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Best Master's in Earth Science Teacher Education Programs by Degrees Awarded

Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology

Published ·Last updated

Ranked by the number of master's degrees awarded each year, the most established programs. The top 14 out of 14 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database.

  1. 1

    Western Governors University

    Salt Lake City, UTPrivate nonprofitOnline available

    • 37Master's/yr
    • $77,920Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Arts in Teaching, Science Education (Secondary Earth Science)
    • Online
    About the program

    Western Governors University offers a Master of Arts in Teaching in Science Education focused on secondary earth science, built to serve two distinct kinds of candidates through one competency-based structure. A career changer or non-licensed bachelor's holder follows the M.A.T. pathway toward initial secondary licensure, while an already-licensed teacher takes the M.A. route to add an earth science endorsement to a current credential. The self-paced online format lets students advance as they demonstrate mastery, and roughly 60 to 62 percent finish within 14 to 24 months. Included home science lab kits and a dedicated Program Mentor give the online model a hands-on, guided feel that mirrors classroom science work. Because licensure requirements vary, the initial-licensure outcome is state-dependent, making this a flexible option for working adults entering or expanding a teaching career. This program offers a master's degree in earth science teacher education in Utah.

    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 37 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Salt Lake City-Murray, UT, where elementary teachers earn a median $77,920, roughly $77,249 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

    University of Utah

    Salt Lake City, UTPublic

    • 28Master's/yr
    • Earth Science Teaching combined BS/MEd (Master of Education in Educational Psychology with Earth Science licensure)
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Utah State University offers an Earth Science teaching route as a combined BS/M.Ed. in Educational Psychology carrying Earth Science licensure, a five-year path that folds graduate study into the undergraduate degree. The efficiency is notable, since the combined structure adds only one course beyond the bachelor's, lets students take up to 12 graduate credits before finishing the BS, and closes the M.Ed. year with a 12-week full-time student-teaching practicum. Endorsements span Earth Science, Physical Science, and Physics, with optional chemistry, biology, or ESL pathways, giving future teachers a broad science teaching profile. Completion leads to a Utah State Board of Education secondary teaching license with an Earth Science endorsement. A separate project-based MS option, enrolling every other summer, lets already-practicing teachers earn a graduate degree without leaving the classroom. As a master's degree in earth science teacher education, it adds to the master's-level earth science teacher education options in Utah.

    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 28 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  3. 3

    State University of New York at New Paltz

    New Paltz, NYPublic

    • 8Master's/yr
    • $97,920Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Science in Education (MSEd) in Adolescence Education: Earth Science
    • NYSED-registered program-accredited
    • On-campus
    About the program

    SUNY New Paltz offers a Master of Science in Education in Adolescence Education: Earth Science built for practicing teachers who already hold New York State initial certification and are working toward the professional level. The 30-credit program is deliberately flexible, spread across a five-year completion window and allowing 6 to 9 transfer credits, which fits educators balancing graduate study with full-time teaching. Its curriculum layers 6 credits of professional education, 3 of diversity education, and 6 of research onto 15 credits of individualized electives, closing with a portfolio-based capstone rather than fixed sub-tracks. That individualized shape lets teachers tailor coursework to their own classrooms. Candidates who are not yet certified are directed to a separate MAT pathway. Completion leads to New York State professional certification in Earth Science for grades 7-12. As a master's degree in earth science teacher education, it adds to the master's-level earth science teacher education options 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 8 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Kingston, NY, where elementary teachers earn a median $97,920, roughly $97,231 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

    Stony Brook University

    Stony Brook, NYPublic

    • 4Master's/yr
    • Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Earth Science
    • AAQEP; NYSED registered and approved-accredited
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Stony Brook University offers a Master of Arts in Teaching in Earth Science aimed at strong science graduates entering secondary classrooms. The 44-credit program balances 15 graduate science credits, 23 credits of professional studies, and 6 credits of supervised student teaching, a mix that keeps candidates rooted in their content field while building pedagogy. Full-time students can complete it in three semesters, and admission expects a substantial Earth Science background of at least 36 credits along with a year of college-level foreign language study. Earth Science runs alongside parallel MAT tracks in biology, chemistry, and physics, with optional extensions for general science and grades 5-6. Graduates meet New York State Adolescent Education certification requirements for grades 7-12 in Earth Science after the Educating All Students and Content Specialty tests. It reads as a content-intensive, discipline-anchored preparation. As a master's degree in earth science teacher education, it adds to the master's-level earth science teacher education options 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 4 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  5. 5

