What Is an M.Ed. Degree?

Earning a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree is a popular and beneficial step for educators, whether they want to excel in the classroom or move into a leadership role. These degree programs offer a variety of focus areas to help people reach their professional goals, including secondary education, curriculum and instruction, educational technology, PK-12 building-level leadership and higher education. 

According to Dr. Brett Tozer, chair of the School of Education at Franklin University, one of the major benefits that M.Ed. degrees provide is flexibility. 

“If you get a Master of Education, then you have options,” Tozer said. “If you’re a current teacher you’re able to take advantage of some of the salary benefits and incentives that are built into the collective bargaining agreements that reward additional pay for master’s degrees. You’ll also have expanded your knowledge and opened yourself to some building-level leadership opportunities.”

M.Ed. Coursework

Core coursework for a Master of Education program will broaden and deepen your knowledge in education theories, teaching strategies, forms of assessment and student learning and behavior patterns. You also will learn how to apply your knowledge and skills in your classroom.

The courses specific to your concentration will provide opportunities to become an expert in your chosen area. For example, in a curriculum and teaching program, classes will include curriculum development, school change and reform and action research.

Dr. Tozer says the M.Ed. programs at Franklin University always focus on connecting theory to practice so that the coursework makes a smooth progression. 

“We start with educational leadership, which moves into leadership theory, which is followed by education law,” he says. “Then we look at curriculum alignment… and that leads to what it’s like working broadly with the community and how to work with stakeholders as well as educational research.”

How Long Will It Take to Get an M.Ed.?

How long it will take to earn an M.Ed. depends on many factors, including your previous education, the program you choose, choosing to attend classes full or part time and whether you take hybrid or online courses.

Typically a Master of Education program will take 1-2 years to complete as a full-time student and 3-4 years as a part-time student. Full-time status depends on the number of credits required for the degree and the minimum number of credits required by the college or university. For teachers who intend to continue teaching while pursuing their degrees, online and hybrid courses provide more flexibility for when and where you can complete your studies.

The M.Ed. program at Franklin University features consecutive 6-week classes. This structure enables you to take one class at a time, take all of your credits within three trimesters and achieve your degree in a calendar year.

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What are the Benefits of M.Ed. Degrees?

The benefits of an M.Ed. are significant. In addition to honing your abilities, equipping yourself with additional real-world skills and becoming an education expert, an M.Ed. degree will help you stand apart as a leader and give you a leg up in hiring processes over candidates who only hold a bachelor’s degree. An M.Ed. will help you:

• Develop Leadership Skills: A Master of Education program will provide you with the knowledge and real-world skills to fill leadership roles, many of which require a master’s degree to be considered or be competitive. Plus, you will develop a deeper understanding of pedagogy and classroom management strategies that will help improve student outcomes.
• Become a More Effective Advocate: Getting your M.Ed. and taking on leadership roles sets you up as an expert in your school and district. This increases your ability to advocate for your students and bring about change.
• Advance Your Career in Teaching: You can increase the number of specializations you are qualified to teach. Because specialists in many fields are in high demand – for example, English as a Second Language, curriculum development and special education – you’ll have more options in the job market.
• Increase Your Salary: When the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) looked at 90 sample school districts, they found that the lifetime earnings for a teacher with a master’s degree were about $2 million, or roughly $67,000 a year over a 30-year career versus $1.7 million, or about $57,000 a year over the same timeframe for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree. For more information, see the M.Ed. Salary: Calculating Value for Education Jobs article.
• Expanded Career Opportunities: A master’s degree is required for many administrative and leadership roles, including school principal, instructional coordinator, curriculum developer and dean of students. So having the degree – and any necessary licenses – will mean you are qualified for and opening yourself up to these job opportunities, many of which also have higher salaries.
• Build a Strong Professional Network: As you pursue your degree, you’ll meet many like-minded people and industry experts and can build strong connections and networks that may lead to career support, promotions and employment.

For more reasons to earn your Master of Education degree, see Is a Master’s Degree Right for Me? 7 Reasons Why It May Be the Right Time.

What Jobs Can You Get with an M.Ed.?

Once you have your Master of Education degree, your career opportunities expand tremendously. With appropriate licensures, graduates often become lead teachers, specialists, principals and administrators. Potential careers include:

District Administrator or Superintendent
Act as the chief executive officer of a school district. Manage such issues as student achievement, budgets and resources, general operations and relationships with government agencies and other stakeholders. A master’s or doctoral degree in education leadership or school administration is required. Depending on your state’s requirements, you may also need professional certifications. According to Payscale, the average annual salary for school superintendents is $127,309.

