Teach in an independent or boarding school while earning your master's degree in education.
The Independent School Teaching Residency master's program enables aspiring and early career teachers to receive a master’s degree in education while completing an intensive teaching fellowship at a host partner school. With an innovative and comprehensive curriculum designed specifically for the independent schools’ unique settings, the program features intensive on-site sessions in combination with innovative and collaborative online learning.
Compare our three teacher education programs to find the best fit for you.
What Sets Us Apart
About the Program
The Independent School Teaching Residency program requires students to commit to a 2-year fellowship at a partner school, teaching a reduced load in addition to completing online and in-person courses. The fellowship program is a partnership between the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education and two consortiums of the nation’s leading boarding schools and day schools.
Culminating experienceInquiry project and final portfolio
- Part-Time
Solidly grounded in both the theory and practice of teaching, the Independent School Teaching Residency program is designed to integrate the expertise of professional educators from a host of leading institutions, drawing on the perspectives of scholars and practitioners alike.
The program offers both a Boarding School Teaching Residency (BSTR) and a Day School Teaching Residency (DSTR). In addition to teaching responsibilities, program fellows can get involved in other programs at their schools, for example, working within the residential life program at a boarding school, leading an extracurricular activity at a day school, coaching a sports team, or advising students. To be academically eligible for the program, students must be hired into a fellows position by a partner school and maintain employment throughout the two years of the program.
The Independent School Teaching Residency program is ideal for those who:
- Have less than 2 years of teaching experience and an interest in the independent school context
- Have the ambition and drive to earn a master's degree in education while completing an intensive teaching fellowship at host partner schools
- Desire a cohort experience in a collaborative learning community
Curriculum
The curriculum of the Boarding School Teaching Residency (BSTR) and the curriculum of the Day School Teaching Residency (DSTR) are each divided into three interconnected strands that span the length of the two-year program:
- Teaching and Learning
- History, Culture, and Social Contexts
- Reflective Practice
The culminating project is an inquiry portfolio in which the fellows examine a particular question that emerges from their teaching practice. For more information on courses and requirements, visit the Independent School Teaching Residency program in the University Catalog.
Schedule
We acknowledge the significant time demands placed on students serving in teaching fellowships. Our blended on-site and online curriculum allows fellows to meet their full-time partner school fellowship obligations while simultaneously completing their master’s degree studies over the course of two years.
Each year of the program includes:
- A week-long session in June and a weekend session in January, both at Penn GSE
- Two additional weekend sessions hosted by one of our partner schools, one in November and one in April
- Monthly online classes with teaching fellows at other schools throughout the program
- Weekly meetings with school-based mentors at the partner schools
Fellowship Positions Available
Boarding School Positions Available 2025–2026
Day School Positions Available 2025–2026
Boarding School Partners
Day School Partners
Thaden School
Location: Bentonville, AR Year Founded: 2017 Number of Students: 400 Student Body: Co-Educational Partner School Since: 2025
Our Faculty
The Independent School Teaching Residency program takes advantage of the unique resources available at Penn GSE, as well as those within the consortium of day schools and boarding schools. Classes are led by faculty members from Penn GSE and from all partnering institutions. You will also be paired with a specific mentor at your host school. Mentors are senior faculty who represent an invaluable resource for you as you complete your degree.
