Master of Education
You know what makes societies tick. You’re fascinated by history and the inner workings of a community, whether it’s hundreds or millions of people. We make history every day, but how do we know how to properly contextualize it? How do we learn the lessons of our past to ensure a brighter future? These are the kinds of questions you ask yourself. These are the kinds of questions you can help others answer for themselves. And you know you can make a difference by guiding students to those answers through your instruction. Mizzou Online’s Master of Education in Learning, Teaching and Curriculum with an emphasis in Social Studies Education Certification is your path to doing just that.
This program places a focus on teaching pedagogy. Leveraging a flexible curriculum, you’ll develop and expand your teaching skills through rigorous, research-based approaches to teaching and learning. Once you’ve completed your degree, you’ll be prepared to take the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) teacher certification exam and teach middle school or high school social studies.
About the M Ed in Social Studies Education Certification
Missouri needs capable, confident teachers. This program from Mizzou’s Department of Learning, Teaching & Curriculum puts a strong focus on the practical aspects of classroom teaching. You’ll learn best practices for:
- Building lessons and assessments.
- Developing your teaching style.
- Evaluating data to guide curriculum development.
This online master’s in social studies education certification is an advanced degree ideal for students seeking a career change or current teachers on provisional certificates who have a bachelor's degree in history or a social studies related field. The program will expand teaching skills and further develop expertise in teaching social studies.
Quick facts
Official name
Master of Education in Learning, Teaching and Curriculum with an emphasis in Social Studies Education CertificationCampus
Program type
Master's degreeAcademic home
College of Education & Human Development | Department of Learning, Teaching and CurriculumDelivery mode
100% onlineAccreditation
Higher Learning Commission, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)Credit hours
30Estimated cost
$18,114.00*This cost is for illustrative purposes only. Your hours and costs will differ, depending on your transfer hours, your course choices and your academic progress. See more about tuition and financial aid.

Career prospects
Advance your career while deepening your understanding of literacy and social studies instruction. The field has consistent growth predicted for elementary, middle and high school teachers through 2032, thanks to a continued, growing need for skilled educators.
Program structure
The online M Ed in Learning, Teaching and Curriculum with emphasis in Social Studies Education Certification program consists of 30 credit hours of course work. Students must have passed the Praxis exam in the social studies content area prior to admission.
This online M Ed program requires no campus visits. Courses are delivered asynchronously and entirely online.
Course Work Includes
- Curriculum development
- Improving content area literacy
- Social studies instructional theory and research
Delivery
100% onlineCalendar system
Semester-basedTypical program length
2 yearsTypical course load
2-3 courses per semesterAccreditation
The University of Missouri is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. Accredited by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
Faculty spotlight

Antonio J. Castro's research interests center on the preparation of teachers for culturally diverse contexts and urban schools, with specific attention to the teaching of citizenship, democratic teacher education, and teaching practices that foster equity. Prior to serving as a professor, Dr. Castro taught in urban schools and worked in a variety of outreach and educational programs for low-income and minority populations. He currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in social studies education, curriculum, teacher education, and qualitative research methods. He also conducts workshops for educators about civic practices, and teacher development in local area schools and here at the University of Missouri.

Mary Adu-Gyamfi holds a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri in learning teaching and curriculum, with a special focus on social studies teacher education. She conducted her doctoral research by forming a collaborative of recent graduates from Mizzou’s teacher education program to focus on how to support early career teacher’s racial literacies development. Her articles have appeared in journals including the “Critical Social Educator,” “Curriculum Teaching Dialogue” and the “International Journal of Multicultural Education.”
She is now an elementary generalist teaching in the Department of Learning, Teaching and Curriculum. She spent a few years as an elementary teacher before engaging in more non-traditional education spaces and is now applying her experiences in the classroom as a teacher educator.