If you’re a teacher with a current master’s degree and at least three years of teaching experience, you can advance your career, increase your earning potential, and expand your knowledge. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota offers a fully remote educational specialist (Ed.S.) degree you can complete in just three years. Here, our team discusses the benefits of earning an education specialist degree.
Specialized Certificates Open Doors
An Ed.S. degree is between a master’s and a doctorate and focuses on a specific discipline within the field of education. It allows you to become a subject matter expert by combining administrative leadership skills with the latest teaching methodologies. With this unique degree, you can become a mentor to other educators and help shape the future generation.
Career and Professional Benefits of an Education Specialist Degree
Earning an Ed.S. in Educational Administration can set you apart from other candidates. Additionally, you can further your career within education and administration by acquiring new skills and techniques.
Job Opportunities and Outlook
With an Ed.S. degree, you can move beyond teaching. This advanced degree boosts your qualifications, strengthens your resume, and adds to your credibility. It can help put you on a path of success and potential promotions.
Some of the most popular career choices for education specialists are:
- Principal: The overseer of all the daily activities, staff, and students at a school
- Other type of school administrator: Deans of students, business managers, assistant superintendents, and assistant principals
- Instructional coach: A mentor to teachers who help them improve their lesson plans to engage students more effectively
- Superintendent: The overseer of an entire school district, its facilities, operations, employees, and students
- Director of Special Education: The supervisor of special education programs who implements specialized curriculums and evaluates their effectiveness by tracking student success
Salary Potential
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, post-secondary education administrators had a median yearly salary of $102,610 in 2023. Experts predict that the number of jobs in this field will grow by about 3% through 2033. Directors of special education earn about $122,307 annually on average, superintendents earn $102,349, and high school principals earn $92,784.
Professional Development
When you graduate with an Ed.S. degree, you are gaining more than just a chance for a successful, high-paying career. You’re also gaining advanced and nuanced expertise in education and practical leadership skills you can apply to all areas of your life.
These skills include:
- Operational management, including human, physical, and financial resources
- Practical and ethical leadership to help you keep the best interest of all learners in mind
- Inclusiveness and effective communication
- Collaboration and decision-making to make a visionary plan
- Creating effective learning environments and experiences for all students
- Cultivating and celebrating diversity
Benefits of the Remote Program at SMUMN
At Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, we want our students to succeed. Our School of Education uses hands-on experience and practical studies to help us achieve this goal. We designed our Ed.S. program to teach our students how to combine organizational leadership theories with the everyday skills administrators need to become effective leaders.
Our program also offers our students several other benefits.
Affordability and Flexibility
Our 36-credit educational specialist degree is 100% remote. Like our other online programs, this program provides busy adults with the opportunity to further their education and reach their career goals anywhere they can access the internet.
You’ll meet with your students and instructors synchronously and complete your schoolwork on your own time. This flexibility allows you to keep working during the entire three-year program so you can balance your responsibilities with your schooling.
We also offer financial aid and scholarship options to qualified graduate students to make our program affordable for everyone.
Administrative Licensure Certificates
You’ll take core classes while completing your degree. However, you’ll also take specialized coursework focusing on whichever pathway you choose. We offer three administrative licensure certificates:
Character-Driven Catholic Education
At Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, our mission of awakening, nurturing, and empowering learners is enriched by the Lasallian Catholic heritage. This mission, heritage, and educational model means you’ll be taught with humanity, greeted with respect, and supported every step of the way.
Our educators value critical thinking, problem-solving, and character transformation. We strive to develop graduates guided by ethics who become moral leaders in their communities, schools, and households.
Advance Your Career at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
Are you ready to set yourself up for success, advance your career, and increase your earning potential? Consider an education specialist degree from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Our admission team can walk you through the application process and prerequisites and answer any questions. Request more information today.