School Principal
Oversee the operations of a school, including daily activities and leading teachers and staff, setting goals, approving curriculums and keeping track of student performance. A master’s degree in education and a principal licensure typically are the minimum qualifying credentials. Consider a program that offers a Master of Education in Education Administration or Educational Leadership. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the median annual wage for elementary, middle and high school principals was $98,420 in May 2021, and the highest 10% earned more than $153,520.

Teacher
Prepare lesson plans and share your knowledge on a topic in ways that instruct students and help them learn and grow. Concentrations to consider include early childhood education, elementary education, secondary education, curriculum and teaching, instructional technology and media, special education or a subject-specific concentration such as social studies, mathematics education, science education, teaching English as a second language (TESOL) or English language literacy (ELL). A teacher’s salary is impacted by many factors, including your education level, the grade level you teach, the subject you teach and where your school is located. For example, Payscale reports that the average salary for all teachers with an M.Ed. is $67,000. But the average salary for elementary school teachers with M.Ed. degrees is $63,086, while the average high school teacher’s salary is $70,281 

School Librarian
Work with students and teachers to ensure everyone can access information in many formats and that reading is integrated across the curriculum. Requirements to become a school librarian vary by state, with many requiring a teaching license and a master’s degree in library media education, school library media, library media or similar specialization. In May 2021, the median annual wages for librarians and library media specialists in elementary and secondary schools was $61,640, according to BLS.

Educational Policy Analyst or Developer
As a big-picture thinker who wants to shape education, identify, brainstorm and research the issues facing education and propose solutions, as well as analyze and report on current policies’ impact on communities. Consider a focus like education policy and leadership, educational leadership or education administration. According to Payscale, the average salary for an education policy analyst is $61,366.

Corporate Trainer
Develop and implement programs to improve the skills and knowledge of employees in job-specific skills, workplace technologies, corporate policies and procedures and more. Consider a focus such as learning design and technology, curriculum development, adult learning or educational leadership. According to Payscale, the average salary for a corporate trainer is $58,018. BLS projects that employment of training and development specialists will grow 8%  from 2021 to 2031, which is faster than the 5% average for all occupations.

Textbook Author
Work with publishers to write textbooks that teach students the required skills and information. Concentrations in curriculum development, secondary education, early childhood education or a specific subject like science education, mathematics education or language and literacy are helpful. ZipRecruiter reports that the national annual salary for a textbook writer is $55,552, with top earners making $88,000 annually.

School Counselor
Help students develop academic and social skills and plans for what they’ll do after graduation. A master’s degree is typically required. Look for a program offering a Master of Education in School Counseling. The BLS reports that the median annual wage for school and career counselors in elementary and secondary schools was $63,460 in May 2021.

Tips For Evaluating M.Ed. Programs

As you explore M.Ed. programs, consider your professional goals and how you can use your master’s degree to advance your career. Knowing where you see yourself in five years and understanding what credentials and degrees are required for the job you want can help you decide on your area of concentration. 

For example, if you want to be an instructional coach, then look at an M.Ed. in curriculum instruction. But if you dream of being a dean of students at a university, consider a Master of Education in Educational Leadership. 

Once you know what your concentration will be, research the programs you’re interested in to see if they offer it—or one that is similar. Also, be sure to determine whether the programs will fit your life. Do they offer classes on Saturday or in the evening so you can continue to work? Are the classes remote or do they require you to be physically present?

After you’ve selected the programs you will apply to and have noted their application requirements, check their application deadlines. Some schools review applications for spring, summer and fall entry and have deadlines for each. Other schools accept applications year-round. For example, Franklin University has multiple start dates each year.

Requirements for Applying to an M.Ed. Degree Program

Admissions requirements vary by school but often require:

• A bachelor’s degree
• Transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate coursework you’ve completed
• Minimum GPA of 2.75 or 3.0 (Franklin University requires at least a 2.75.)
• 2-3 letters of recommendation
• A statement of purpose that describes why you’re pursuing a Master of Education degree
• Résumé
• Application and application fee

Additional requirements may include a GRE score, professional experience and an English proficiency exam if your native language is not English.

Be sure to confirm the application requirements for each program you want to apply to.

Tips for Preparing Your Application to an M.Ed. Degree Program

Now that you know where you want to apply and their requirements, you can begin preparing your application.

