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Best Master's in Drama and Dance Teacher Education Programs by Local Teacher Pay

Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology

Published ·Last updated

Ranked by the median wage for elementary teachers in each program metro area, from BLS. The top 11 out of 11 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database.

  1. 1

    Loyola Marymount University

    Los Angeles, CAPrivate nonprofit

    • 2Master's/yr
    • $101,860Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Arts in Transformative Education with California Single Subject Teaching Credential
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    Loyola Marymount University offers a Master of Arts in Transformative Education paired with a California Single Subject Teaching Credential, a hybrid program spanning a wide range of authorization areas including science with a chemistry option, mathematics, English, world language, social science, and the arts. Its 1+1 cohort structure devotes the first year to the credential and the second to the master's, a sequence that lets candidates enter the classroom sooner while continuing toward the advanced degree. Coursework is primarily online in synchronous evening and late-afternoon sessions, paired with on-site K-12 fieldwork, a rhythm suited to candidates who are teaching or working during the day. Multiple fieldwork pathways, from student teaching to resident and intern teaching, accommodate different professional situations. Graduates earn a California Single Subject Teaching Credential authorizing grades 6-12, with optional bilingual authorization, and the program's emphasis on transformative education signals a mission-driven orientation. As a master's degree in drama and dance teacher education, it adds to the master's-level drama and dance teacher education options in California.

    Why it ranks here

    A master's degree earns its rank on program-appropriate signals, not undergraduate ones: established scale, local teacher pay, and institutional strength. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 2 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, where elementary teachers earn a median $101,860, roughly $89,692 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  2. 2

    Rutgers University-New Brunswick

    New Brunswick, NJPublic

    • 6Master's/yr
    • $96,900Metro teacher pay
    • Ed.M. with Certification in Dance Education
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Rutgers University offers an Ed.M. with Certification in Dance Education as a joint venture between the Graduate School of Education and the Mason Gross School of the Arts, pairing pedagogical training with conservatory-level dance instruction. The single, focused track runs roughly 52 credits over two years and carries no sub-concentrations, signaling a clear purpose: preparing K-12 dance teachers. Upon completion, the Graduate School of Education recommends candidates to the New Jersey Department of Education for a Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing as a Teacher of Dance, making licensure the explicit outcome. An emphasis on culturally responsive pedagogy shapes how future teachers frame dance for diverse students. The program references CAEP accreditation, and its cross-school design gives candidates both education faculty and working dance artists as mentors. It is a master's degree in drama and dance teacher education at the master's level, based in New Jersey.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 6 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, where elementary teachers earn a median $96,900, roughly $86,085 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  3. 3

    CUNY Hunter College

    New York, NYPublic

    • 14Master's/yr
    • $96,900Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Arts in Dance Education
    • Not specifically stated on the catalog page-accredited
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Hunter College offers a Master of Arts in Dance Education that meets candidates at different starting points, admitting them through three tracks keyed to their prior credentials, from those with substantial dance coursework but no New York State certification to those already certified in dance or another subject. That tiered structure signals a program built to move a range of aspiring and practicing dancers toward New York State certification to teach Dance PreK-12, with the exact requirements varying by entry track. Set in New York City, the curriculum is enriched by repertory classes with city-based choreographers, giving candidates studio time inside the professional dance community. International performance opportunities and internships extend that reach beyond campus. The result is a certification-focused degree that keeps dance artistry and teaching preparation tightly linked. It is a master's degree in drama and dance teacher education at the master's level, based in New York.

    Why it ranks here

    Master's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 14 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, where elementary teachers earn a median $96,900, roughly $86,085 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  4. 4

    Adelphi University

    Garden City, NYPrivate nonprofitOnline available

    • 5Master's/yr
    • $96,900Metro teacher pay
    • Educational Theatre, P-12 (Certification), M.A.
    • Online
    About the program

    Adelphi University offers a Master of Arts in Educational Theatre with a P-12 Certification track, an online program that carries candidates all the way to a semester of student teaching. The 33-credit certification path can be paired with optional add-on certification in English 7-12 or Social Studies 7-12, while a separate Storytelling and the Arts non-certification track and an Advanced Certificate serve those with different goals. The curriculum is distinctively grounded in the Michael Chekhov acting and teaching system and draws on a multi-arts approach, giving future teachers a coherent artistic method to carry into schools. Graduates on the certification track pursue New York State certification in Theatre P-12, which requires passing the NYSTCE Educating All Students test and the Content Specialty Test in Theatre. Adelphi delivers the program online as an NC-SARA approved institution. This program offers a master's degree in drama and dance teacher education in New York.

    Why it ranks here

    Master's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 5 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, where elementary teachers earn a median $96,900, roughly $86,085 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  5. 5

    Niagara University

    Niagara University, NYPrivate nonprofitOnline available

    • 6Master's/yr
    • $76,490Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Science in Theatre Education
    • Online
    About the program

    Niagara University offers a fully online Master of Science in Theatre Education that moves cohorts quickly toward the classroom, running on a three-semester full-time pace that can be finished in as little as one calendar year starting in summer. Students progress together through a single unified program, and field experience placements in multiple school settings anchor the online coursework in real teaching. The design points squarely at initial New York State certification to teach theater in grades PreK through 12, making licensure the central outcome. Cohort delivery keeps a shared community intact even at a distance, which suits candidates balancing the program against work or relocation. Niagara's educator preparation holds CAEP accreditation, situating the degree within recognized national standards for teacher training. It is a master's degree in drama and dance teacher education at the master's level, based in New York.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 6 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY, where elementary teachers earn a median $76,490, roughly $79,807 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  6. 6

    Columbus State University

    Columbus, GAPublic

    • 15Master's/yr
    • $61,360Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Education in Theatre Education
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Columbus State University offers a Master of Education in Theatre Education delivered as a three-summer, cohort-based program, a structure that lets practicing teachers earn the degree without leaving their jobs during the school year. Students move through the sequence together, with some education courses available online, and complete the work through either a thesis or an exit examination. The program supports candidates working toward Georgia theatre teaching certification, and its educator preparation is approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, positioning graduates to teach K-12. The Department of Theatre and Dance is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre, grounding the arts side of the curriculum in national standards. Candidates must maintain a strong academic record and earn most of their credit hours in residence, reinforcing the on-campus summer core. This program offers a master's degree in drama and dance teacher education in Georgia.