    Teachers College at Columbia University

    New York, NYPrivate nonprofit

    • 4Master's/yr
    • $96,900Metro teacher pay
    • Teaching Earth Science: 7-12, M.A. (Initial Certification)
    • NYS Teacher Certification-aligned program-accredited
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Teachers College, Columbia University offers a Teaching Earth Science: 7-12, M.A. on an initial-certification track that pairs disciplinary depth with the college's research culture. The 36-point program is dedicated specifically to Earth Science rather than a general science credential, and it structures assessment around the program's own Gateway Performance Assessments for Teaching, a science safety workshop, and a culminating master's portfolio project. Those milestones signal an emphasis on demonstrated teaching competence and reflective practice. Candidates with different backgrounds are routed instead to separate Transitional B or TRTC initial pathways, keeping this M.A. focused on its intended entrants. Admission is available in summer or fall terms. Graduates earn New York State initial certification in Earth Science for grades 7-12. It is a master's degree in earth science 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 4 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
  6. 6

    University at Buffalo

    Buffalo, NYPublic

    • 3Master's/yr
    • $76,490Metro teacher pay
    • Earth Science Education, EdM (Professional Certification track)
    • NYSED-approved teacher preparation program-accredited
    • On-campus
    About the program

    The University at Buffalo offers an Earth Science Education, Ed.M. on a professional-certification track designed for teachers who already hold New York State initial certification and want to advance to the professional level. Rather than a single path, the program is organized as a set of tracks: the Ed.M. for professional certification, a Certificate of Advanced Study for candidates seeking initial certification, a combined initial and professional option, and a five-year BS Geology to Ed.M. UB Teach pathway for undergraduates. The initial-certification CAS route runs 33 credits across two full-time semesters and includes a full academic year of student teaching, signaling a serious clinical commitment. All routes lead to New York State certification in Earth Science for grades 7-12, and the GRE or MAT is no longer required. The structure lets Buffalo meet candidates at whatever certification stage they occupy. This program offers a master's degree in earth science teacher education in New York.

    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 3 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
  7. 7

    CUNY Brooklyn College

    Brooklyn, NYPublic

    • 3Master's/yr
    • $96,900Metro teacher pay
    • Adolescence Science Education (7-12), Master of Arts in Teaching, Earth science teacher pathway
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Brooklyn College offers a Master of Arts in Teaching in Adolescence Science Education with an Earth science teacher pathway, an on-campus program preparing candidates to teach the subject in grades 7 through 12. It leads to New York State Initial and Professional Teacher Certification in Earth Science and structures two concentrations around where candidates start. Concentration A serves in-service teachers seeking professional certification in Earth science, while Concentration B carries candidates with an Earth science background through both initial and professional certification. The degree runs 30 to 37 credits depending on prior coursework and combines a supervised student-teaching practicum with a faculty-advised research project. That pairing of classroom placement and independent inquiry signals a program meant to develop teachers who both practice and study their discipline. As a master's degree in earth science teacher education, it adds to the master's-level earth science teacher education options in New York.

    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 3 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
  8. 8

    SUNY College at Potsdam

    Potsdam, NYPublic

    • 3Master's/yr
    • $85,760State teacher pay
    • M.S.T. in Adolescence Education: Science (Earth Science concentration)
    • CAEP; aligned to NSTA standards; NYSED-approved-accredited
    • Online
    About the program

    SUNY Potsdam offers a fully online M.S.T. in Adolescence Education: Science with an Earth Science concentration that opens teaching to candidates with no prior classroom experience. Full-time students can finish in three semesters, and the program requires neither the GRE nor a teaching background, lowering the barrier for career changers and recent science graduates. Despite the online format, the clinical core is substantial, with 100 hours of fieldwork before student teaching and a student-teaching semester split between middle and high school placements. A small-cohort model and access to STANYS conferences add a professional-community dimension, and candidates may pursue two science specializations or a grades 5-6 extension. Aligned to National Science Teachers Association standards and CAEP-accredited, the program leads to New York State initial and professional certification in science for grades 7-12. This program offers a master's degree in earth science teacher education 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 3 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into New York statewide, where elementary teachers earn a median $85,760, roughly $79,466 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

    University of Rochester

    Rochester, NYPrivate nonprofit

    • 2Master's/yr
    • $62,840Metro teacher pay
    • MS in Adolescence Education: Earth Science (Grades 7-12)
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    The University of Rochester's Warner School of Education offers an MS in Adolescence Education: Earth Science for grades 7-12, positioning itself as the shortest route to New York State certification. The hybrid program can be finished in as little as 15 months full-time for candidates who begin in summer, and it carries students through both initial and professional certification in a single sequence. Alongside the Earth Science focus, Warner runs parallel specialist tracks in biology, chemistry, and physics, with optional add-ons in urban teaching and leadership, teacher leadership, and online teaching that let candidates broaden their reach. STEM applicants may compete for Noyce Scholarship funding that covers full tuition. The overall shape suits science-degree holders who want an efficient, certification-focused entry into secondary teaching. As a master's degree in earth science teacher education, it adds to the master's-level earth science teacher education options 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 2 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Rochester, NY, where elementary teachers earn a median $62,840, roughly $64,760 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
  10. 10

