Quick Facts
Next Start Date:
August 24, 2026
- Delivery: 100% Online
- Major Credits: 30
- No GRE Required
- Nationally ranked by U.S. News
Whether you're working as a middle or high school teacher or would like to be a middle or high school teacher, you have much to gain from a university that's consistently highly ranked by U.S. News & World Report in best online graduate education programs.
This master's helps you develop skills in curriculum and instruction, social and multicultural foundations of education, educational technology, and educational research on your way to becoming a highly effective teacher, teacher/leader, and/or lifetime learner.
Ball State's fully online master's in secondary education offers four concentrations in which to pursue intensive professional preparation. The four concentration areas help you focus on your professional goals:
- Educational Studies: Designed for licensed teachers interested in developing their overall teaching skills across the educational studies including curriculum and instruction, social and multicultural foundations of education and educational technology.
- Secondary Teaching License - Transition to Teaching: Designed for individuals pursuing the initial license to teach Grades 6-12 through Ball State’s secondary transition to teaching program.
- Instructional Leadership: Designed for licensed teachers interested in developing the leadership skills needed for successful instructional leadership positions such as coaches, mentors, Professional Learning Community leads, curriculum designers, professional development facilitators, etc.
- Dual Credit Credential and/or Teaching in an Interest Area: Designed for licensed secondary teachers intent on completing the requirements to become credentialed to teach dual credit/concurrent enrollment courses at the high school level, or for those with an interest in exploring another interest area such as exceptional needs/special education, educational psychology, gifted education, Career Technical Education, English as a New Language, etc. (Note: Contact the program advisor for more information about the availability of graduate online courses in dual credit and special interest areas)
Our online master’s also provides maximum flexibility:
- You can complete the degree in as few as four or five semesters (18 to 21 months).
- Because the GRE is not required, you can begin your learning journey sooner.
- If you don’t have a teaching license and want to teach grades 6-12, you’ll need to choose the secondary teaching license concentration.
- You can begin with the Transition to Teaching for Secondary Education and take four additional courses to also earn the Master’s in Secondary Education. (Most TTT students follow this plan.)
- Add additional credentials to your résumé by earning graduate certificates in curriculum and educational technology – with no additional courses.
Our Program is Nationally Ranked
- Ball State is consistently highly ranked by U.S. News & World Report in best online graduate education programs.
- U.S. News also ranks our Master’s Degrees in Education Programs among the best online programs for veterans.
- Our program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), a professional accreditor of U.S. teacher education programs.
Questions?
Contact James Helwig, who can answer questions you might have about our program.
Calculate the Cost of a Master's in Secondary Education
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Course Requirements
The master of arts in secondary education is a 30-credit degree. For a full list of program requirements and courses, see the course catalog.
View Catalog
- EDCU 601 Principles and Procedures of Curriculum Development (3 credits)
- EDTE 650 Curricular Integration of Learning Technology
Select one foundations of education course from the list below:
- EDFO 620 Social, Historical, and Philosophical Foundations of Education (3 credits)
- EDFO 621 Educational Ethics (3 credits)
- EDFO 631 Philosophy of Education (3 credits)
- EDFO 641 History of American Education (3 credits)
- EDFO 651 Educational Sociology (3 credits)
- EDFO 660 Comparative Education (3 credits)
*Students pursuing a secondary teaching license must take EDFO 620.
Select one multicultural education course from the list below:
- EDMU 660 Multicultural and Multiethnic Education in American Schools (3 credits)
- EDMU 670 Social and Cultural Minorities in American Education (3 credits)
*Students pursuing a secondary teaching license must take EDMU 660.
Select one pedagogy course from the list below:
- EDCU 665 Integrative STEM Education: Principles and Pedagogy (3 credits)
- EDSE 695 Dynamics of the Secondary Classroom (3 credits)
- EDSE 634 Classroom Management: Practical Approaches to Improving Student Behavior (3 credits)
- Content Pedagogy Course (3 credits)
*Content pedagogy courses must be approved by the program director.
