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Education Degrees for Enriching Careers

By Sarah Clark
Learning & Life Columnist

More graduate degrees are conferred in education than in any other discipline in the United States. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, over 136,000 students received master's degrees in education during the 2001-02 academic year. A master's in education prepares students to teach at the elementary and secondary school level, as well as pursue administration and policy-oriented jobs in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors.

A Career with Perks

Teachers play an important role, preparing the next generation of citizens to be productive, thoughtful members of society. Their work has a clear affect on children's lives, helping to shape their values and ideas and equip them will basic skills like writing and problem-solving.

There are other appeals to a career in teaching besides the obvious public service-oriented ones. Teaching is a great career for a parent; you finish work around the time your children are heading home from school. Their holidays are yours, including two weeks over the winter holidays, a week in the spring and several during summer.

Credentials that Promote Career Growth

If you're only interested in teaching, why get a master's degree? With a bachelor's degree and a teaching certificate you're limited in the educational careers you can pursue.

A master's degree in education opens doors to work in the policy arena, administration of private and public schools, and research and advocacy work with education-related nonprofit organizations. With a master's in education, you can also pursue work with the private sector, developing and delivering education and training programs to employees.

Teachers are also in high demand - according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of teaching jobs is expected to grow 33.7 percent from 2002 through 2012, a rate considerably higher than the average rate of growth for all occupations.

All this spells a career that's meaningful and offers reasonable working hours and relative job security. Maybe that's why education degrees are so popular, and could be an excellent choice for you.

Sources:

• National Center for Education Statistics
• U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics

About the Author
Sarah Clark is a freelance writer specializing in career development and postsecondary education.

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