Program Leadership
Program Leadership and Staff
Charlotte E. Jacobs
Director
Sonia Rosen
Director of Inquiry and Reflective Practice
Patrick Sexton
Executive Director, Teacher Education Programs
Michael Kokozos
Associate Director for Teaching, Learning, & Historical Foundations
Bryn E. Fulmer
Program Manager
Executive Committee
Independent School Teaching Residency program
Ed Brockenbrough
Associate Professor and Calvin Bland Fellow
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Frances Rust
Scholar in Residence, Metro Center
Ed.D., Columbia University
Katherine G. Windsor
Head of School, Miss Porter’s School
Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania
Head of School, Marin Academy
M.A.L.S., Dartmouth College
Affiliated Faculty
Charles Alt
Faculty, Princeton Day School
Ph.D., Florida State University
Stella Beale
Dean of Faculty, Marin Academy
M.Ed., Teachers College, Columbia University
Susannah Bien-Gund
Instructor, World Language Teaching Methods
M.A., Hunter College at the City University of New York; M.S.Ed., University of Pennsylvania
Craig M. Cetrulo
Penn Fellows Program Director at The Lawrenceville School
M.Ed., Teachers College, Columbia University; M.A., University of Virginia
Bryan Dunn
Penn Fellows Program Director at Roxbury Latin School
Ed.D, Northeastern University
Amal Giknis
Adjunct Instructor
M.S., Fordham University
Brendon J. Jobs
Social Studies Methods Instructor
M.S.Ed., University of Pennsylvania
Caroline Lee
US English, Chair of Community and Multicultural Development Team
M.L.A., University of Pennsylvania
Katharine Millet
Penn Fellows Program Director at Milton Academy
M.Ed., Harvard University
Visaury Moreta-Carmona
Penn Fellows Program Director at Saint Mark's School
M.S.Ed., University of Pennsylvania
Rachel Nisselson
Associate Director, Kravis Center for Excellence in Teaching, Loomis Chaffee School
Ph.D., Vanderbilt University
Dave Pillsbury
Penn Fellows Program Director at Northfield Mount Hermon School
M.S.T. Mathematics, University of New Hampshire
Lisa Proulx
Penn Fellows Program Director, Hopkins School
M.Ed., California State University Long Beach
Anne Russell
Director of Fellowship Program at Kent School
M.A., University of Georgia
Elizabeth Ellen Simison
English Instructor, Miss Porter's School
M.A., University of Connecticut
Trey Smith
Adjunct Instructor
M.S.Ed., University of Pennsylvania
Joshuah Thurbee
Adjunct Instructor
M.A., Concordia University Chicago
Kate L. Ward
Classroom Teacher and Fellow Mentor, John Burroughs School
B.A., Williams College
Katherine G. Windsor
Head of School, Miss Porter's School and Instructor, Penn GSE
Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania
Our Graduates
Alumni of our program are outstanding teachers trained to meet the growing needs of a dynamic teaching landscape. They are self-reflective professionals who are willing and able to develop strategies for studying and improving their own teaching. They are qualified leaders, equipped to plan, build, and evaluate new curricula and programs.
Alumni Careers
- Assistant Dean of Students, St. Paul’s School
- Computer Science Teacher, Latin School of Chicago
- English Teacher, Dublin School
- English Teacher, Northfield Mount Hermon School
- History Teacher, Taft School
- Mathematics Teacher, Milton Academy
- Religion Teacher, The Spence School
- Science Teacher, Horace Mann School
- Science Teacher, Riverdale Country School
Admissions & Financial Aid
Our program has a unique admission process. You must first apply directly to a partner school for a fellowship position. Once a school recommends you for consideration by Penn GSE, you should then apply to Penn GSE. Unfortunately, we cannot consider applications submitted to Penn GSE without first receiving a recommendation from a partner school. We encourage you to apply to multiple schools across both boarding and day schools. This program is designed for applicants with less than 2 years of teaching experience.
Contact us if you have any questions about the program.
Financial Aid
Graduate School of Education
University of Pennsylvania
3700 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 898-6415
admissions@gse.upenn.edu
finaid@gse.upenn.edu
Charlotte Jacobs
Director
Bryn Elizabeth Fulmer
Program Coordinator
(215) 573-0714
Email: bfulmer@upenn.edu
Applying to Partner Schools
To get started, contact the partner schools directly to learn about their application processes and their deadlines. In a typical year, fellowship positions at partner schools are usually posted between December and February. Partner schools then submit their teaching fellow recommendations to Penn GSE in the spring of each year.
Tuition & Fees
The partner schools cover the majority of tuition as a part of your compensation, as well as providing you with a stipend. The partner schools may also include housing. You will need to pay a portion of tuition according to terms set between Penn GSE and the partner schools. Contact the partner schools directly to inquire about the compensation package offered by each school.
Related News & Research
The Collaboratory for Teacher Education at Penn GSE is a laboratory for the design, implementation, and study of experimental approaches to teacher education.