Montessori

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

If you're a current Whitworth student, find out how our Step-Up Program can help you get a head start on your Whitworth master's degree.

If you are an international student interested in our Montessori programs, please note that these programs are not SEVIS certified to enroll F-1 visa holders or other I-20 holders due to the primarily online structure of the program. If you hold a different type of visa, please connect with us to see if you are eligible to enroll.

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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.

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 business 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, Ore. 97302, or info.hecc@hecc.oregon.gov.

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.