Teachers are the backbone of our society. Due to their hard work, dedication, and passion, students leave school more knowledgeable, and, more importantly, can have a better chance of succeeding in the future.
Without competent educators, we would be at a noticeable loss. Teachers and instructors bring a unique blend of passion, dedication, and understanding to their occupation, benefiting everyone.
Becoming one of these talented and selfless educators isn’t necessarily an easy road, but it is a journey filled with personal accomplishment, satisfaction, and an overall feeling of making a difference.
If you have just earned your undergraduate degree, why not consider earning your master’s in education? Undertaking your master’s in education online can be a prudent and smart move. This is especially the case if you want to expand your career options.
What are the Benefits of a Graduate Program?
While you may already have your teaching license and teaching certification, there is a lot to consider regarding your future options—you may very well be interested in exploring the opportunities that acquiring a master’s degree would open.
Master’s degree programs are all about options. These apply whether you are pursuing a special education concentration or building upon an existing Bachelor of Arts in teaching. Going for your master’s in education online is a fantastic step to take regarding your future success.
Career Options
The most apparent benefit is the expansion of opportunities to advance your career. Once you acquire a master’s degree, moving up the school system’s ladder is a real possibility. If you are less interested in teaching elementary education, you can embed yourself within school administration. This allows you to make crucial decisions that affect schools for the better.
Specialized Knowledge
By the end of a graduate degree program, you will have extraordinarily specialized and useful knowledge in your field. This is an impressive accomplishment to put on your resume. It will also give you an edge over competitors in the job market.
Networking
Arguably one of the most valuable benefits of a master’s degree is the possibility of expanding your professional network. Having a rich and deep network filled with like-minded and talented professionals can open up many career opportunities. This puts you in an advantageous position compared to merely perusing job boards and websites.
Graduate students enjoy a deeper level of camaraderie with professors, mentors, and fellow students through alumni networks.
Earning Potential
With a master’s degree, your income has the potential to rise significantly. Having a bachelor’s degree is an impressive feat on its own. The increase in salary is significant enough for future graduate students to notice.
Those with a bachelor’s degree can expect to earn, on average, around $65,000. Professionals with a master’s degree can expect an increase of about 23 percent in their salary.
Why Choose Online?
Online learning isn’t for everyone. Getting used to a school’s user interface can be challenging for many. However, choosing to earn your master’s in education online can be a brilliant move.
The majority of online classes and lectures are completed through asynchronous learning. Asynchronous learning means that the students and teachers complete their work on their own time.
Take, for example, recorded lectures. A professor can record a video or audio lecture and upload it. A looser schedule gives the students the freedom to engage with class material at will. This breaks down barriers in the traditional education model in a more progressive way.
Asynchronous learning opens up a ton of time in your personal schedule. If you care for a family or work late hours, this can be especially attractive. You can log on at noon or midnight—it makes no difference.
Not all courses are asynchronous, however. There is always a professor who prefers students to log on at an agreed-upon time. This works best for in-depth discussions and to simulate a real classroom environment.
However, synchronous learning seems to be less common in online curriculums. It is by no means a deal-breaker in education but could affect how you learn.
An entirely online program, complete with a majority of flexible classes, can be a fast track to a master’s degree.
What Degree Program Should You Choose?
Where will you study your master’s in education online? You have many options; in fact so many that it could feel a bit daunting. Fortunately, we have compiled a list of the best online master’s in education.
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University has multiple master’s of education degrees for online students. Its Adult and Continuing Professional Education Master’s Degree contains a multitude of different concentrations.
The program teaches how to further enrich the lives of individuals and the community at large. This particular program consists of at least 36 credits and offers a wide variety of options.
It will take students around two years to complete. The program costs $462 per credit in-state and $1,311 per credit out-of-state.
Admission requirements for a master’s degree program at North Carolina State University are pretty standard. Applicants must already have a bachelor’s degree in any field from an accredited institution.
This lack of a specific prerequisite is a strong selling point—while many schools want you to have a bachelor’s degree in the field you are applying to, North Carolina State University is more flexible.
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University of Southern California
The University of Southern California’s master’s in education programs are varied. USC has three different concentrations: Enrollment Management and Policy, Learning Design and Technology, and School Counseling. Students undertake this degree at the Rossier School of Education.
These concentrations are incredibly nuanced, with each containing multiple credit hours dedicated to particular aspects of the educational field. Enrollment Management and Policy, and Learning Design and Technology will take online students a little under two years to complete. These two concentrations contain 30 credits.
The School Counseling degree program has students complete a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship. This amounts to a total of 49 credits and takes two to three years to complete.
The University of Southern California’s admission requirements are in line with many other schools. You will need transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and an essay.
Purdue University
Purdue is the perfect school to learn the ins and outs of education. Purdue offers multiple concentrations for its master’s in education online.
- Master’s in Educational Studies with a Concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis
- Master’s in Educational Studies with a Concentration in Curriculum and Instruction
- Master’s in Educational Studies with a Concentration in Learning Design and Technology
- Master’s in Educational Studies with a Concentration in Special Education
All of the concentrations stress learning within a cohort of like-minded students. Both asynchronous and synchronous learning is available.
These concentrations range from 30 to 45 credits and will take two to three years to complete. Tuition runs at about $398 per credit for those in-state and $719 per credit for those out-of-state.
The admission requirements for Purdue University are a 500-word essay, transcripts, and three recommendation letters. Purdue University’s education programs are all accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.
Career Goals with a Master’s Degree
After you earn your master’s, the education field is ripe with high-paying and interesting jobs. Job searches will be a breeze. Let’s take a closer at some of the most lucrative positions that graduates can access.
What You Can Do With a Master’s in Education
- Higher Education Positions: Post-Secondary Education Administrators
These professionals teach college-level courses online and in the classroom. You are not limited to just being a professor, either. For those who want variety, this is the right job. You can find yourself assisting with research, working in admissions, and other positions around a university or college.
- Median pay: $95,410 per year
- $45.87 per hour
- Required level of education: Master’s degree
- Work experience in a related occupation: Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training: None
- Job outlook: 7 percent growth (faster than average)
- Highest-paying states: New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware, California
- Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals
Becoming a principal requires the candidate to be a natural with administrative and teaching duties. As principal, you will be the overseer of all major and minor operations within the school. You are going to need your master’s degree to be considered for the role.
- Median pay: $96,400 per year
- Required level of education: Master’s degree
- Work experience in a related occupation: 5 years or more
- On-the-job training: None
- Job outlook: 4 percent growth (as fast as average)
- Highest-paying states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Washington
- School and Career Counselors
These talented individuals assist and counsel students on their academic journey. They can do this by helping with social skills, lesson plans, and potential paths to employment. These individuals work mostly in elementary and secondary education.
- Median pay: $57,040 per year
- $27.42 per hour
- Required level of education: Master’s degree
- Work experience in a related occupation: None
- On-the-job training: None
- Job outlook: 8 percent growth (faster than average)
- Highest-paying states: California, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Washington D.C.
- Instructional Coordinators
These individuals oversee a part of the school’s curriculum and develop instructional material for teachers and administration to follow. They further assess the effectiveness of the school’s existing methods. Instructional coordinators put in most of their work with elementary education.
- Median pay: $66,290 per year
- Required level of education: Master’s degree
- Work experience in a related occupation: 5 years or more
- On-the-job training: None
- Job outlook: 6 percent growth (as fast as average)
- Highest-paying states: Washington D.C., Connecticut, Oregon, California, New Jersey
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