Teachers looking for new challenges and growth opportunities might consider the benefits of an advanced degree in urban education. Urban education degree programs like the online Master of Arts (M.A.) in Urban Education with a concentration in English from Norfolk State University offer high-level learning for those who would like to better meet the learning needs of urban student populations.
Since these populations are typically underserved and greatly benefit from educators who know their particular circumstances well, there is a high demand for teachers with experience in the field. Those who graduate with these degrees gain valuable insights during their advanced degree journey, preparing them to respond well to all students.
The Importance of an Urban Education Degree
Teachers learn much through the experience of teaching, especially when given the chance to work with students with diverse needs. However, pairing existing teaching experience with the learnings offered by an advanced degree, such as one in urban education, helps candidates for these roles prepare adequately and get ahead in the job market.
The demand for urban educators is consistently high, meaning successful graduates have favorable job prospects. According to DailyProgess, there were 4,500 teacher position vacancies going into the 2024-25 school year. To help address this, the government of Virginia plans to provide $371.3 million in funding to schools serving low-income students for the next two years. Given the need for teachers in the state, graduates of Norfolk State’s program can expect strong career security.
Addressing Educational Inequality
Though it may be clear how an advanced degree in urban education can help future teacher-leaders, it is also vital to understand why this field of study is important for students and communities. Experienced, sensitive and savvy urban educators can help address existing educational inequality no matter what kind of learning environment they eventually work in.
These insights are instilled during degree work, wherein students gain an understanding of the educational policies that shape the learning environments in which they work. With this knowledge, teachers are better equipped to strive for improvements and advocate for their pupils at every level.
With the right skills and knowledge, urban education teachers can utilize their schools’ urban settings and their students’ urban experiences to positively influence learning outcomes. For example, studying the outdoors and learning in nature has significant benefits to student learning — and it is not an exclusive right to non-urban schools. Author of a World Economic Forum article, Marc Harris, conducted research on successful examples of nature-based curricula in urban schools. Harris found a number of success stories at U.S. urban schools where teachers applied nature-based activities related to tree planting, habitat studies, local playing fields or flower beds, and other green spaces.
Additionally, the urban education space allows meaningful collaboration between education professionals and other urban organizations. For example, the Urban Institute Initiative notes one significant example of how education and housing stakeholders worked together to desegregate communities. This partnership makes sense, as both urban schools and urban housing organizations often work with populations who are underserved, of minority status and battle inequitable systems. As one principal research associate tells the Urban Institute Initiative, “Districts and urban planners could use the same language and the same tools, because in a lot of ways, they’re currently working in parallel universes, but their decisions are affecting the same families.”
Preparing Educators for Diverse Classrooms
Teachers are an important part of the puzzle for creating a better future for educators and students. By engaging in an advanced degree program in urban education, teachers can better prepare themselves for these challenging roles and learn to do more for students while striving towards better career opportunities.
A degree in urban education specifically prepares graduates to excel in urban education settings, and the online M.A. Urban Education – English program from Norfolk State is one option for educators looking to upskill and become the effective and engaging leaders that today’s students need. As the program page notes, students in Norfolk’s program gain “relevant teaching strategies related to diversity and inclusion that affect urban and rural student populations… [and discuss] topical subjects such as legal issues and current school laws and curriculum development that impact the opportunities of students.” Courses like Language and Culture and Multicultural Concepts and Perspectives create a strong foundation for becoming adaptable teachers who advocate for students and create positive environments that improve lives.
Learn more about Norfolk State University’s online M.A. Urban Education – English program.