Your schedule should not force you to pause your teaching career. Online teaching master’s programs with flexible scheduling can offer self-paced work, evening classes, part-time pacing, or several start dates. Start with online teaching master's degrees and compare delivery, cost, and field requirements before committing to a school or schedule.
- Widener University combines online, hybrid, and evening study with part-time enrollment.
- Michigan State University and Ohio University provide self-paced formats that reduce required login times.
- Program cost, transfer rules, and licensure requirements still differ sharply by degree and state.
Flexible Online Teaching Master’s Programs To Compare
1. Widener University — Master of Education in Allied Health Education
Widener University’s Master of Education in Allied Health Education makes flexibility a settled fact: the university describes its secondary education graduate study as offering hybrid, online, and evening classes, with part-time completion available. That combination suits a working adult who needs fewer fixed meeting times rather than a fully self-paced degree.
The stated master’s requirement is 30–36 credits. That credit range matters for cost planning because a degree with more required credits may carry a larger total bill, even when the per-term course load is manageable. Review transfer rules, required field experience, and whether your current allied health role supports the intended education goal before applying.
2. Michigan State University — Master of Arts in Foreign Language Teaching
Michigan State University’s Master of Arts in Foreign Language Teaching is fully online and self-paced. The university says working educators can complete assignments on their own schedules, which removes the fixed class meeting problem that can make online study difficult for teachers with changing school duties.
Self-paced delivery does not mean the program has no deadlines. Plan for weekly reading, discussion, and assignment work, then ask how language teaching projects, observations, or practice requirements fit your current job. A program can be flexible in delivery while still requiring steady progress each week.
3. Ohio University — Master of Arts in English
Ohio University’s Master of Arts in English is included because the university offers self-paced 15-week courses and fall, spring, and summer start dates through its online curriculum and instruction graduate study. Those three entry points can help a student avoid waiting a full academic year after missing one enrollment window.
The 15-week course structure is longer than an accelerated session, which may make each class easier to combine with a full teaching load. Compare the English degree’s reading and writing demands with your professional goal, especially if you need teacher licensure rather than a subject-focused graduate credential. Transfer credit and certification fit should be settled before enrollment.
4. George Mason University — Master of Music in Music Education
George Mason University’s Master of Music in Music Education fits the list because its online learning guidance defines self-paced courses as self-directed, with no set schedule or required login time. Assignments remain due by the deadlines in the syllabus, so the main benefit is control over study hours rather than unlimited pacing.
That distinction is useful for a music educator whose work includes performances, rehearsals, or seasonal obligations. Before enrolling, compare ensemble, performance, technology, and field experience expectations with your work calendar. Also review whether the degree supports your state’s certification or professional development goal; a flexible format does not change state approval rules.
5. Adelphi University — Master of Arts in Educational Theatre
Adelphi University’s Master of Arts in Educational Theatre offers full- and part-time enrollment, evening classes, and online or in-person study. The university also states that graduates are certified to teach grades 1–6. This is the clearest option on the list for a reader who needs several attendance choices and a defined elementary teaching outcome.
The grades 1–6 certification statement deserves close attention because certification is tied to jurisdiction and program design. Compare the required classroom experience, transfer policy, and any in-person work with your location before paying an enrollment deposit. Part-time study may lower the weekly course load, but it can extend the time before completion.
What Flexible Scheduling Means For Total Program Cost
Flexibility changes more than your calendar. It can affect how many terms you pay for, whether you can keep working, and whether travel or relocation is needed for field experience. GetEducated’s The 61 Cheapest Online MAT Programs compares total program cost, including mandatory fees, across an online teaching degree lane. Use that ranking report as a cost-screening tool, then match its degree type to the credential you need.
The five programs here do not share one credential or one delivery model. Widener’s listed requirement is 30–36 credits, while Ohio University’s self-paced courses run for 15 weeks. Those differences can shape the bill and the pace even before books, transfer credit, residency, or field experience costs enter the picture.
- Ask whether the quoted price includes mandatory fees, technology charges, and field-work costs.
- Compare part-time enrollment rules with the school’s refund and course-drop deadlines.
