Choosing the Right Master’s Degree for Education Professionals
Working in education can be a very rewarding career choice with lots of progression and advancement opportunities for those who want them. With a wide range of job roles and opportunities available, working in education can also be very highly rewarding, giving you the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of the children and young people that you are working with.
From teaching to educational psychology to school counseling, there is a career path for everybody that wants to make a real difference to others in education. Here are some of the main things to consider if you’re in the process of choosing an education master’s degree program.
General or Specialist Degree?
If you want to keep your options open or are happy to simply continue in the educational role that you are currently working in, you may want to consider the option for a general master’s degree in education. On the other hand, you could choose a more specialist degree program that will prepare you for a certain role such as school counseling or educational psychology. It makes more sense to take a focused program with a specialist area if you are certain of an area of education that you want to work in.
What You Enjoy Most In This Field:
With so many different options available for those who want to advance their career in education, it’s important to think about what you enjoy the most about this field. For example, if you are a teacher and you really enjoy the part of the job where you can share your knowledge of and passion for your subject with your students, you will probably be interested in choosing a master’s degree program where you can continue teaching afterward.
On the other hand, if your favorite part of your job so far has been the option to support students and provide advice to them during difficult or important parts of their lives, you might want to consider a master’s degree in school counseling from Saint Bonaventure University to get into a role that is more focused on this part of working in education.
Where You Want to Work:
When choosing an education master’s degree or similar, it’s a good idea to think about the settings where you might want to work in the future. Perhaps you would like to continue working in a school setting or maybe you prefer the idea of working with young people and adults in college instead.
Or perhaps you would prefer to leave hands-on educational roles behind and instead focus on research and similar roles where you can play an important part in improving the educational system for all students.
Your Skills and Abilities:
Consider your current skills, abilities, and educational level in order to find a master’s degree in education that is a good fit for you.
Bear in mind that not every education master’s degree is going to be the right choice for you – for example, you may not be able to get into educational psychology unless you have a psychology background, although this can vary depending on schools.
How to Study:
Another main consideration to make when choosing a master’s degree in education is how you’d like to study it. Today there are more options than ever available including a combination of both on-campus and online degree programs to choose from.
Online degree programs are often a popular option with teachers and other educational professionals who are looking for a more flexible and self-led option for advancing their qualifications. Studying online gives you the option to continue working while you study, along with being typically cheaper to complete. In addition, the ability to study from home means that you have a wider range of schools and colleges to choose from.
Related Career Options:
It’s also worth considering if there are any other career options that you might want to consider, for example, if you want to pivot away from teaching but continue to work with children and young people. If you have had significant experience as a teacher, for example, then you may be a good fit for working as a children’s social worker or another similar role where you can continue using your skills and passion for helping others to help kids get the best start in life.
Whether you’re a teacher or another educational professional, choosing the right master’s degree in an education-related subject is key to getting the right future career path for you based on your skills, preferences, and goals.