With each passing year, more Americans pursue graduate degrees to improve their skills, enhance their professional opportunities, and increase their earning potential. Between 2010-11 and 2020-21, the number of master’s degrees conferred in the United States increased from 730,900 to 866,900, a jump of almost 20 percent. The field of education accounted for about 18 percent of those degrees, making it the second-most popular field of study at the master’s level (business ranked first). Technology and health care may grab more headlines, but education remains a powerful societal force and a robust employment sector.
Educators looking to advance in education administration, curriculum and instructional design, special education, education leadership and policy, and teaching English learners can add skills, knowledge, and a valuable credential with a Master of Education degree. Some administrative and leadership positions in education require a master’s degree; others don’t but demand skills one can acquire through graduate study. Many public school systems award automatic pay increases to educators with advanced degrees. There are many good reasons to pursue an online MEd degree.
Once you’ve made the decision to return to school, you’ll quickly face other choices. Which program is the best fit to your career objectives and learning style? Would an on-campus or online program better suit your study and lifestyle needs? How do you ensure that your admissions application is the best it can be?
An enrollment advisor (EA) can help you answer all these questions and more. An EA for the Tulane University School of Professional Advancement: Online MEd Degree Program knows the program in detail and can assist you in determining whether it’s right for you. The EA can also provide guidance on the admissions process, clarifying requirements and suggesting ways to optimize your application. From the moment you start your school search until the day you enroll, an EA can assist in every step of the process. The remainder of this article discusses how.
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The Benefits of an Online Master of Education Enrollment Advisor
Selecting a graduate program in education entails a series of complex choices. Your first choice: which degree? If you plan to spend your career in front of a classroom, a Master of Arts in Teaching might be the better option. If you think you might want to pursue opportunities in administration, policy, leadership, or curriculum and instructional design, you should consider a Master of Education. The MEd programs does not preclude teaching — many teachers hold MEds — but it also feeds many career paths beyond the classroom.
Once you’ve decided on the degree, it’s time to do your due diligence. You’ll want to research your options, weighing the benefits and drawbacks of the programs you’re considering. An EA can help you with the process. Think of an EA as an educational concierge, an advocate with specialized knowledge to help you position yourself for success. An EA can offer guidance as you narrow your list of options, arrange financing, submit your application, and enroll.
Let’s look at three specific areas in which an EA can assist you.
Comparing Degrees
Despite sharing a degree designation, Master of Education programs can vary significantly in their features. MEd degree programs typically offer opportunities to specialize in such disciplines as leadership, special education, STEM education, literacy, curriculum and instruction, assessment, data analytics, and e-learning. No school offers all of these concentrations; some provide only a few options.
At Tulane University School of Professional Advancement: Online MEd Degree Program, you can develop a specialization or earn certification in:
- Equity-Centered Education Leadership
- Learning Experience Design
- Teaching English Learners
- Special Education
Alternatively, you can pursue a generalist degree by taking electives across these disciplines. An EA can review the curricula for each of your options, discuss the career opportunities each promotes, and help you determine whether one of these pathways suits your goals.
Different MEd degree programs offer different content delivery options as well. Some convene on-campus, others online, and some offer a hybrid format that combines on-campus and online learning environments. Tulane University’s Online Master of Education can be completed 100 percent online; no campus visits are required, meaning you can complete the program from anywhere with online access. An EA can help you work through the pros and cons of each program format.
Exploring Program Outcomes
Online MEd programs vary not only in their curricula and format but also in their outcomes. Who typically employs graduates of each program? What sort of jobs do graduates get? How involved are faculty, administrators, and alumni in assisting recent graduates? An EA knows the answers to all these questions for their program and can help you compare results among the programs you are considering.
Setting Your Application Apart
Completing your admissions application is a multistep process that may encounter an occasional snag or delay. Perhaps you’re unsure how to secure a copy of your academic transcripts or you just don’t know how to get started on your personal statement.
Whatever the impediment, an EA has seen it before and can provide effective suggestions on how to resolve it. They know what works and what doesn’t from experience. They also know the admissions process in and out, enabling them to advise you on how to optimize every aspect of your application.
If you have a question about any aspect of the application process, an EA will be happy to provide the answer.
Navigate Your Master’s in Education Online with Confidence
If you aspire to leadership in the field of education, the Master of Education degree can help you achieve your goals. The degree can lead to careers in school and district administration, education policy, curriculum and instructional design, equity and social justice implementation, assessment, special education and TESOL — all areas in which you can impact broad systems.
A degree from the fully Online Master of Education at Tulane University School of Professional Advancement can position you to improve the equitability and inclusivity of teaching practices within your community. The program embraces varying cutting-edge approaches to educational improvement and reform in the spirit of New Orleans’ long history of diversity, ingenuity, and joy. Specialization and certification options in equity-centered education leadership, learning experience design, teaching English learners, and special education empower you to customize your education to your career objectives.
It’s a lot to consider. Fortunately, you don’t have to do it all on your own. An enrollment officer is available to assist you through the entire process. Contact one today!