Best Master's in Educational Administration Programs

Undergraduate degrees include associate and bachelor's degrees in education. Students can begin their career as an educator by earning their associate degree. An Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree consists of 60 credits and can be completed in 1-2 years. This degree may be earned at a community college in preparation to transfer to a four year university to earn a bachelor's degree.

To work in educational administration, students need to have experience in education, oftentimes as a teacher. In order to work as a teacher, you need at least a bachelor's degree. Students can choose to earn their bachelor's in education or elementary education. Bachelor's degrees in education can be obtained as a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science. It takes four years and the completion of 120 credits to earn this degree. In order to work in educational administration, you typically need several years of teaching experience after having earned your bachelor's degree.

The admission requirements to enter a master's degree in educational administration include having earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. Applicants of master's degree programs usually need to have maintained at least a 3.0 GPA while earning their previous degree.

Requirements may vary depending on specific university, but students often have to submit official transcripts, letters of recommendation, a personal statement, a resume, and pay an application fee. Students may also have to take the GRE (Graduate Records Examination).

When applying to education degree programs, some universities may require applicants to have a teaching license, experience working in education and a background check.

A master's degree in educational administration helps individuals make an impact and implement changes that can improve the field of education. This degree qualifies and prepares educators to take on the responsibilities that come with administrative positions. This may include the management of duties within a school, developing curriculum, and addressing the challenges teachers, students and the community face.

When deciding to continue their education and earn a master's degree, students have the ability to choose from different types of educational degrees. Educators should consider their current career and think of what type of occupation they hope to work in. A master's degree in educational administration may be a good fit if educators want to work in administrative or management roles within an institution. Education administration involves the day-to-day functionality in an educational organization. However, if they want to work in leadership positions within their institution as well as leading other institutions, educators can choose to get a master's in educational leadership. This allows educators to implement changes and improvements to education that may impact students district or statewide. Students could also choose to get a degree in education and combine it with another degree such as an MBA, which allows them to work in educational funding, management, or policy.

Another option is for educators to get their master's degree in education, which includes a more broad degree that can be applied to many careers. They can choose to specialize their degree or explore a wide range of areas, including educational administration, educational leadership or curriculum and instruction.

When choosing a master's in educational administration program, students should consider many different factors that come with earning this degree. This includes the program's admission requirements, coursework, and format it is offered in. Factors include whether the program is offered in-person, online or a hybrid of the two. There are many universities that offer education administration degrees that can be completed online. An online degree provides educators with additional flexibility and scheduling options to fit the degree into their busy schedule. However, some master's degrees in educational administration may include a portion that needs to be completed in-person in addition to the online coursework.

When earning this degree, educators can choose an accelerated program to finish their degree early or enroll part-time. Educators should consider how much time they have to dedicate to their studies, especially if they need to balance their work as a teacher while they are earning their master's degree.

Students should make sure the program they select is accredited by the U.S. Department of Education. The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation provides accreditation for educational administration programs.

Master's degree programs in educational administration typically consist of 30-40 credits and can be completed in two years. This degree may be offered as a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Administration, Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Science (MS). While the coursework does vary slightly depending on the type of degree, the foundational courses included in these programs consist of researching educational administration and exploring educational principles. Students can take a wide range of additional elective and specialist courses to personalize their degree. This allows them to apply their coursework to their area of interest in education or apply this knowledge to their future career.

Depending on the program a student selects, they may be able to take online courses in educational administration.

Educational Administration Foundational Courses

The core courses in educational administration help students establish an understanding of different areas of educational administration such as management of resources, school law and examining data to increase student success.

Courses in this degree include:

• Introduction to Educational Administration
• Research Methods in Educational Administration
• School Law
• School Resources Management
• Curriculum and Instructional Supervision

Many programs include seminars or practicums as a part of the degree. Some master's degrees in educational administration require the completion of a thesis. In addition, students may be able to find master's programs that include a certification option, such as a principal certification, that prepares them to work in that occupation upon graduation.

Educational Administration Specialist & Elective Courses

Students have the option to customize their degree and apply the education principles they have learned to certain areas. This includes taking specialist courses in educational leadership and taking courses such as leading effective schools and instructional leadership. Alternatively, students can choose to focus their degree on management or human resources. They can choose elective courses such as management of human resources, decision making, business and financial aspects of educational administration and human resources and staff development. In addition, students may be able to find courses in diversity in education, special education and school community relations.

Licensure & Certification in Educational Administration

Those who choose to earn a master's degree in educational administration are typically educators who have worked in or are currently working in schools. In order to work as a teacher, you need to meet your state's requirements, which include having a license or certification. A teaching certificate can vary from school to school. In some cases this may not satisfy the requirement to work as a teacher.

A teaching license, on the other hand, is approved and granted by the state. All states require teachers to have a license. The requirements for licensure are determined by each state's board of education. Educators must maintain their licensure/certification and make sure it is up to date. Many careers in educational administration, such as a principal, also require a license to hold the position.

