Find out more about Hamline University

The online Graduate Certificate in Adult Basic Education program prepares educators to provide adults with the instruction needed to transition into educational or career opportunities and to thrive in their communities, allowing them to participate fully in community and economic life.  Educators provide GED/high school equivalency, ESL, basic skills improvement, digital literacy, career readiness, or other adult educational programming.  They will understand the field of adult education and its essential components: effective communication, numeracy, and literacy, and gain insight into the needs of adults for whom English is not their primary language and its implications on instruction.  Educators also learn how to design courses to meet a variety of learner backgrounds and needs and develop authentic assessment tools for academic and workplace settings.

The online Graduate Certificate in Adult ESL program prepares educators to make sound decisions in course design and classroom practice as they teach English as a second language (ESL).  This program supports individuals in gaining the knowledge and practical skills to teach English as a second language to adults from linguistically and culturally diverse populations.  Educators practice in a variety of settings, including:

• Adult basic education programs
• Technical/vocational programs
• College and university courses
• Community-based or volunteer programs

The online Graduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) program is designed for anybody who works with individuals identified on the autism spectrum, including classroom teachers, parents, or other education or community professionals.  The curriculum will help these individuals gain the skills and enhanced knowledge to better serve their students, children, or clients.  These individuals will gain the expertise to engage ASD learners in school, clinic, community, and home settings and develop research-based strategies to help individuals of any age that are on the autism spectrum become independent.  Courses include:

• ASD: Introduction and Overview
• Proactive Behavior Management
• Intervention and Strategies for Students with ASD
• Assessment: Identification & Planning for the Student with ASD
• Communication, Assessment, & Intervention for the Learner w/ ASD

The online Graduate Certificate in Environmental Education program is a mix of introductory environmental education concepts, teaching methodology, and best practices, issues and actions in environmental education.  The curriculum also consists of a broad selection of content specific courses.  The program is designed for both formal and non-formal educational settings.

The online Graduate Certificate in ESL for Mainstream Teachers program helps educators make pedagogical decisions about the education of the English-language learners they save that will build their confidence and skills while working with these students in their classrooms.  Courses are:

• ESL Learner Mainstream Classroom
• Language and Society
• Test & Evaluation English Language Learners
• Development of Literacy Skills

The online Certificate in Urban Teaching program from Hamline University is designed to prepare teachers for success in classrooms made up of students from many cultures, who speak a variety of languages as their first language, and who come from a variety of socioeconomic situations. Courses cover topics in: 

• Urban Education & Reflective Thinking
• Managing the Urban Classroom
• Culturally-Relevant Pedagogy
• Contextualizing Student Learning
• Interpersonal Dynamics / Racism

The online Master of Arts in Education program helps students grow and mature as teachers and leaders through an interactive, engaging, authentic, and personalized educational experience.  Graduates become master teachers and teacher-leaders who can promote equity in schools, build communities of learners, construct knowledge, and practice thoughtful inquiry and reflection.  Students choose electives from a variety of options, including coursework in additional licensure areas such as Reading or ESL, or coursework and certificates in specialized areas such as Adult Basic Education, Autism Spectrum Disorder, College Admission Counseling, Gifted Education, Traumatic Brain Injury, Urban Teaching, and more.

The online Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Natural Science and Environmental Education program prepares well-qualified environmental educators who are environmental leaders with an understanding of natural history, earth systems science, and environmental change.  In the program, educators will affirm, clarify, and build upon their commitments to the environment and deepen their knowledge with engaging content and innovative ideas.  They will demonstrate understanding of the goals, theory, practice, and history of the field of environmental education and combine the fundamentals of education with the unique features of environmental education to design and implement effective instruction.  When choosing electives, educators may select concentration areas, including:

• Early childhood environmental education
• Sustainability
• Place-based education
• Other area with approval of the program chair/coordinator

The online Master of Arts in Literacy Education program provides educators with a current curriculum, preparing them to teach students the literacy skills necessary to learn, communicate, and problem-solve in the modern world.  Educators will learn gain a foundation in the theoretical and practical bases of effective 21st-century literacy instruction, including critical and digital literacy, and develop the expertise needed to enrich the literacy learning of diverse students across developmental levels, academic disciplines, and social and cultural contexts.  Graduates become advocates for literacy through a comprehensive understanding of literacy development, process, and instruction.  Courses include:

• Essentials in Literacy
• Understanding Learning 
• Investigating Contemporary and Critical Issues in Education 
• Critical Literacy 
• Policy, Leadership, and Advocacy for Educators

The online Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program prepares educators to enhance skills in English that promote social and economic access and equity while also sustaining the linguistic and cultural diversity that enriches the community.  The program helps educators understand the relationship between language and culture and its implications for learning and society and helps them gain foundational knowledge in language systems and how they relate to instruction.  Educators develop the expertise to effectively motivate English language learners in a variety of settings and establish the research skills needed to be informed, active, and collaborative practitioners while they are prepared to become advocates and leaders in the TESOL field.  Two concentrations are available, Teaching Adults or Teaching K-12, which allow educators to prepare to work locally or internationally with the learners of their choice.