Education administrators are the professionals working in education who administer all aspects and functions of schools. Basically, education administration encompasses all of the jobs given out to those who run schools and make decisions to keep them going. This includes job titles like supervisors, principals, deans, program administrators, department heads, and education officers.
In the field of education administration, you can expect to earn a pretty decent salary of around $95,000 per year. This number varies, of course, based upon your job title, experience, and education level, but that means it can be higher if you blow away your competition.
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Education administration is also a steadily growing field, with positions in elementary, middle, and secondary schools expected to grow by about 4 percent by 2028. Positions in post-secondary, college, and university settings are expected to grow by about 7 percent by 2028. While these numbers may not seem significant, the fact that the field is steadily growing ensures jobs will always be available. With a master’s degree, you should have no issues finding employment.
So, are you interested in pursuing an online Master’s Degree in Education Administration? If so, we have compiled all of the information you will need to know about online master’s degrees in education administration and the careers you can go into with one below.
Online Master’s Degree in Education Administration
Earning an online degree is becoming a more and more common education path, especially for those who have already completed some college. To earn an online master’s degree, you would take most of the same courses as you would in an on-campus setting; they would just be online instead. Many online classes use discussion forums, weekly video meetings, and pre-recorded lectures to help students fully immerse themselves in their courses and get the best possible education.
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For an online Master’s Degree in Education Administration, you will be required to have completed a bachelor’s degree in an education-related field. You will also need to have professional work experience and a minimum GPA that is usually set at 3.0 or higher, but this sometimes varies. Oftentimes, online programs will have more requirements that are difficult to meet, like having years of professional work experience. This is to ensure that students who are accepted into these programs have what it takes to graduate.
If you decide to pursue an online master’s degree, be prepared to use your management and organizational skills. It can be a bit too freeing when you first start taking online classes, but once you get into the groove of how things work, you will find yourself planning ahead and getting everything done on time.
Completing a Master’s Degree in Education Administration online is a great option for anyone who is already working in the field and wants to keep their job while going to school. It is also good for anyone who just has a busy schedule and cannot reasonably fit on-campus classes into their days.
With online classes, you are able to work on your own schedule and further your education in order to advance your career, as some jobs positions are only available to master’s degree holders.
Online Master’s Degree in Education Administration Career Paths
You are probably wondering what job positions become available once you earn a Master’s Degree in Education Administration. Getting a master’s degree in education will open up many more doors and options in your career, not to mention a higher salary. Let’s explore some of these positions below.
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Careers for Master’s Degree in Education Administration Grads
School Superintendent
Becoming a school superintendent essentially makes you the CEO of a school or school district. Superintendents have the job of running a school district, meaning they make all of the executive decisions about hiring, budgeting, school programs, and policies. You would be making all of the big decisions that affect your school district.
Being the school superintendent, you would have the final say on hiring staff and any budget cuts proposed. You would also have the ability to decide whether or not you want to implement new programs and policies. This job allows you to really have an impact on the lives of your students, as you can decide on things like what teachers to hire and let go, or if adding a music or sports program would be beneficial to students.
University Registrar
If working in a college or university environment is more of your thing, then becoming a university registrar might be the right career for you. Working this job, you would be in the admissions department of a college or university. You would essentially be in charge of student records. This means that you would do everything from cleaning up and organizing student files to working with other administrators to make schedules and resolve any issues with scheduling.
You would also be able to help run the admissions to the college, which involves creating the process for class registration every semester. If you are looking for a job that gets you involved with adult education, this is likely a good fit for you.
School Principal
Anyone who attended elementary, middle, and/or high school knows about the school principal. This is the job of running the school. Becoming a school principal means you would be in charge of budgeting, managing staff, overseeing education, and even handling discipline of students. We all remember hearing a classmate being called to the principal’s office and knowing they were in big trouble; being a principal means you would deal with these students and try to help correct their behavior.
Good school principals know that they are the face of the school and make an effort to place the school in a positive light. This means being involved with students and school activities. If you want a job where you have the freedom of being in charge but also the ability to connect with students, this would be the best choice for you.
Academic Dean (College or University)
The academic dean of a college or university does a lot of the same stuff a school superintendent does. In this position, you would oversee budgeting, hiring and firing of faculty, the creation of new programs and policies, and fundraising events.
Working as an academic dean can be a very satisfying job for those who want to be involved in the education system, but don’t necessarily want to work with kids. You would not have a lot of direct contact with students like professors do, but you would be able to help them by resolving any conflicts that arise over their education or any poor behavior from faculty. Being an academic dean is a great way to make a difference in the lives of college students.
Other Careers in Education Administration
Not all careers in education administration require a master’s degree. When you go into the field of education administration, you will be surprised by the number of jobs you can apply for with job titles including everything from school district administrator to academic officer to assistant or vice principal.
Although a master’s degree is not always required for these positions, having one gives you a leg up on your competition and could also allow you to negotiate a higher salary. That said, let’s take a look at some other education administration career paths below.
Preschool Director
If you love working with young children, becoming a preschool director is an awesome job opportunity. With only an undergraduate degree required, working as a preschool director is different from being a teacher because you would be the one creating and implementing school policies and overseeing the staff of the preschool. Basically, working this job would give you the power to determine how the school is running.
Preschool directors may not have as much daily contact with the kids that attend the school, but that does not mean you wouldn’t be around them at all. Good directors take time to sit in on classes and get to know how the kids learn so they can come up with the best curriculum for them. This job is a good way to interact with kids and help shape their future, but from a distance when compared to a teaching position.
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Vice or Assistant Principal
Becoming a vice principal or assistant principal often only requires a bachelor’s degree and is a great way to prepare for the future job of becoming a school principal. The job of a vice principal is to help the school principal in carrying out decisions. If you decided to become a vice principal, you would be very involved with the administrative work the school principal does and the principal would likely lean on you for advice.
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Vice principals are also expected to put in a lot of hours throughout the summer to help develop the upcoming school year’s curriculum and any new policies. And, as with the school principal, vice principals are often expected to make a lot of public appearances and give speeches at community events about the school system and work being done in the school. This job is a lot like taking a training class on how to become a school principal, so it would be a good position for those who are working their way up to being a principal.
School Business Manager
To get a job as a school business manager, you will need to have completed a bachelor’s
degree. Working in this job involves a lot of the backend tasks of a school. You would be put in charge of things like budgeting and finance, as well as taking resources into account to determine their usage.
Working as a school business manager is a great way to get involved with education administration. For some, this job may be satisfying enough that they don’t feel the need to move up anymore. But, if you decide this would only make a good starter job for you, it is one you could use to keep your foot in the door while going to school for a master’s degree.
Conclusion
All in all, completing an online Master’s Degree in Education Administration is a good decision to make if you want to advance your career without having to completely change your regular schedule. With plenty of job opportunities in a growing field, having this degree is a surefire way to be involved with the education of hundreds of individuals, allowing you to make an impact in all of their lives.
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