstrable experience fueling career development and advancement to critical leadership roles.

Program Requirements

Required Courses and Degree Requirements for Graduation
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2023-2024 Graduate Catalog

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Contact Us
Master of Education
Josh DeSantis, D.Ed., Director, Graduate Programs in Behavioral Sciences and Education
Appell Life Sciences Building, Room 356
Phone: 717.815.1939
med@ycp.edu
Hours:
Monday - Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.