Montessori, M.Ed.

With Montessori teachers in high-demand, you can open doors to new career opportunities in the United States and abroad. Whitworth University collaborated with Montessori Northwest and The National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector to develop a program designed to meet your career and personal goals, offering training and expertise from leaders in public Montessori education.

• Options to earn your Montessori diploma, master's degree and teacher certification
• Online Montessori Surround Courses focus on working with students in the public sector
• Programs available in Spokane, Wash., Portland, Ore., and Milpitas, Calif., with internship opportunities in or near your hometown 
• MACTE-accredited programs in Assistants to Infancy, Primary and Elementary

Request Information APPLY NOW  ATTEND ONLINE INFO SESSION

Whitworth offers several Montessori Education program options:

• M.Ed. Montessori, Early Learning
  • Assistants to Infancy (Ages 0-3)
  • Primary (Ages 3-6)
• M.Ed. Montessori, Elementary (Ages 6-12)
• M.Ed. Teaching & Learning, Montessori Concentration
• Montessori Surround Courses for professional development
• Montessori Teacher Certification Program

Cohort Format

Students in our graduate Montessori elementary and early learning degree programs are concurrently enrolled at Montessori Northwest while working on their AMI diploma. During the AMI diploma courses, you will participate as part of a cohort, which will provide a built-in support system and help you establish your own network of professional colleagues. Students in multiple cohorts join together to learn from one another in the final courses of the program.

Program Costs

Tuition rates for the 2022-23 academic year are: 

• M.Ed. Montessori, Early Learning - $720 per credit; includes AMI Montessori diploma
• M.Ed. Montessori, Elementary - $810 per credit; includes AMI Montessori diploma
• M.Ed. Teaching & Learning, Montessori Concentration - $675 per credit
• Additional coursework for state teacher certification - $400 per credit

*Variance of total cost may occur due to annual changes in fees and tuition per credit. 

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Scholarships are available through both Montessori Northwest and Whitworth University.

Financial aid is available for students enrolled in a degree program. We recommend that you apply for financial aid at the time you apply for the program. Contact the Whitworth Financial Aid Office (finaid@whitworth.edu) for more information.

How to Apply

Step 1: Apply to Montessori Northwest

Contact Montessori Northwest (info@montessori-nw.org) if you have any questions. 

Step 2: Apply to Whitworth University

After you've been accepted to Montessori Northwest, please follow Whitworth's Graduate Studies in Education. Contact our office (gradadmissions@whitworth.edu) if you have any questions.

You may use the same letters of recommendation, essay and résumé for both applications. Montessori Northwest can send these shared application materials directly to Whitworth upon your completion of their records release form. Separate official transcripts will need to be sent to both Montessori Northwest and Whitworth University.

Montessori Surround Courses

National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS) and Whitworth University offer three online courses. These courses are designed for Montessori practitioners to extend initial teacher preparation and provide in-depth training on working successfully with special populations, social and emotional needs, literacy, classroom management, and more. 

Contact our Montessori program at montessori@whitworth.edu for more information and course dates.

Community Partnerships

Whitworth University collaborates with leading public Montessori education organizations to offer a versatile program designed to meet your career and personal goals, with access to training opportunities from experts in the field.

Montessori Northwest

Since 1979, Montessori Northwest has worked to inspire new thinking about education and the nature of childhood. Montessori Northwest offers rigorous, practical and in-depth adult education, in affiliation with the Associate Montessori Internationale (AMI).

The National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector

Founded in 2012, The National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS) is an independent non-profit organization that provides a range of services, from school start-up, to resource development, professional development and advocacy, in order to support the growth of public Montessori in the United States.

Whitworth is the only university in the country partnered with NCMPS to support and expand public Montessori education.

General Statement of Business

This school is a nonprofit organization authorized by the State of Oregon to offer and confer the academic degrees and certificates described herein, following a determination that state academic standards will be satisfied under OAR 583-030. Inquiries concerning the standards or school compliance may be directed to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission Office of Degree Authorization, 3225 25^th Street SE, Salem, Oregon 97302.

State Authorization - Oregon State

Master of Education in Montessori education programs (M.Ed.) delivered in the State of Oregon are considered a "physical presence" by SARA, thus state authorization is required for conferral of these degrees in other SARA member states. Whitworth University has been granted authorization for these degree programs in the State of Oregon.

Complaint Process

Students should attempt to resolve any grievances they may have with their school first. Should attempts to resolve these problems with appropriate school officials fail, or should the student be dissatisfied with the final outcome of the college complaint process, then the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC), can respond to a formal complaint.  Students may contact the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, 3225 25th St. SE, Salem, OR 97302, or by sending an email to complaints@hecc.oregon.gov. Students may also access the HECC complaints web page.