Masters in Education

The Masters in Education (MEd) has several names in universities in the United States and abroad: The Master of Science in Education (MSEd), the Master of Arts in Education (MAed); in universities still using the Latin names for their degrees the abbreviation is EdM. At one time the MEd was an academic achievement as part of a doctoral program in education, but today it is a terminal degree for two general categories of education professionals.

Masters in Education for Teachers

Today it is a graduate degree option for teacher and aspiring teachers, as most universities have a series of MEd specialization options that are designed to meet teacher licensing requirements mandated by the state in which the college is located. Teachers who are already licensed and hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Education often return to school for the MEd in order to earn an advanced degree in their profession, which leads to a higher pay scale. MEd programs are also popular with teachers who wish to earn a credential for teaching a specific subject such as math or social studies, at the middle school or secondary school level. For active teachers the part time or online MEd program is often the most convenient option.

Masters in Education for Administrators

Several of the specializations available for the MEd are offered for students (and working teachers) who want to embark on a career track for educational development or administration. There are areas of concentration for this degree that include Curriculum & Instruction, School Counseling, Instructional Technology, and Education Administration. These options at accredited universities will all meet state licensure requirements for these professions; those interested in working as a school principal or school superintendent enroll in an Education Administration or Educational Leadership program.

Requirements and Salary Ranges

A MEd program generally requires two years of study, although degrees that don’t require a period of on-site field work may take less. Part time and online MEd programs can be completed over a period that fits the student’s personal schedule. Those earning a degree in a teaching specialty will spend as much as one semester working in a classroom under supervision. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, salaries for these professions have an extended range. Depending on the state, the teaching grade level and the years of seniority, a teacher with a MEd may earn from $34,000 – $82,000 with median salary at $53,000. Curriculum & Instruction professionals will be in a higher range, $33,000 – $92,000 with the median figure of $61,000. School principals have a salary range of $56,000 – $124,000 with a median wage of $85,000.

Additional Graduate Education Resources

Texas A&M/College Station is the flagship campus for the University, with one of the top schools of education in Texas and among the top thirty in the nation. The Master of Education degree has fourteen specializations for public school careers, including Urban Education, Bilingual Education, Public School Administration, and Special Education.  Other choices include the MEd in Higher Education, Student Affairs Administration, Adult Education, and Research & Measurement.

University of Kansas has the seventeenth ranked School of Education according to US News & World Report.  The Master of Education (MSEd) at Kansas offers areas in concentration in Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Administration, Foundations of Education, Educational Technology, Educational Psychology & Research, Health & Physical Education, and Higher Education.

Penn State University has a wealth of Master of Education (MEd) options in the College of Education.  Specializations for the degree offered on campus include Counselor Education, Curriculum & Instruction, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Instruction, Mathematics Education, Social Studies Education, and Science Education.  Additional choices include the MEd in Instructional Systems, Higher Education, Educational Leadership, and Educational Theory & Policy.

Boston College Lynch School of Education offers the Master of Education degree primarily focused on teaching preparation designed to meet Massachusetts licensing requirements.  The MEd areas of concentration are Early Childhood Teaching, Elementary Teaching, Secondary Teaching, Special Education, Reading & Literacy, Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership, and Educational Research, Measurement & Evaluation.

University of Delaware has a Master of Education degree with options in Educational Technology, Higher Education Administration, Exceptional Youth & Children, Reading, School Leadership, and Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL).  There is also a Master of Instruction program for working teachers who want to further their classroom and lesson planning skills.

Professional Education Associations

National Education Association is the largest teachers union in the country, active in representing teacher locals but also very active in legislative advocacy at the state and federal level.  NEA also monitors countless programs in the U.S. Department of Education for changes in regulations and rules that affect membership.  The website offers a large inventory of educational and professional development materials.

National Association for the Education of Young Children promotes educational excellence in early childhood education by providing extensive educational programs for early childhood teachers, as well as offering discounted books on the subject.  There is also a newsletter and two journals on the profession.   There is a convention for members and the National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development which hosts a weekend of seminars every year.

American Educational Research Association was founded in 1916 and has grown to become the preeminent educational research organization with 25,000 members who are educators, administrators, testing professionals, directors of research, state and federal agencies, graduate students, and behavioral scientists.  The AERA is a primary resource for news on research, scholarly publications, and research reports as well as a networking resource for career researchers and graduate students.

National School Boards Association is an excellent resource for education administrators or candidates for educational leadership jobs.  There are reports on school board activity, policy issues, and a career center for job postings.  There are two seminar series offered through the Association and two annual conventions associated with the group.  It’s an excellent resource for the school administrative management perspective.

American Association of School Administrators offers several professional development programs for its members, and hosts a number of roundtables on various issues that face school administrators today.  There is a legislative action center and resources for public policy issues that local administrators and boards may encounter.  Events include an annual convention.

Education Accreditation and Credentials

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education is the primary body for accreditation of higher education programs for teachers and other professional school personnel.  The NCATE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as one of two official accrediting bodies for university level schools of education.

Teacher Education Accreditation Council is a newer organization than NCATE but is also recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a valid accrediting agency for schools of education.  It was established to accredit schools that were not drawing sufficient recognition from NCATE, but the two organizations are currently discussing a merger.

State Certification for Education Professionals is supplied by each state, where licenses are required and granted by state boards of education for teachers, principals, and several other categories of school professionals.  There are reciprocity agreements between many states for teacher licenses and to some degree for principal and curriculum experts.  This link is to a source for information on the requirements in each state.

National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification is an organization for the professionals that oversee teacher credentialing in each state and for other professionals involved in state licensure for education professionals.  Associate organizations include Canadian provinces and all of the U.S. military branches.

National Association of Secondary School Principals is the organization for licensed, employed high school principals, but it can be an important resource for new MEd graduates who would like to become associate principals and need to learn as much as possible about the profession.

Category: Colleges in USA , Online Degree Programs