Teaching Programs in Maryland
Like many states, Maryland has a shortage of teachers. But the state is addressing the problem in an interesting way: by making teaching a more prestigious and lucrative profession. Indeed, Maryland teachers already earn more than the national average. If you are interested in becoming an educator in a state that recognizes the importance of the profession, you need look no further than Maryland.
How to Become a Teacher in Maryland
If you are interested in becoming a teacher in Maryland, the state has a pathway that will fit your needs, regardless of where you are in your journey.
Traditional Pathway to Becoming a Teacher in Maryland
In the traditional pathway, you need to complete an approved bachelor’s degree program that prepares teachers. These typically last four years, after which you’d apply for licensure through the Maryland State Department of Education. The application requires proof of your degree and a statement of completion, your Basic Skills Assessment score or proof of a minimum GPA of 3.0, any applicable Content and Pedagogy Praxis scores, and an application and cover letter.
Becoming a Teacher Through Alternative Certification or as a Career Switcher
If you already have a bachelor’s degree or higher in a subject other than education/teaching, you can make a switch to the classroom via alternative certification.
The Maryland State Department of Education has three options for those in this situation:
- Go through an approved graduate program; OR
- Attend and finish an alternative education program, which would result in certification; OR
- Have your transcripts analyzed as required by COMAR 13A.12.02. Your current degree or professional certificate needs to be in the area OR you need to have at least 30 hours of study on that topic.
No matter which pathway you choose, you must take the Basic Skills Assessment and content-specific exams if your area of focus requires one.
Career and Technical Education Teacher Certification in Maryland
If you hope to work as a career and technical education teacher, in which you prepare students for the workforce, you need to follow several steps. Applicants need to possess a bachelor’s degree in their chosen content area or complete a CTE teacher certification course and demonstrate extensive and relevant work experience. The Maryland State Department of Education currently recognizes 12 career clusters, ranging from Arts, Media, and Communications to Health and Biosciences, each of which may have specific educational and/or certification requirements for teaching.
Teachers Moving to Maryland from a Different State
Credentialed teachers or graduates moving from other states must go through several steps to transfer their qualifications and begin teaching in Maryland. These requirements vary based on your current qualifications.
Average Salaries and Projected Job Growth for Maryland Teachers
Elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers in Maryland earn higher wages than the national averages for these positions, and, as mentioned previously, the teacher shortage in Maryland means faster-than-average projected job growth.
| Career | 2018 Mean Salary | Projected Job Growth 2016–2026 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $70,000 | 8% |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $67,200 | 8% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $71,170 | 8% |
| Postsecondary Teachers | $92,782* | Varies by subject |
*Averaged from all postsecondary salaries as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020)
Teacher Training Programs in Maryland
Frostburg State University (Frostburg, Maryland and Hagerstown, Maryland)
The College of Education offers bachelor’s programs in early childhood, elementary, dual elementary/middle, secondary, and K–12 education alongside specialized programs in areas such as social science and exercise and sports science. Master of Arts in Teaching programs exist at both the secondary and primary levels, and students graduate with both master’s and, if they do not currently have one, all preparation needed for a teaching certification. Master of Education programs, which do not lead directly to certification, are also available with various specializations. A doctorate in educational leadership is offered as well. Graduate programs are available online or in a hybrid format.
Undergraduate Tuition:
Residents: $6,700 per year
Regional residents (residents of Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, or Ohio who live within 120 miles of the university): $15,400 per year
Nonresidents: $20,800 per year
Graduate tuition:
Master’s residents: $437 per credit hour
Master’s nonresidents: $560 per credit hour
Doctoral residents: $612 per credit hour
Doctoral nonresidents: $766 per credit hour
Goucher College (Baltimore, Maryland)
This private liberal arts college sits in the Baltimore neighborhood of Towson and provides both undergraduate and master’s degree options. Rather than a traditional path to teaching at the undergraduate level, the school offers a Bachelor of Arts in education studies. Though many do go on to work in classrooms through their 4+1 path to the classroom (four years in the B.A. program plus one year for a Master of Arts in Teaching), the program focuses on understanding the needs of young people and prepares learners for work in policy and nonprofits.
Undergraduate tuition: $44,324 per year
Graduate tuition: $540 per credit
Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland)
Founded by the eponymous entrepreneur and philanthropist in 1876, Johns Hopkins University is recognized as a leading private research facility. The school does not offer undergraduate programs, instead focusing on several master’s and doctoral degree options. Current master’s programs include degrees in education, teaching, education in the health professions, special education, and counseling. Doctorates include an Ed.D. and a Ph.D. in education. Several of these programs can be completed online.
Tuition:
Ed.D.: $1,458 per credit
Ph.D.: $43,923 per year
Master’s degree, on-campus: $793 per credit
Master’s degree, online: $840 per credit
Master of Science in counseling: $840 per credit
Master’s degree, health professions track: $1,230 per credit
M.S. in Education (International Teaching and Global Learning): $45,000 per year
St. Mary’s College of Maryland (St. Mary’s City, Maryland)
Developed as an honors college in 1840, today St. Mary’s provides public liberal arts education. The school’s Department of Educational Studies offers both a minor in educational studies and a 10-month Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) that leads to teacher certification in the state. Master’s degree options include elementary with early childhood, secondary (history, math, social studies, chemistry, biology, physics, or theatre), and PK–12 (art, music, French, Spanish, and Chinese). All programs are currently available on-campus only. With a 10:1 student-teacher ratio and a 90% employment or graduate school placement rate within six months of leaving St. Mary’s undergraduate program, this school often sets students up for success.
Full-time undergraduate tuition:
Maryland residents: $12,116 per semester
Washington D.C. residents: $22,116 per semester
Nonresidents: $28,192 per semester
In addition to tuition, St. Mary’s provides information about award packages students may receive. The school boasts a merit scholarship rate of 52% for first-year undergraduate students.
Full-time M.A.T. tuition: $16,530 plus fees for the entire program, regardless of residency. Tuition is billed in four equal parts during the 10-month program.
University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland)
Operating as the flagship location of the University System of Maryland, the College Park campus serves more than 40,000 learners annually through in-person and online degree programs. UMDCP’s College of Education offers bachelor’s degrees in early childhood, elementary, middle, and secondary education alongside specialized programs in human development, art education, and special education, to name a few. Master’s programs are available in curriculum and instruction, human development, education policy, counseling, and special education; doctoral programs are offered in counseling psychology, human development, education policy, evaluation, school psychology, special education, and policy and leadership.
Full-time undergraduate tuition:
Residents: $4,412 per 12+ hour semester
Nonresidents: $17,468 per 12+ hour semester
Full-time graduate tuition:
Residents: $731 per credit hour or $8,772 per 12-hour semester
Nonresidents: $1,625 per credit hour or $19,500 per 12-hour semester
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Maryland Teacher Resources
