Master’s In Education – Or In Something Else? ?

In my state only a BA is required to teach, though there are significant financial incentives to obtain an MA. From what I’ve heard, there are many MA in Education (Curriculum and Instruction) programs available that cater directly to teachers, but they seem kind of like diploma mills that just help you jump through the hoops (but allow you to finish an MA on the weekends/evenings in two years).
I’m also considering trying to get my masters in something more content oriented (I teach secondary social studies) – such as a more traditional masters program in social studies education which is from my local university or an online/distance MA in general psychology. The problem with these programs is that they are sometimes hard to schedule, cost a bit more, and may take me longer to complete.
Any guidance or advice from your experiences would be helpful.

3 comments to Master’s In Education – Or In Something Else? ?

  • Jane

    I’m a person who’s going into teaching who hates taking education courses in college. It’s not that I don’t think learning about methods of education are important; I just like learning about those things in smaller doses and/or on the job. Furthermore, I consider education classes (mostly) “training” rather than education. I have a B.A. in English and intend to do my Master’s Degree in English & History (a split degree). If I’m going to pay for education, I want education rather than “training.” I like content-oriented learning, as you mentioned. I went through an alternative certification program to get my teaching certification; it’s a lot faster than university certification. I know many teachers would say that I am not as informed as they are (going into teaching), and I’d be the first to agree. But that is the sacrifice I’m willing to make to learn about History & Literature…etc…

  • Adam

    I’m in a credential program and have the option to continue to complete my MA in education. After some serious thought I’ve decided that I’d rather get the MA in my content area later on down the road. I chose this because I would like to be able to teach English at the college level if I choose to, which I wouldn’t be able to do with an MA in Ed.
    Not sure if you’ve considered teaching at the college level, but if you might want to, this is something to consider. Also, if you’re not fully interested in becoming an expert in the Education theory or curriculum practices, the MA in Ed may be a drag the whole way.

  • [...] admin wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptIn my state only a BA is required to teach, though there are significant financial incentives to obtain an MA. From what I’ve heard, there are many MA in Education (Curriculum and Instruction) programs available that cater directly to teachers, but they seem kind of like diploma mills that just help you jump through the hoops (but allow you to finish an MA on the weekends/evenings in two years). I’m also considering trying to get my masters in something more content oriented (I teach secondary social studies) – such as a more traditional masters program in social studies education which is from my local university or an online/distance MA in general psychology. The problem with these programs is that they are sometimes hard to schedule, cost a bit more, and may take me longer to complete. Any guidance or advice from your experiences would be helpful. [...]

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