An online master's degree designed for educators, policymakers, and social justice advocates who are committed to ending inequities in education.
This online master’s in Urban Education is designed for those who may already be working full-time in an educational setting, the program is organized around issues of equity, social justice, and anti-racism -- as well as research-based frameworks of teaching and learning. This innovative degree marks the first entirely online degree offering at Penn GSE.
What Sets Us Apart
About the Program
The Urban Education (Online) program provides the solid academic training and professional mentoring necessary to create effective teachers, researchers, educators, and community advocates who are interested in the distinct needs of children and families in high-need contexts.
Year 1 - Fall: 3 courses; Spring: 3 courses
Year 2 - Fall: 2 courses; Spring: 2 courses
Master’s capstone research thesis
- Online
Coursework and experiences in the Urban Education (Online) program are guided by the following principles and commitments:
- Promoting anti-racist and social justice teaching and learning.
- Taking an asset-based approach to local communities and the stakeholders in them.
- Engaging in the study of educational racism and inequity in urban areas.
- Exploring the dynamic interactions among schools, communities, and governments as well as the competing forces of human agency and structural oppression.
- Fostering an inquiry-oriented approach to urban education based on cycles of reflection, planning, and action.
- Teaching our students to use research and practice-based approaches to teaching, learning, and leading.
- Supporting our students in the application of culturally sustaining pedagogies.
- Promoting a racially literate approach to urban education.
- Contributing to the end of educational inequity, especially in urban communities.
- Positioning teachers as intellectual leaders and innovators in the field of education.
While individuals interested in this master’s degree do not need to have a full-time job, the courses are designed to accommodate working professionals.
Program Highlights
Penn GSE offers an Ivy League environment that supports both practical knowledge building and high-quality research. Our alumni are recognized as some of the most influential education leaders, and our distinguished professors are pioneers in their fields.
Expert Faculty Committed to Equity in Education
Equity in education is the guiding principle of the program. Penn GSE's renowned faculty members wholeheartedly embrace equity in education and work with our students to engage in a critical understanding of how structural forces impact students and schooling experiences.
Inquiry and Reflection
Inquiry and reflection are important at Penn GSE, and they permeate the Urban Education (Online) program. Students will engage in an applied research project based on principles of inquiry and reflection as they complete their master’s thesis.
Focus on Student Engagement and Relationships
The program emphasizes the centrality of student engagement in education and strong teacher-student relationships. While students are required to learn certain prescribed material, we believe that teachers (and schools) are obligated to hear children’s voices and to enhance their interests, motivation, and participation.
Curriculum
Coursework and experiences in the Urban Education program are guided by a commitment to anti-racist and social justice teaching and learning. Our faculty use research and practice-based approaches in their instruction.
You will learn to take an asset-based approach to local communities and the stakeholders in them and how to take an inquiry-orientated approach to urban education based on cycles of reflection, planning, and action.
Foundational courses explore the dynamic interactions among schools, communities, and governments -- as well as the competing forces of human agency and structural oppression.
Our programs of study leverage inquiry, critical thinking, and problem-solving to prepare our students to become skilled educators, leaders, policymakers, community advocates, and researchers.
The Urban Education (Online), M.S.Ed. was previously named the Urban Teaching Residency, M.S.Ed. program. For information on courses and requirements, visit the Urban Teaching Residency M.S.Ed. program in the University Catalog.
Schedule
An Ivy League Education - Online
Our schedule is designed with working professionals in mind.
Our courses meet online, asynchronously and synchronously, with the option of taking some classes in-person. Our master’s program can be completed in just two years.
Penn GSE Urban Education (Online), M.S.Ed. Program, Programs of Study for 2022-2024
Master's (M.S.Ed.) with Concentration in Urban Education (no certification): 10 Graduate Course Credits (2 years)** | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Year 1 | |||
Fall Semester | |||
Contemporary Issues in Urban Education | 1.0 CU | Intensive, One Month Fall Course | 2 evenings a week, one month only (September); online or in-person |
School and Society | 1.0 CU | 1 evening a week; Oct-Jan; online | |
Outside of the Schoolbox | 1.0 CU | Synchronous & Asynchronous; Oct-Jan | |
Spring Semester | |||
Racial Literacy | 1.0 CU | Intensive, One Month Fall Course | 2 evenings a week, online; synchronous (January) |
Politics of School Reform | 1.0 CU | 1 evening a week; online or hybrid; February-May | |
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy | 1.0 CU | 1 evening a week; online, February-May | |
Year 2 | |||
Fall Semester | |||
Research Seminar | 1.0 CU | Preparation for completion of the Master's thesis | 1 evening a week, online or in-person, Sept-Dec |
M.S.Ed. Elective Course (500 and above) | 1.0 CU | Note: Courses outside of UTR are more expensive (UTR courses are identified by using EDTF) | Depends on course |
Spring Semester | |||
Urban Education Capstone Writing Seminar | 1.0 CU | Master's Thesis Completed | 1 evening a week, online or in-person, Jan-May |
M.S.Ed. Elective Course and above) | 1.0 CU | Depends on course | |
**This program can be completed fully online. | |||
Our Faculty
Our expert faculty inspire our students to make applications between theory and practice, prepare them for their roles as leaders in urban education, and help them explore ways to apply their foundational knowledge to pursue careers in education related fields and beyond.
Our Graduates
Alumni of the Urban Education (Online) program are working as teachers, leaders, researchers, and policymakers who are committed to ending educational inequality and making an excellent education a reality for all children.
Alumni Careers
- 7th Grade Co-Teacher and Case Manager, Young Scholars Charter School, Philadelphia
- Academy Leader, Global Leadership Academy Charter School West, Philadelphia
- Assistant Principal, Saint Francis Catholic High School, Sacramento, CA
- Assistant Superintendent, School District of Philadelphia
- Community Coordinator, Trenton Public Schools
- Director of Special Education, Mastery Charter, Camden
- English Teacher, Frankford High School, School District of Philadelphia
- Mathematics Curriculum Developer, School District of Philadelphia
- Middle School Learning Support Teacher and Gifted Liaison, Southwark School, School District of Philadelphia
- Policy Advisor, Mayor 's Office, Philadelphia
- Principal, People for People Charter School
- Researcher, University of Pennsylvania
Admissions & Financial Aid
Please visit our Admissions and Financial Aid pages for specific information on the application requirements, as well as information on tuition, fees, financial aid, scholarships, and fellowships.
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
Roshonda Scipio
Program Manager
rscipio@gse.upenn.edu
Please view information from our Admissions and Financial Aid Office for specific information on the cost of this program.
Penn GSE is committed to making your graduate education affordable, and we offer generous scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships.
Related News & Research
The Philadelphia Writing Project (PhilWP) is network of over 800 teacher consultants who work with teachers and other educators to explore literacy, writing, teaching, and learning in their classrooms and schools regardless of grade or discipline.
The Collaboratory for Teacher Education at Penn GSE is a laboratory for the design, implementation, and study of experimental approaches to teacher education.
The Penn GSE Perspectives on Urban Education journal is an electronic, student-run publication and interactive forum to investigate critical issues in urban education.