Master of Arts in Education (MAE) — Teaching
The PLU Master of Arts in Education (MAE) – Teaching program is an intensive one-year teacher preparation program that blends advanced educational research with hands-on school experience. The program equips students to become socially just, equity-focused teachers in K-12 school systems.
What credentials do you earn with the PLU MAE?
- Master of Arts in Education (MAE) degree
- 20+ teaching endorsements across elementary, middle, and secondary grade levels.
- Washington State Residency Teacher Certificate
What is the difference between the PLU MAE and the PLU M.Ed.?
The MAE is a teacher preparation track leading to initial state teaching certification for those without a teaching license. The Master of Education (M.Ed.) is a professional advancement degree for already certified teachers or clinical professionals.
Why choose the MAE Teaching Program at PLU?
Small & Personal
Our in-person cohort model helps develop a strong faculty and fellow student support network and community.
One Year Timeline
Earn your master’s degree and Washington Residency Teacher Certification in just one year.
Extensive Field Experience
You’ll be placed with a local mentor teacher for an entire academic year for 800+ hours of student teaching.
Options & Opportunities
We offer 20+ endorsements, an Alternative Routes to Certification option, and a Culturally Sustaining STEM Teacher Program.
High Placement Rate
PLU’s School of Education has one of the top teacher placement rates in the state.
"[The] full-time student teaching placement (started at the beginning of the school year) has provided me with tons of vital experiences, on-hands, almost "on-the-job training" that lasts for much of the year. It has provided a plethora of skills and tactics for me to achieve my goals." Nolan '25
PLU’s School of Education Guiding Principles
We believe that inspired teaching starts with strong relationships with students, families, and communities, and that teachers have an integral role as leaders who cultivate through those relationships socially-conscious, democratically-literate students who work to improve their immediate and broader communities.