- Separate a teaching license from a graduate degree when estimating the full cost of the career change.
GetEducated's Picks
- Grand Canyon University Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages TESOL
- Liberty University Master of Arts in Music Education - Music Studies
- Arizona State University Master of Arts in Education - Educating Multilingual Learners (Non-Licensure)
For another cost and program search, compare online education and teaching degrees. The useful comparison is not simply the lowest advertised tuition. It is the total amount required to finish the exact credential without adding avoidable terms or travel.
How These Programs Were Selected
The pool reviewed was made up of master’s-level teaching programs in GetEducated’s reviewed directory. A program qualified when its listed degree matched the teaching category and its flexible scheduling status could be verified through an official school source. Programs whose flexibility could not be verified were excluded from this editorial shortlist.
The five entries use different forms of flexibility. Widener University documents hybrid, online, evening, and part-time study. Michigan State University documents a fully online self-paced format. Ohio University documents self-paced 15-week courses and multiple annual starts. George Mason University defines self-paced work without set login times, while Adelphi University documents full- and part-time study with evening and online choices.
The shortlist is not ordered from best to worst. It favors programs that give a working adult a clear scheduling fact to compare, such as self-directed assignments, evening study, part-time enrollment, or more than one annual start. Cost remains part of the decision, but no flexible format should be treated as proof of low total cost.
Find Your Online Education Degree
Narrow 115 accredited online Education degree programs to find the perfect fit.
Arizona State University
Master of Arts in Education - Educating Multilingual Learners (Non-Licensure)
Northwest Missouri State University
Master of Science in Education in Teaching History (Non-Licensure)
Emporia State University
Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction - Effective Practitioner PreK-12
Northwest Missouri State University
Master of Science in Education in Teaching Mathematics (Non-Licensure)
University of South Carolina-Columbia
Master of Education in Teaching / Multicultural Contexts in Education
What To Compare Before Enrolling
Start with the calendar, then trace each requirement back to your job. A fully self-paced course may remove live meetings, but it can still use weekly deadlines. Ohio University’s 15-week format and Michigan State University’s self-scheduled assignments show two different ways to build flexibility into a degree.
Next, separate academic flexibility from field experience flexibility. Adelphi University’s grades 1–6 certification statement may fit one career plan, while Widener University’s allied health education title may fit another. A program that works around your job is not useful if its certification area, field experience, or transfer policy does not fit the work you want to do.
- Confirm the exact total cost and which mandatory fees are included.
- Ask how many credits may transfer and whether transferred credits reduce required terms.
- Map field experience, observation, or classroom hours against your work calendar.
- Check state licensure and certification rules for the grades or subject you plan to teach.
GetEducated’s MAT versus MEd comparison can help clarify the credential choice. For a working teacher, the cheaper degree is not always the lower-cost path if it leads to extra coursework or a separate certification step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I complete a teaching Master’s degree part time?
Yes. Widener University documents part-time study, and Adelphi University offers full- and part-time enrollment. Part-time study usually lowers the course load per term but may extend the completion timeline.
Are asynchronous teaching Master’s programs self-paced?
Usually not. Michigan State University describes work completed on the student’s schedule, while George Mason University explains that assignments still follow syllabus deadlines.
Which program on the list has evening classes?
Widener University documents evening classes, and Adelphi University documents evening study along with online and in-person choices.
Can I start an online teaching Master’s in the summer?
Ohio University documents fall, spring, and summer start dates for its online education study. Other programs may use different calendars.
Does a flexible online degree cost less?
Not automatically. Total cost depends on required credits, fees, transfer credit, enrollment length, and field-work requirements. Compare the full degree cost rather than the delivery label.
How many credits does the widener education Master’s require?
Widener University states a requirement of 30–36 credits for the secondary education master’s study described by its official program page. Review the exact degree title and plan before applying.
Can an online Master’s include teacher certification?
Some can. Adelphi University states that its Educational Theatre master’s graduates are certified to teach grades 1–6. Certification rules depend on the program and the state.
What should I ask about field experience scheduling?
Ask where classroom hours take place, whether current employment can satisfy any requirement, and whether the program serves your intended grade or subject. These answers can affect both time and total cost.