Boost Your Teaching Career With a Master's Degree
Posted: May 04, 2020 | Author: Southern Utah University | Read Time: 3 minutes
Teaching is regarded by many as a noble profession. Teachers do so much more than just deliver information; they facilitate discovery, provide moral and emotional support, as well as help guide students toward the paths that will set them up for success for the rest of their lives.
Seeing the great deal of responsibility that rests on the shoulders of the nation’s educators, it makes sense that they would benefit from continuing their education after their bachelor’s degree and certification. A master’s degree in education offers many improvements to teachers, but what does that translate to in practice? Below are three career-bolstering possibilities that open up to educators who choose to further their knowledge with a master’s degree in education.
Why is a Master of Education Important?
A master of education is an opportunity for teachers to dig further into philosophies as educators. These graduate programs consist of a great deal of reflection and experimentation to guide teachers from where they are in their careers to where they want to be. This can mean developing a more specialized discipline like administration or heading a department or delving deeper into one’s own subject matter or classroom procedures for more effective teaching. Along with a pay-scale increase for teachers, a master’s degree in education carries plenty of opportunities for growth in the education field.
3 Career-Boosters You Can Get with a Master of Education
Specialize
While earning a master’s degree, students complete research on very specific subjects that relate to their teaching. During this process, they have the opportunity to focus on their personal interests, philosophies, and content areas as educators. This degree helps educators stand out, not just because of having the degree itself, but as an expert in the field. Those who wish to be department chairs or develop new programs would benefit greatly from the time spent earning a master’s degree in education.
Transition to Administration
Beyond teaching, there is a lot of work done by a lot of people to make schools a good environment for learning. Principals, vice principals, and other upper-level administrators help establish a policy that keeps classrooms running efficiently. Earning a master’s degree is a pivotal step for educators that want to move into an administrative role. Master’s degrees in education focus on helping people understand the psychology behind modern pedagogy which is an essential skill when working as an administrator supporting, defending, or refuting policy changes. Leadership skills that are absolutely necessary for this kind of work are a common focus of graduate-level education programs.
Publish Your Capstone
A master of education program typically culminates in a capstone or thesis project. This will synthesize experiences in the classroom, research in the field, and growing teaching philosophy. This capstone project is important to show what the student has learned in earning a master’s degree but is also an opportunity to explore publishing the findings with fellow teachers across the country. Books and other written media on the subject of teaching are an invaluable resource to teachers and being a contributor with a capstone project is a great opportunity to branch into writing and publishing.
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 educators the tools needed to be the best possible. It also gives offers the opportunity to share knowledge, not just with students, but with fellow teachers. Now, more than ever, it’s easy to get started and earn your master’s degree from right where you are with online programs like the one available at SUU.
Learn more about earning a master’s degree in education at SUU.
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: Graduate Programs College of Education and Human Development