Students can choose to continue their education and earn a PhD in education or education administration. A PhD consists of several courses, a dissertation and qualifying exam. When earning this degree, students use existing and new research to further explore the field of education. Students use qualitative and quantitative research for teaching and research roles. This is a research-based degree that prepares graduates to work as a scholar or an education director. It typically takes 3-5 years to earn a PhD in education.

Students could also choose to earn a Doctor of Education, which differs from a PhD in education. A Doctorate in Education is a degree where research is applied to education by professionals working in the field. This includes researching issues in education and coming up with solutions to those problems. Careers include principal, superintendent, or dean. The focus of this degree is to figure out solutions and ways to improve education through effective leadership. It typically takes 3 years to complete this degree. Many universities may offer accelerated doctoral degrees that can be completed online.

There are many professional organizations for professionals in educational administration.

• One of these is the American Association of School Administrators, which is known today as the School Superintendents Association. Their goal is to provide resources and quality public school education to students. The AASA is made up of more than 13,000 educational leaders in the U.S. and across the world.
• The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development is made up of educational professionals such as superintendents, principals, teachers who work to improve curriculum and students' learning environment. They also work to understand the diverse needs of students and address the issues the field of education faces.
• Another organization is the Association of International Education Administrators, which is made up of leaders in the field of international education. Members from around the world come together to promote international education and organizations concerned with the shaping and management of international higher education.

A master's in educational administration allows educators to work in administrative and leadership roles. Educators can continue to work in a school setting or with district administrators. These K-12 positions include school administrators at different levels such as an elementary school administrator or school superintendent. Graduates can also work as principal or assistant principal. Alternatively, educators can work to improve and create curriculums as an instructional coordinator or curriculum developer. Educators can also choose to work in higher education at post secondary institutions in positions such as postsecondary education administrators, department chair or college dean.

Job Outlook for a Master's in Educational Administration

A master's degree in educational administration qualifies educators to hold new positions and increases their chances of employment. Since a master's degree provides advancement opportunities, professionals can work in administrative or leadership roles within their school or college/university. A popular career for those with this degree is an elementary, middle or high school principal or assistant principal managing operations within a school for K-12 students. Alternatively, many professionals choose to work in higher education as a postsecondary education administrator. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the growth in these careers is about average compared to other occupations. Any growth in these occupations is a result of increasing student enrollment in these educational institutions.

How to Become a Postsecondary Education Administrator

With a degree in educational administration, graduates can choose to work in higher education in positions, such as postsecondary education administrator. Postsecondary education administrators work at colleges and universities and manage different departments. This includes admissions, student affairs, or the registrar's office. Other responsibilities may include developing academic policies, participating in making faculty appointments and tenure decisions, and managing budgets. Postsecondary education administrators may be academic deans. In order to work as a postsecondary education administrator, you usually need to have earned a master's degree. However, there may be some entry-level positions for those who have a bachelor's degree. Some postsecondary education administrators have experience working in the registrar's office or as a resident assistant while they were in college. Employers are looking for those who have experience working in a postsecondary education administrative office such as deans or registrars. Experience is necessary to hold these advanced positions, but this is not the case for those who want to work in admissions or student affairs.

The employment of postsecondary education administrators is projected to grow 4 percent from 2019 to 2029 as per the BLS. As of May 2019, The median annual wage for postsecondary education administrators was $95,410.

How to Become a Elementary, Middle, or High School Principal

Elementary, middle, and high school principals work to maintain operations and activities within a school. In order to become a principal, you typically need a master's degree in education administration or leadership. You also need to be a teacher or have prior teaching experience. Master's degree programs help aspiring principals understand the responsibilities and day-to-day work that must be completed. This includes creating budgets, setting goals for the school and working with students, parents and their community. In most states it is a requirement for public school principals to be licensed as school administrators. An exam as well as background check could also be necessary.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment of elementary, middle, and high school principals is projected to increase 4 percent from 2019 to 2029. As of May 2019, the median annual wage for elementary, middle, and high school principals was $96,400.

Just as you do when applying to undergraduate programs, those interested in earning a graduate degree should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, to see if they qualify for any federal aid.

Depending on the a student's background, state in which they are located and type of role they are looking to hold, there are many scholarships available.

If a student plans on working in school administration, the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) offers a wide range of awards and scholarships to educators working in the field of education and school administration. This includes the Educational Administration Scholarship, which is awarded to graduate students who plan on working in the role of a school superintendent.

In addition educations may be able to qualify for the TEACH (Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education) grant. This is a federal student grant for those who meet the requirements and are working in a high-need field of education. According to the U.S. Department of Education, a TEACH-Grant-eligible program is a degree of study that prepares students to teach as a highly qualified teacher in a high-need field and that leads to a bachelor's or master's degree.