Prep Work

Letters of recommendation. Depending on the school’s requirement, email two or three people who can speak from personal knowledge about your academic or professional qualifications for graduate study and ask if they will write letters for you. When possible, they should be professors who have had you in class. But you can use professional recommendations if you’ve been out of school for a while. Be sure to tell them what the deadline is and how they will have to supply the letter (for example, typing it in an online form or uploading a document on professional letterhead) and provide them with any additional information that will help make their writing process easier. (Your transcript, résumé and a draft of your personal statement or essay can all be helpful.)

Standardized test and other exams. If test scores are required, schedule your exam or send your scores to the program.

Transcripts. Some schools allow you to scan and upload the transcripts for all the undergraduate and graduate courses you have completed. Others require official, sealed transcripts from all colleges and universities from which you’ve received a bachelor’s degree and where you took any master’s coursework. Check your program’s requirements and request transcripts as necessary.

Writing

The first draft. Review each of the grad school applications to remind yourself what they require for your admission essay or personal statement. Some applications provide little guidance about what you should write, while others include specific questions or topics.

Your personal statement is a chance to give schools some insight into your character and personality. Schools are looking for interesting and articulate students with different points of view, ambitions, backgrounds and interests. Your personal statement is one of the ways to give them insight into who you are.

Begin writing your first draft and:

• Include a summary of your background and experience. Then discuss what makes you different or unique, your motives and aspirations and why you want to attend this school.
• Ask friends and relatives for ideas if you need help getting started. Others often see us differently than we see ourselves.
• Carry around a notepad and jot down anything that comes to mind about unique experiences and significant influences on you and your abilities.
• Aim for depth, not breadth. Focus on one or two specific themes, incidents or points.
• Be yourself. Get creative, particularly in your opening statement, Address the school’s unique features that attract you.
• Don’t merely repeat information you’ve already provided elsewhere in your application.
• Use your opener to entice the reader to keep going. The opening sentences are especially important in capturing the reader’s attention and interest.
• Allow yourself more time than you think you’ll need to draft and revise.

Get feedback. Once you’re happy with your essay, share it with people you trust and ask for their thoughts. Incorporate their feedback and advice. Revise the essay until you are confident it is ready, and then because it’s easy to overlook errors and inconsistencies when you’ve been so focused on it, ask someone to read your essay one more time.

Applying

Applications. Complete the application forms for each program you want to apply to. Many programs now enable you to complete the application process online. For any that require you mail in your application, be sure to scan everything you don’t already have digital copies of. And don’t forget to include the application fee!

Admission interview. An in-person interview can provide an opportunity to sell yourself to the school. Review the school’s website to see what its interview policy is. If they say they don’t conduct interviews, don’t ask for one.  If you schedule an interview, be prepared to elaborate on, explain, confirm and corroborate the information in your application. The interviewer may look at your essay as a jumping-off point for questions. Review typical interview questions and prepare honest answers for them. Be prepared to demonstrate how well you think on your feet and whether you and the program will be a good fit for each other. Above all, keep your poise and sense of humor.

Financial aid. Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, provides more than $120 billion each year to help millions of students pay for higher education. Completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is free. You can learn more and complete the form at fafsa.gov. Other aid may be available through your program or employer.

“One of the advantages we have at Franklin, especially for the K-12 program,” says Dr. Tozer, “is we have a lot of schools that are partners with us. Many of those partnerships include a tuition discount. So you can always look to see if your employer already has a tuition discount. But if not, see if your employer provides any kind of financial assistance, whether through tuition reimbursement or other aspects.”

Acceptance

Your last step is to officially notify the schools that have accepted you whether you are going to enroll in them or not. Congratulations! For proven strategies for succeeding in your master’s program, see How to Get a Master’s Degree: 8 Tips for Success.

M.Ed. in Educational Leadership Programs at Franklin University

With an M.Ed. degree, you’ll increase your earning potential and open doors to roles requiring management and motivation in education and other industries. You can achieve your degree in a year with Franklin University’s streamlined M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. In the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership with a focus in K-12 Building-Level Leadership program, you’ll master the concepts that tie effective leadership to higher student success rates. Or, you can prepare yourself for a career at the college level by choosing the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership with a focus in Higher Education Leadership. Both can be completed online, enabling you to balance your degree with your life.

“We get you to your degree as fast as we can without sacrificing quality,” says Dr. Tozer. “Because we’re not stacking classes on top of each other simultaneously, you get to focus on one class at a time. So as a working educator, your experience is that your job stays the same and your life stays the same, except you’re taking one class. And you don’t have to change that space in your day for doing your reading and assignments when you change courses. It’s the same time of day, just a different program number, and you’re reading a different book and responding to and doing different assignments.”

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