Montessori, M.Ed.

With Montessori teachers in high-demand at over 5,000 schools in the U.S. and 20,000 worldwide, you can open doors to new career opportunities in the United States and abroad. Designed to meet your career and personal goals, Whitworth University collaborated with Montessori Northwest and The National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector to develop a program that offers 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
• Internships in or near your hometown
• Spokane and Portland locations are available

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Whitworth offers several Montessori Education program options:

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

Cohort Format

Once you begin the program 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. The cohort will take each of the classes together in sequence, so you can begin and end the program with the same group of educators.

Program Costs

• Tuition for the master's degree is $300 per credit for the first 32 credits and $665* per credit for each additional credit. 
• Tuition for each AMI Montessori diploma is billed separately through Montessori Northwest.
• Tuition for the master's degree with certification will include one additional semester of student teaching and coursework. Contact the director of Whitworth's Montessori program at 509.777.3459 for options. 

*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 the master's-level program. We recommend that you apply for financial aid at the time you apply for the program. Students enrolled only in the AMI diploma program are not eligible for financial aid. 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. Students applying for the diploma-only option do not need to apply to Whitworth University.

Step 2: Apply to Whitworth University

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

You may use the same recommenders for both applications. Separate official transcripts will need to be sent to both Montessori Northwest and Whitworth University.

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.

NCMPS and Whitworth University offer three online master's-level 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 the director of Whitworth's Montessori program at 509.777.3459 or kpicanco@whitworth.edu for more information and course dates.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to wait until I've been admitted to Montessori Northwest before applying to Whitworth?

Yes, please wait. You will also need to request a separate copy of certified transcripts to be submitted to each institution.

If I choose not to apply to Whitworth's M.Ed. program this year, can I apply once I've finished my AMI training?

No. You must apply for Whitworth's graduate program before the course begins. You must register and pay tuition to Whitworth while you are doing your AMI training in order for that coursework to be graded and counted toward the degree.

Can I apply for financial aid?

Yes. Students in Whitworth's M.Ed., emphasis in Montessori education program are eligible for financial aid. We recommend that you apply for financial aid at the time you apply for the program. Students who are enrolled only in the AMI diploma program are not eligible for financial aid.

General Statement of Business

This school is a business unit of a corporation and is 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 Office of Degree Authorization, 255 Capitol St. NE, Salem, Oregon 97310.