American College of Education

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Staff
Updated August 6, 2020

First formally incorporated in 2005 after the purchase of Barat College, the American College of Education is a fully accredited for-profit higher learning institution. ACE operates its main urban headquarters from Indianapolis, Indiana, the state's capital and nation's 14th largest city. Each year, the American College of Education enrolls more than 2,589 teachers at the master's, specialist, and doctoral levels. ACE specializes in conferring highly flexible online graduate degree programs in education and teaching. In an effort to improve America's P-12 school culture and success, ACE follows the motto of "Education for Results." The College seeks to produce educators who provide relevant, evidence-based, student-focused, uniting, leading, technology-driven, and systemic learning.

In comparison with other for-profit online colleges, the American College of Education has one of the highest retention rates at 82 percent. In fact, 76 percent of ACE students complete their online master's degree in under 18 months full-time. The 2014 Graduate Exit Survey found that 95 percent of students agreed that ACE improved their professional classroom skills. Over 87 percent of employers also respond that ACE graduates are above average in knowledge, assessment, and teacher leadership. GetEducated.com recognized ACE for having an overall affordability grade of A. The American College of Education was also acclaimed for having America's 9th best online master's in education degrees.

American College of Education Accreditation Details

The American College of Education has been continually accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA) since its inception in 2005. This is one of the six regional accrediting agencies regarded by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). ACE's education programs will be accredited through the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) through 2020. Of course, the accreditation will then be appropriately transferred to the new Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The American College of Education has also received state education department approvals to fulfill licensure program requirements in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Texas.

American College of Education Application Requirements

Although ACE utilizes an open admissions policy, there are still some criteria you'll have to fulfill before enrolling in one education coursework here. Incoming applicants must already hold at least a four-year bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or foreign equivalent. In the doctoral programs, post-baccalaureate degrees or added prerequisites may be required. For unconditional admissions, candidates must possess a minimum cumulative college GPA of 2.75. Provisional acceptance may be extended those with a 2.5 GPA or higher. All master's, specialist, and doctoral degrees at the American College of Education mandate that students have proper professional teaching or school service certification.

During the rolling admissions process, interested students looking to attend the American College of Education online must submit an application with the following materials:

  • Official sealed transcripts of all academic work
  • Documentation of successful degree completion
  • Proof of state licensing or certification
  • A sealed Teacher Service Record
  • Two professional letters of education
  • One to two-page education leadership essay
  • TOEFL exam score results (international students)
  • Payment of the $50 application fee

Tuition and Financial Aid

Regardless of residence, master's level students at the American College of Education can expect to pay $215 per semester credit in their online studies. Students should budget for the $10 technology fee per credit and $100 program conferral fee. In total, the 34-credit master's in education programs will cost $7,310 and the 37-credit master's in education degrees will cost $8,475. Online students at the doctoral level must afford $304.75 per semester credit at ACE. Charges like the $20 technology fee per credit, $150 program conferral fee, and $150 capstone fee must be added. As a whole, the Ed.S. in Leadership will cost $12,415 and the Ed.D. in Leadership will cost $21,234.

The American College of Education doesn't have a program participation agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, which means students can't receive federal aid. Certain students may qualify for third-party financing through private loans, but borrowing should be cautious to avoid mountains of debt. ACE has a flexible tuition plan with monthly payments around $490 per month. Teachers working at a participating school district may receive automatic payroll deductions for their education. Military and veterans benefits are offered through the GI Bill and Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP). There's also a Board of Trustees Scholarship Program held annually to provide $500 to several qualified students.

Online Degrees Available

With no on-campus requirements, the American College of Education gives teachers the ability to further their education at the graduate level conveniently in their teaching schedule. At this time, ACE allows students to select from 13 master's degrees, two doctoral degrees, and 14 post-baccalaureate certificates fully online. Students benefit from taking one five-week course at a time within a personal coaching model built for academic support. The online programs at ACE include the:

M.A. in Elementary Teaching

The M.A. in Elementary Teaching program blends the convenience of online education with the rigor of traditional teacher preparation to produce stellar K-6 educators. Aspiring teachers are given a broad-based understanding on child development to apply the best instructional strategies for fostering academic achievement. In the 34-credit curriculum, coursework will cover topics in literacy development, language arts, mathematics, science instruction, social studies, community engagement, and learning assessment. Along with field practicum, M.A. students must complete a school-based student teaching experience.

M.A. in Secondary Teaching

Tailored to fit the changing needs of today's adolescents, the M.A. in Secondary Teaching program at ACE is focused on equipping motivated educators for educating students in grades 5-12. Future teachers are given the data-driven decision making skills needed to differentiate instruction with appropriate technologies and improve student achievement. The 34-credit course plan includes topics in digital technology, adolescent developing, learning theory, instructional delivery, content specific methodology, and community engagement. A culminating student teaching experience is embedded within.

M.Ed. in Teaching English Learners

As schools become more diverse, the M.Ed. in Teaching English Learners program was devised to prepare educators for successfully supporting the unique academic needs of English Language Learners (ELLs) whose first language isn't English. Teachers further develop the pedagogical skills and evidence-based instructional practices to create a culturally relevant classroom in the 21st century. Coursework in the 37-credit program will include linguistics, human diversity, cross-cultural studies, teacher leadership, bilingual education, and ESL assessment. There will be a capstone teaching experience to apply learned skills.

Overall, the American College of Education has fostered an interactive online learning environment where teachers could also receive a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership, M.Ed. in Educational Technology, M.Ed. in Instructional Design, M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education, and more.

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