Urban Teaching Graduate Degree

M.Ed. in Urban Teaching

The challenges that face teachers in today’s urban schools have dramatically increased over recent years. These challenges and social problems have also permeated communities outside traditional city boundaries so that they affect suburban and rural schools as well.

NLU’s Master of Education in Urban Teaching prepares teachers in the early stages of their careers to teach in high-needs schools.  The Urban Teacher program seeks to develop advanced, high-leverage teaching skills needed for teaching broadly diverse students in settings that face issues related to poverty, homelessness, under-resourcing of schools, exposure to health and safety risks, and student achievement gaps.

Consider getting your urban teaching master's at NLU if you:

  • Completed your initial teaching credential and now seek a broader knowledge base to help you succeed in a challenging teaching environment
  • Currently teach in an educational setting that includes challenges related to poverty, homelessness, under-resourcing, achievement gaps, and high demands on teachers’ time
  • Seek to develop advanced, high-leverage teaching skills to promote the success of culturally and linguistically diverse learners, including graduate coursework in English as a Second Language, Reading and Literacy, Data-Driven Instruction, and Designing Active Learning Environments
  • Need a strong support network and learning community to help you work through the unique challenges of your teaching environment

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What You Will Learn

Successful candidates for the M.Ed. degree in Urban Teaching will:

  1. Learn to see schools and communities as resources that can be used in advocacy for the intellectual, emotional, cultural, and social development of all learners
  2. Understand the underpinnings of how your own students think, feel, and behave through your study of the psychology of learning, literacy development, and design of classroom environments
  3. Become a fully self-directed professional, elevating your resilience, productivity, and self-confidence while taking responsibility for one’s own learning in embracing the teaching life.

 Career Outlook
  • Demand for teachers will grow at a rate of 1-2% per year.
  • High-poverty school districts tend to have a higher job demand due to attrition rates of teachers.
  • Federal funds for education are often directed toward securing highly qualified teachers in such “high-needs school systems.”
  • Demand is above average for minority teachers and administrators.

 

Source:  Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook 2012 - 2022

Why Earn Your Graduate Degree in Urban Teaching at NLU

NLU has a long-standing reputation for its education and administrator training programs, and is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Since 1886, NLU has trained thousands of teachers and administrators and continues to graduate the majority of winners honored by Illinois’ two Golden Apple Foundations with one of the most prestigious teaching and leadership honors in the state. NLU is among the top 25 most diverse national universities according to the 2013 U.S. News & World Report rankings. NLU has received more than $65 million in funding for applied research projects in urban development, childhood development, school improvement and teacher preparation Our instructors bring both academic skills and their extensive leadership experience to the classroom, which brings unique depth to NLU’s Master of Education programs.

Available in Illinois and Florida

Students at our Illinois and Florida locations can take advantage of NLU's Master of Education in Urban Teaching program.

For more information about enrolling at NLU, connect with an Enrollment Specialist or Apply for Free today.

Urban Teaching Graduate Program Admission Requirements

All applicants must meet NLU's general admission requirements as well as additional requirements specific to this program. Refer to the appropriate application checklist available online at nl.edu/applyonline.

Get more information today about enrolling in one of NLU's degree programs. Connect with an Enrollment Specialist or call 888.NLU.TODAY (888-658-8632).

Locations

  • CHICAGO DOWNTOWN CAMPUS

    NLU’s Chicago campus on South Michigan Avenue occupies five floors of the historic Peoples Gas Building. This landmark building, across the street from the Art Institute of Chicago and Grant Park, is easily accessible by train, bus and car and is surrounded by restaurants, parking lots/garages and shops.

    122 S. Michigan Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60603
    (888) 658.8632
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  • ELGIN

    Conveniently located in a fast-growing business district off I-90 and Route 31, NLU Elgin features 10 classrooms with high-tech media equipment; a computer lab with high-speed Internet access; two conference rooms; and comfortable student lounges. Parking is free at this recently remodeled and upgraded teaching site, which now includes wireless Internet access.

    620 Tollgate Road
    Elgin, IL 60123
    (888) 658.8632
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  • NORTH SHORE

    Opened in the summer of 2006, NLU North Shore at Skokie is a state-of-the-art modern campus located just off the Edens Expressway near the Old Orchard Shopping Center. The campus includes 44 wireless classrooms equipped with high-tech media equipment; four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, including a walk-in lab in the library; six conference rooms; a public café for beverages and snacks; a student welcome center; a library for research and study; and multiple, comfortable student lounge areas.

    5202 Old Orchard Road
    Skokie, IL 60077
    (888) 658.8632
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  • LISLE

    Located just minutes from the East-West Tollway (I-88), NLU Lisle features 42 wireless classrooms equipped with high-tech media equipment; four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, including a separate walk-in lab in the library; a café for beverages and snacks; a student welcome center; a library for research and study; conference rooms; and six comfortable student lounge areas with wireless access.

    850 Warrenville Road
    Lisle, IL 60532
    (888) 658.8632
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  • WHEELING

    Located in one of Chicago's major northwest suburbs, the newly renovated NLU Wheeling includes 20 classrooms with high-tech media equipment, four conference rooms, four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, large student lounge areas with wireless capabilities and interactive video capabilities, and an extensive research library. The site also houses the university library research collection.

    1000 Capitol Drive
    Wheeling, IL 60090
    (888) 658.8632
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  • FLORIDA (TAMPA)

    Established in 1988 and located in one of Tampa's major business districts, NLU's Florida Regional Center serves students in 13 counties in central Florida. In addition to its classrooms, the National Louis University Tampa Regional Center features a computer lab, student lounges, and conference room.

    5110 Sunforest Drive, Suite 102
    Tampa, FL 33634
    (800) 366.6581
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