This degree offers preparation for interpreters who want to become teachers of interpreting with a focus on teaching and active learning. The field of interpreting education is facing a challenge in educating qualified interpreters who are an integral part of the access needed by deaf and hearing-impaired Americans. Many faculty teaching American Sign Language/English interpreting are recruited solely because they are skilled practitioners of interpreting and not because of their skills as teachers. Since the need for interpreting programs was recognized, they have proliferated from a very few in 1989 to more than 150 programs around the U.S. in 2004. In 2003, the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf resolved that all prospective interpreters would need to hold a BA degree prior to standing for professional certification. The Conference of Interpreter Trainers recently moved to support this requirement. The resulting shift from primarily AA and AAS programs to BA programs will require that faculty have the academic credentials to teach in these advanced programs. Northeastern's M.Ed-IE program is the first program of its kind specifically designed to meet this need.
 
The M.Ed-IE is designed to develop interpreting faculty who are able to inspire analytical thinking, decision-making, and critical reflection in their own interpreting courses. Collaborative, active learning is emphasized throughout the program. The program is primarily an online program, using web-based technologies, to provide access to prospective students without the need to leave their professional and home communities. One on-site session is required, occurring at the mid-point of course study, for two weeks in late June.