    Why it ranks here

    Master's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 15 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Columbus, GA-AL, where elementary teachers earn a median $61,360, roughly $68,715 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  7. 7

    University of Northern Colorado

    Greeley, COPublic

    • 12Master's/yr
    • $60,160Metro teacher pay
    • Theatre Education Master of Arts
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    The University of Northern Colorado offers a Theatre Education Master of Arts built on its Theatre Educator Intensive model, a design that fits the rhythm of a working teacher's calendar. Candidates spend two three-week summer institutes on the Greeley campus, including hands-on work with the Little Theatre of the Rockies summer stock company, and fill the year between with five online academic semesters over roughly two and a half years and 36 credits. Because a teaching license is recommended rather than required for admission, the program reads as a craft-deepening and career-advancing step for educators already in classrooms rather than an entry point to certification. The blend of intensive residencies and distance coursework lets participants keep teaching while they study, and the School of Theatre Arts and Dance carries National Association of Schools of Theatre affiliation. The program notes that internships and clinical placements may face additional rules in some states. This program offers a master's degree in drama and dance teacher education in Colorado.

    Why it ranks here

    Master's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 12 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Greeley, CO, where elementary teachers earn a median $60,160, roughly $60,054 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  8. 8

    Winthrop University

    Rock Hill, SCPublic

    • 1Master's/yr
    • $58,680Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Arts in Teaching
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Winthrop University offers a Master of Arts in Teaching that channels artists into K-12 classrooms through content-area concentrations, including Theatre and Dance alongside Studio Arts, Music, and about eleven other subjects. Built for candidates seeking initial South Carolina teacher certification in their field, the program keeps coursework field-focused and set in school-partnership placements, so future teachers learn inside working schools rather than only in seminar rooms. Graduate assistantship opportunities and travel support for student presentations and performances extend the experience beyond required credits. Spanning roughly two to two and a half years and 30 to 40 credits, the degree balances subject depth with pedagogical preparation. Winthrop's educator preparation is nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. As a master's degree in drama and dance teacher education, it adds to the master's-level drama and dance teacher education options in South Carolina.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 1 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, where elementary teachers earn a median $58,680, roughly $60,279 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  9. 9

    Emerson College

    Boston, MAPrivate nonprofit

    • 42Master's/yr
    • Theatre Education & Applied Theatre MA
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    Emerson College offers a Theatre Education and Applied Theatre M.A. that lets students shape the degree around where they want theatre to live, whether inside classrooms, out in community and social settings, or across both. The 36-credit, non-thesis program spans nine courses and can be completed full-time in one to two years or part-time in about two and a half, a flexible span that reads as practice-oriented rather than research-heavy. Partnerships with Emerson Stage and ArtsEmerson connect coursework to producing organizations, giving candidates real production and audience-facing contexts for their teaching and applied work. The program is not framed as a state teacher-certification pathway, so it appeals to artists, educators, and facilitators seeking depth in theatre pedagogy and applied practice. Emerson College is institutionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. This program offers a master's degree in drama and dance teacher education in Massachusetts.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 42 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  10. 10

    Ohio University-Main Campus

    Athens, OHPublic

    • 1Master's/yr
    • Master of Education in Theater Education
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Ohio University offers a Master of Education in Theater Education as a collaboration between the Patton College of Education and the School of Theater, blending pedagogy with theatrical craft in a single unified preK-12 teaching program. An accelerated one-year, three-term completion track is available, appealing to candidates who want to move efficiently into the profession. The degree culminates in a yearlong clinical and professional internship alongside a master's research project, pairing extended classroom immersion with scholarly work. Graduates become eligible for an Ohio preK-12 teaching license after finishing coursework, passing the Ohio Assessment for Educators exams, and completing the Professional Internship in Teaching. The cross-college design gives candidates both education faculty and theater artists as mentors throughout. It is a master's degree in drama and dance teacher education at the master's level, based in Ohio.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 1 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  11. 11

    University of North Carolina at Greensboro

    Greensboro, NCPublicOnline available

    • 2Master's/yr
    • Master of Arts in Dance Education
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    UNC Greensboro offers a Master of Arts in Dance Education tailored to teachers already in the field, admitting candidates who hold an initial K-12 teaching credential and guiding them toward advanced dance teacher licensure. The university notes it is the only institution in the UNC System offering this advanced route, underscoring the program's niche. Its rhythm is built around working educators: asynchronous online coursework during the school year pairs with mandatory on-campus summer residencies over a minimum three-year timeline. That structure is deliberately designed so teachers can pilot lesson plans with their own students as they study, turning their classrooms into a living laboratory. The UNCG School of Dance is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance, grounding the artistry behind the pedagogy. This program offers a master's degree in drama and dance teacher education in North Carolina.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 2 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site

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