Masters of Education: Top Job Choices

Whether you are looking for a career change or have decided your first career should be in education, a master’s degree in education will allow you to choose from different tracks. Once you decide to get a master’s in education, you should choose a degree concentration. These are among the most common concentrations:

Education Administration

If you want to work in the education system but are not keen on working directly with students all day, you may want to consider a career in education administration, one of the highest-paying fields for those with a master’s in education.

You’ll be able to work in the education system and will have daily contact with students, but it won’t be all-day contact. Rather, you will be working with teachers and other administrators. A career in education administration can lead to a position as a guidance counselor, principal, vice principal or school board member.

You can be expected to manage day-to-day events and school programs. You will also be expected to work with teachers and parents to further the best interests of the children in your school.

Elementary Education

If you decide on elementary education, you may choose to focus on curriculum and instruction strategies or literacy (K-12). If you have strong interest and talent in reading and writing, consider a master’s in education degree in elementary education with an emphasis on teaching reading and writing.

Special Education

You may decide you want to teach special education students. When choosing your master’s in education, go for the Inclusion Education concentration. You’ll learn to address individual students’ needs in addition to teaching. This means that you may have to drop standard teaching practices to find out what works best for each student, especially if you teach higher-functioning special education students.

The broad diversity of special-needs students presents a host of challenges. You may have a student with cerebral palsy who requires a special computer to communicate or do school work. You may have to plan your day around a student’s other activities, such as physical therapy.

At the other end of the spectrum, you may choose to work with students who are intellectually gifted. These students also need teachers who can address their special needs.

Reading Education

Choose a master’s in education with a literacy specialization if you would like to concentrate on teaching students the art of communication. This could mean teaching how to communicate verbally in addition to reading and writing. Because of the advancement of digital technology, it is imperative that a student learn how to read, write and communicate properly. Reading education jobs can pay higher than other educational opportunities, depending on which state you are in.

If you are not sure which area you would prefer to specialize in, you can get a general master’s in education. You may be able to choose a specialty later in the process of obtaining your degree, or you may choose to work in another part of the educational system, such as the library, physical education or extra-curricular courses for students. These courses may include cooking, sewing, shop and art classes.