What is a Master of Education?
Posted: April 09, 2020 | Author: Addison Love | Read Time: 3 minutes
The decision to obtain a master’s degree in education is often talked about as a no-brainer for teachers. It is viewed by most educators as the natural next step after getting a job as a teacher. This is due in no small part to the jump in payscale that accompanies a master’s degree as a teacher, but why is a master’s degree so valued in the field of education? Let’s take a look at what a master’s degree in education is, why it matters, and the important skills learned while obtaining a master’s degree:
What is a Master of Education?
A Master of Education is a graduate-level degree for practicing teachers. Most master’s programs in education are designed to use a teacher’s classroom(s) as a place to test the methods of instruction and evaluation in master’s courses. A Master of Education graduate gains a unique insight into modern teaching and school administrative practices to further a career in education.
Why is a Master of Education Important?
In order to become a teacher, students need to obtain a bachelor’s degree and complete a teacher certification program. Once they have the job, teachers find that there is a lot more to being an effective teacher than content knowledge and delivery. Effective teachers need to be able to adapt to changing times and advocate with administrators. A lot of the work that teachers need to do in working with administrators or if teachers want to eventually work in school administration requires the skills developed while obtaining a master’s degree.
3 Essential Skills You’ll Learn From a Master of Education
- A Personal Stance on Research
- A master’s degree in education will familiarize you with a number of research techniques but the end goal is to have your own personal philosophy on research and how to best use it to suit your needs as an educator. Rather than simply researching assigned topics for papers as you would in an undergraduate-level course, these masters-level courses will call for research that directly applies to what you are doing in your classroom, allowing you to develop a deeper understanding of how to use research to improve as a teacher.
- How to Generate Data
- A great deal of the research conducted by teachers relies on the data generated by other educators and researchers. With a master of education, you will not only be accessing this information but generating it yourself so that other educators can use the results in their research. As teachers earn a master’s degree in education, they become part of a larger community of teachers who look to improve the landscape of education and learn how to effectively participate in that community.
- How to Specialize
- Most M.Ed. programs culminate in a capstone project or a thesis. This is where your personal approach to teaching gets the chance to really develop into something to support fellow educators. You will get the opportunity to explore what really matters to you as a teacher and find ways to apply it to diverse subject matters and practices. A master’s degree is the opportunity to develop strong leadership skills and become an expert in your field.
A master of education is not only a natural next step in a teaching career but an essential part of being a great educator. A graduate degree gives teachers the tools needed to be the best educator possible. It also gives teachers the opportunity to share what they have learned, not just with students, but with fellow teachers.
Learn more about earning a master’s degree in education at Southern Utah University.
Produced by SUU Graduate Studies
SUU's Graduate school draws from a prestigious heritage and allows students to pursue a quality education. The master's degree programs offer students the chance to further their professional and educational careers on campus or online.
Tags: Education Graduate Programs College of Education and Human Development