    CUNY Hunter College

    New York, NYPublic

    • 2Master's/yr
    • $96,900Metro teacher pay
    • Adolescent Earth Science, Master of Arts (Teacher Education Program)
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Hunter College offers a Master of Arts in Adolescent Earth Science within its Teacher Education Program, an on-campus degree preparing candidates to teach Earth Science in grades 7 through 12. It leads to New York State certification in the subject, and graduates who arrive without prior certification are recommended for the Initial Certificate, opening the program to new entrants as well as those advancing. The curriculum balances disciplinary depth with pedagogy, requiring 16 to 17 credits of Earth science content alongside 22 to 23 credits of teaching methods. That split signals a program that treats command of the science and command of the classroom as equally essential. Study culminates in a research proposal or project, giving candidates a capstone that ties their content knowledge to inquiry before they lead their own students. This program offers a master's degree in earth science teacher education in New York.

    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 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
  11. 11

    University at Albany

    Albany, NYPublic

    • 1Master's/yr
    • $79,240Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Science in Secondary Education (MSSE) - Earth Science
    • AAQEP (accredited through June 30, 2028)
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    The University at Albany offers a Master of Science in Secondary Education with an Earth Science concentration that follows a clinically paced, roughly 18-month arc. Candidates begin with two summer courses, then move into fall and spring graduate coursework tied to school fieldwork, and close with full-time student teaching in the final fall semester. Earth Science sits within a wider set of content areas ranging from English language arts and mathematics to the other sciences and world languages, so the program serves a full cohort of secondary teacher candidates. Completion leads to New York State initial certification for grades 7-12, paired with the EAS exam and the Content Specialty Test. Current UAlbany undergraduates can accelerate through the combined Great Dane Teacher Pathway, making it an on-ramp for the university's own students as well. It is a master's degree in earth science 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 1 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY, where elementary teachers earn a median $79,240, roughly $79,585 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
  12. 12

    CUNY City College

    New York, NYPublic

    • 1Master's/yr
    • $96,900Metro teacher pay
    • Science Education, Master of Arts / Master of Science Education, Earth & Atmospheric Science (Grades 7-12) pathway
    • On-campus
    About the program

    The City College of New York offers a Master of Arts and Master of Science Education in Science Education with an Earth and Atmospheric Science pathway for grades 7 through 12. The program leads to New York State teaching certification for middle and high school science and spans five pathways, from Middle School Science to Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Atmospheric Science, and Physics, so science teachers of many stripes train under one umbrella. Its scheduling reflects a working-educator audience, mixing hybrid, in-person, and online classes with evening options. The academic content leans toward inquiry, featuring classroom-ready investigations built with partners such as the American Museum of Natural History and NSF-funded curriculum work like the Ecology Disrupted project. That emphasis on tested, real-world materials suggests a program that wants teachers leaving with lessons they can use immediately. This program offers a master's degree in earth science teacher education 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 1 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
  13. 13

    Roberts Wesleyan University

    Rochester, NYPrivate nonprofit

    • 1Master's/yr
    • Adolescence & Special Education, M.Ed.
    • AAQEP-accredited
    • Online
    About the program

    Roberts Wesleyan University offers an Adolescence & Special Education, M.Ed. built for candidates who want to enter the classroom dually credentialed and ready for high-need placements. The 39-credit program runs fully online, pairing a content-area concentration in a science, mathematics, English, social studies, or world-language field with a second layer of special education preparation. Students log at least 150 hours of fieldwork before student teaching, so the online format is grounded in real classroom time rather than coursework alone. Graduates qualify for New York State initial and professional certification for grades 7-12, dual-certified in special education, with an optional Middle School Extension covering grades 5-9. With no GRE requirement and an 18-to-28-month timeline, the design reads as a flexible route into inclusive secondary teaching. This program offers a master's degree in earth science 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 1 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  14. 14

    State University of New York at Oswego

    Oswego, NYPublic

    • 1Master's/yr
    • $78,560Metro teacher pay
    • Adolescence Education Grades 7-12 (Initial Certification), MST
    • AAQEP-accredited
    • On-campus
    About the program

    SUNY Oswego offers an M.S.T. in Adolescence Education for grades 7-12 as an intensive 12-month cohort that begins each May at the Syracuse campus. The compressed, cohort-based structure reads as a clinically rich fast track into teaching, moving candidates through hybrid and online teaching experience alongside supervised placements with mentor teachers. Science candidates, including those with an Earth Science background, enter through the broader 7-12 content offering rather than an isolated Earth Science track, so the program gathers future teachers across multiple secondary subjects into one group. The immersive year of mentored field experience signals an emphasis on classroom readiness over extended coursework. Graduates earn New York State initial teaching certification for grades 7-12. This program offers a master's degree in earth science 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 1 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Syracuse, NY, where elementary teachers earn a median $78,560, roughly $82,054 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

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