Professional Development (Grades P–12)
Put your knowledge and skills to work to improve teaching and learning. Walden’s M.S. in Education with a specialization in Professional Development helps prepare P–12 educators to be highly effective professional developers of teachers. Discover how to plan, design, and deliver professional development opportunities that support students’ needs and improve the growth of teachers and their influence on students. Learn to assess the impact of changed practices on student achievement. Practice collaboration, facilitation, coaching, and mentoring skills. Walden is one of the only online universities to offer a professional development specialization in an M.S. in Education program.
Based on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Core Propositions and the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) Standards, this specialization can prepare you to take an active role in the continuous improvement of teaching and learning.
Emphasis on Practical Strategies
- Understand the standards of exemplary professional development programs.
- Integrate adult learning theory and professional development models into practice.
- Set expectations, facilitate professional learning, support individual growth, and build collaborative teams.
- Use data to link teacher learning to student learning and make informed decisions that sustain effective professional development.
By choosing Walden, you are choosing a rich and engaging learning experience that complements your unique learning style. Whether you prefer text, audio, or video formats, if your course is MobileLearnSM-enabled, you will be able to download and access course content offline and on the go, giving your study schedule even greater flexibility.
Completion Requirements
- 30 total semester credit hours
- ePortfolio
Estimated time to completion is 20 to 24 months. Time to completion may vary by student, depending on individual progress and credits transferred, if applicable. For a personalized estimate of your time to completion, call an enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336.
This program’s courses are delivered online in a prescribed sequence that can be found by clicking on the “Course Descriptions” link below.
Core Courses
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
| EDUC 6610 | Teacher as Professional | 3 |
| EDUC 6650 | Enhancing Learning Through Linguistic and Cultural Diversity | 3 |
| EDUC 6733 | Action Research for Educators | 3 |
Specialization Courses
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
| EDUC 6730 | Curriculum Design for Learning | 3 |
| EDUC 6731 | Assessment for Student Learning | 3 |
| EDUC 6732 | Differentiated Instruction | 3 |
| EDUC 6740 | Qualities of Effective Professional Development | 3 |
| EDUC 6741 | Designing Professional Development | 3 |
| EDUC 6743 | Evaluating Professional Development | 3 |
| EDUC 6742 |
Implementing Professional Development |
3 |
For assistance in deciding which online degree specialization fits your goals, request information or speak with an enrollment advisor by calling 1-866-492-5336. A list of international toll-free phone numbers is available for students outside the United States.
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