Are you already employed as an educational administrators, school counselor, or college instructor? Do you want to obtain more training beyond your master's degree, but something different then a doctorate degree in education? Then an educational specialist degree may be just what you are looking for. This is a degree that is designed to assist students in developing their research skills, curriculum development, and instructional skills. Some colleges even allow graduates with this degree to apply some of their coursework towards obtaining a doctorate degree; however, this varies by institution.
The basic premise behind obtaining your educational specialist degree is to hone your educational skills and make you the best educator possible. Many colleges and universities also offer those entering these programs to emphasize one particular educational area. For example, you can get your educational specialist degree and have an emphasis in administration leadership for teaching and learning, or you could do an emphasis in curriculum, instruction, and professional development. You can also do an emphasis in areas like principal preparation, educational technology, and teacher leadership.
Educational Programs in Education Specialist
This is a highly specialized degree, but many colleges are currently offering excellent degrees in this field. Some of these programs are actually being offered online, so you can attend classes according to your own schedule. This is especially useful with graduate programs like this one where you probably need to continue working full-time while pursuing your advanced degree.
Job Outlook for Educational Specialists is Positive
Generally, those employed in this field already work as educational administrators or teachers. Therefore, the job outlook is based on those fields for this degree. For example, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job growth for educational administrators will be about eight percent between now and 2018. For teacher, job growth is expected to be about 13 percent between now and 2018.
Strong Salaries Available for Educational Specialists
Those with this advanced degree can make great salaries. For example, those employed as educational administrators had salaries averaging between $58,000 and $113,000 in 2008, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. The highest ten percent employed in this field made over $160,000, and the lowest ten percent earned under $45,000. Salaries were dependent on state, educational level, school population size, and whether the school was private or public. This is also a degree that can be utilized to become a human resources trainer or a corporate instructor.
Educational Programs in Education Specialist
This is a highly specialized degree, but many colleges are currently offering excellent degrees in this field. Some of these programs are actually being offered online, so you can attend classes according to your own schedule. This is especially useful with graduate programs like this one where you probably need to continue working full-time while pursuing your advanced degree.