The Many Benefits of Earning a Master’s Degree in Education
Updated: June 19, 2024
Published: January 30, 2022
No two days are the same when you work in education! Teachers have the front line role in shaping the next generation. They provide children with the tools to learn, grow, and change their worlds.
Obtaining a master’s in education not only shows your students that life-long learning is a worthy pursuit, but it provides avenues for personal growth and career advancement.
What is a Master’s in Education?
A master’s in education (M.Ed.) is an advanced degree that can lead to job opportunities beyond teaching in a classroom. You will be qualified to work in areas such as administration, consulting, curriculum design, and policy analysis.
Some school districts require their teachers to obtain an advanced degree to retain their teaching certificates. It takes 1 to 4 years of study to graduate from a master’s in education program, depending on whether you enroll part-time or full-time.
Benefits of Having a Master’s in Education Degree
Studying for an M.Ed. demands an investment of time and hard work, but the benefits pay off in dividends. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
Opportunity to Specialize
As a student in a master’s of education program, you can choose any number of specialties. Most programs require you to select a track before you begin.
Some specializations include:
Educational Theory readies you for work in the classroom, administration, or in research.
Educational Services specialties include counseling, special education, literacy, teaching at-risk pupils, and autism education.
Educational Leadership will prepare you to take on a leadership role and tackle school reform.
Education Policy prepares you to evaluate and shape policy at the local and national levels.
Higher Education Administration is a specialization that is perfect if you have your sights set on working in higher education. With this focus, you’ll be ready to pursue a career in admissions, resident life, academic affairs, institutional research, or student affairs.
Improves Teaching Opportunities
A commitment to learning is never a waste of time, and with the knowledge you acquire while pursuing a master’s in education, you can become a better teacher. The combination of theoretical learning and practical experience molds you into an expert in your chosen specialization.
An M.Ed. gives you a greater standing in national discussions about education. You will be an educated expert with a depth of knowledge that can be trusted.
Increased Income Potential
It’s no secret that classroom teachers are underpaid when compared with their degree-holding private sector counterparts. But being an educator with an advanced degree doesn’t have to be just a labor of love.
Develop Leadership Skills
No matter the specialty you choose, there will be an emphasis on developing leadership skills. Through coursework, experiential learning, and practicums, you will learn more about leadership than you ever thought possible.
Instructors will create opportunities for you to learn to make informed and decisive decisions in and out of the classroom, building the kind of confidence that people need in their leaders.
More Job Opportunities
Having a master’s in education opens so many doors that it would be hard to list them all in this article! From classroom teaching to being a principal to leading school reform, this is a valuable and versatile degree.
Skills You Learn in a Master’s in Education Program
A master’s in education teaches you diverse skills that translate well into real life. Your way of thinking will be stretched, and your internal biases challenged. This is necessary because education is about teaching people how to examine information and think critically.
A good educator is a person who can communicate effectively. In an M.Ed. program, you will become more than an expert in your specialty. You will learn how to convey your knowledge and ideas when speaking and writing.
Increasing pedagogical knowledge is an important element of an M.Ed. degree. You’ll discover how social, psychological, and political factors affect the theories and practices of learning.
Administrative tasks are part and parcel of being an educator, but the administration is much more than paperwork. Administrators work hard to foster healthy and safe environments, provide teachers with the resources they need, and manage budgets, to name a few.
What Can I Do with a Master’s in Education Degree?
When you earn a master’s in education degree, the career possibilities are limited only by your drive and imagination.
Here are five jobs that an M.Ed. will qualify you for:
1. Education Specialist
An Education Specialist helps design coursework, evaluation, and classroom strategies based on information from teachers and administrators. They analyze the curriculum and provide recommendations for improvement.
2. Principal
If you had a good principal during your school days, you’re likely to remember a good leader who was caring, respected, and trustworthy.
Principals influence the tone for the school and their days are busy supporting students and staff. They are excited about education and never miss a chance to talk about its value.
3. ESL Teacher
ESL teachers work with students whose first language isn’t English. ESL teachers are important cultural bridges, playing a vital role in education. Helping students succeed while navigating a new language and often dealing with tough personal challenges is highly rewarding.
4. Administrator
The role of an administrator varies depending on where they work, but their basic job is to oversee the day-to-day functions of an institution. Administrators can be principals, directors of programs, deans, provosts, daycare managers, or superintendents.
If you can have strong leadership and people skills and love organization, consider becoming an administrator.
5. Corporate Trainer
A master’s in education can also lead to a career in a non-educational environment. Many corporations understand that when they invest in employees, productivity improves, and turnover decreases. Enter the corporate trainer.
These people help to train employees by teaching new skills, strategies, and systems. Corporate trainers also develop training workshops and help to guide employees in choosing educational opportunities at colleges.
Earning Your Degree Online
The University of the People offers a Master’s in Education in Advanced Teaching degree. The M.Ed. has two specializations — elementary/middle school education and secondary education. The University of the People has also partnered with International Baccalaureate Schools to create an internship program that offers real-world experience to excellent students.
When you study at our online institution, you can take advantage of accredited programs that are 100% online and tuition-free. Course content is prerecorded, providing the flexibility that allows you to work out your study time according to your own schedule.
Our university has eliminated some of the traditional barriers to college that many people face (like high costs, high barriers to entry, etc.). The M.Ed admission requirements are a bachelor’s from a U.S. accredited college or an equivalent degree from an accredited international institution.
Is an M.Ed. for You?
A master’s in education is a versatile and valuable degree to have! Education is constantly changing, and as we learn more about how people learn, educators will continue to be in great demand.
UoPeople offers one of the most flexible and unique M.Ed programs out there, and if you’re looking for new opportunities as an educator, you won’t regret the decision to pursue your master’s in education.