Select one research course from the list below:
- EDCU 673 Curriculum Evaluation (3 credits)
- EDST 671 Evaluation of Educational Programs (3 credits)
- EDST 676 Research on Impacting Student Learning (3 credits)
Concentrations
Choose one concentration from below:
Select one curriculum course from the list below:
- EDCU 620 The Secondary School Curriculum (3 credits)
- EDCU 630 The Junior High and Middle School Curriculum (3 credits)
- EDCU 640 The Alternative School Curriculum (3 credits)
- EDCU 680: Instructional Leadership to Strengthen Curriculum (3 credits)
Select three educational studies course from the list below:
- EDCU 620 The Secondary School Curriculum (3 credits)
- EDCU 630 The Junior High and Middle School Curriculum (3 credits)
- EDCU 640 The Alternative School Curricula (3 credits)
- EDCU 665 Integrative STEM Education: Principles and Pedagogy (3 credits)
- EDCU 673 Curriculum Evaluation (3 credits)
- EDCU 680 Instructional Leadership to Strengthen Curriculum (3 credits)
- EDFO 620 Social, Historical, and Philosophical Foundations of Education (3 credits)
- EDFO 621 Education and Ethics (3 credits)
- EDFO 631 Philosophy of Education (3 credits)
- EDFO 641 History of American Education (3 credits)
- EDFO 651 Educational Sociology (3 credits)
- EDFO 660 Comparative Education (3 credits)
- EDMU 660 Multicultural and Multiethnic Education in American Schools (3 credits)
- EDMU 670 Social and Cultural Minorities in American Education (3 credits)
- EDSE 634 Classroom Management: Practical Approaches to Improving Student Behavior (3 credits)
- EDSE 695 Dynamics of the Secondary School Classroom (3 credits)
- EDST 676 Research on Impacting Student Learning (3 credits)
- EDST 671 Evaluation of Educational Programs (3 credits)
- EDTE 660 Instructional Design and Technology (3 credits)
- EDTE 665 Visual and Digital Literacies (3 credits)
- EDTE 670 Technology Policy and Pedagogy (3 credits)
- EDTE 675 Distance, Flexible, and Blended Education (3 credits)
- EDTE 685 Information Systems for Instruction and Assessment (3 credits)
Select one curriculum course from the list below:
-
EDCU 620 The Secondary School Curriculum (3 credits)
- EDCU 630 The Junior High and Middle School Curriculum (3 credits)
- EDCU 640 The Alternative School Curricula (3 credits)
- EDCU 680 Instructional Leadership to Strengthen Curriculum (3 credits)
Select three additional courses from a content or interest area.
9 credits from 500- or 600-level courses from secondary content area courses (e.g., ENG, MATH, EDRD, SS, SCI), Teachers College courses (e.g., SPCE, EDAD, EDPS), or Ball State University courses.
Note: Some courses (e.g., ENG, MATH, SS, SCI, EDRD) may not be offered via distance education or online, which may limit elective course options.
Three pedagogy courses from the list below:
- EDSE 660 Introduction to Secondary Planning and Instruction (3 credits)
- EDSE 670 Advanced Secondary Planning and Instruction (3 credits)
- EDSE 680 Student Teaching: Secondary School (3 credits)
One educational psychology course:
- EDPS 600 Advanced Educational Psychology (3 credits)
Note: Students in this concentration must take EDFO 620 and EDMU 660 as their foundations of education or multicultural education requirements.
Students in the Secondary Transition to Teaching program must maintain a B average in all classes. Students earning lower than a B- in any course will be required to retake that course before progressing to EDSE 680 Student Teaching: Secondary School. Students may only retake a course one time per Graduate School policy.
Select one curriculum course from the list below:
- EDCU 620 The Secondary School Curriculum (3 credits)
- EDCU 630 The Junior High and Middle School Curriculum (3 credits)
- EDCU 640 The Alternative School Curricula (3 credits)
- EDCU 680 Instructional Leadership to Strengthen Curriculum (3 credits)
Choose three instructional leadership courses from the list below:
- EDCU 675 Evaluation of Educational Personnel to Strengthen Curriculum (3 credits)
- EDCU 680 Instructional Leadership to Strengthen Curriculum (3 credits)
- EDAD 600 Introduction to Educational Leadership (3 credits)
- EDAD 635 Educational Decision Making (3 credits)
- EDAD 650 Supervision of Instruction (3 credits)
- EDAD 686 School Law (3 credits)
- EDAD 691 Special Topics in Educational Leadership (3-12 credits)
- EDAC 635 Strategies for Teaching Adult Learners (3 credits)
- EDAC 643 Transformative Leadership for Adults (3 credits)
- EDTE 670 Technology Policy and Pedagogy (3 credits)
- EDTE 685 Information Systems for Instruction and Assessment (3 credits)
2018 Rawlings Winner Appreciates Online Adaptability
Jill Bradley-Levine, associate professor of educational studies at Ball State, sees them as more than students. She calls them “a community of learners.”
READ HER STORY
FAQ
For a deeper look into the MA in Secondary Education read the FAQ with detailed answers to common questions.
Read the FAQs
More about Online Learning
Ball State is authorized by the U.S. Department of Education to accept online students from all U.S. states. However, if you are considering a program that leads to professional licensure, some states may have additional regulations. Review our state authorization website if you live outside of Indiana and contact us if you have questions.
Want to Learn More?
Do you have questions about this program or online learning? We’re here to help! You may request more information using our online form, or feel free to reach out directly to one of our staff.
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