For personal reasons, Jennifer was not interested in attending a traditional brick-and-mortar institution and decided to pursue her degree online. So she turned to a virtual university. However, Jennifer, like many people, knew very little about online degree programs and wanted to learn about her options.
"It took me awhile to come to terms with the fact that I was actually going to enroll," she said candidly. "Online education was still fairly new to the general public at the time." Despite her fears of not attending a traditional school, Jennifer enrolled and received her master's degree after 18 months from Walden University.
If you are considering an education degree in order to expand your career opportunities, online schooling may be a perfect fit.
Master's Degree in Education: What are My Options?
Fortunately for today's busy education professional, there are a number of excellent universities that offer advanced online education degrees. Many of these degrees can be completed in less than two years. Before deciding on a graduate program in education, it is important to understand that different master's degree options can help you to achieve different goals.
- Master's of Education.
A Master's of Education degree, or M.Ed., is a professional, graduate-level degree geared toward individuals who are seeking to move beyond the classroom into administrative-level positions or other specialized roles. It is generally not a teaching degree.
- Master's of Arts in Teaching.
The Master's of Arts in Teaching, or MAT, differs from the M.Ed. and the other master's degrees in education primarily in that a majority of coursework focuses on the subject to be taught (i.e. history, English, math, biology, etc.) rather than on educational theory.
- Master's of Arts in Education.
A Master's of Arts in Education is perhaps the most flexible degree in the field and often allows an educator to specialize in one of several concentrations.
- Master's of Science in Education.
As the name Master's of Science in Education suggests, this degree program provides ample opportunity for the student to take a more scientific approach to the study of education. Many of those individuals who choose to follow the scientific route concentrate on topics like instructional technology or educational research.
