Becoming a classroom teacher is a noble calling–but what if you love the field of education, but just can’t picture yourself in a traditional classroom? No worries–there are many careers in education that don’t follow the traditional path! Picking a school and pursuing an online master of education degree is the first step–check out our list of the top 50 online master of education degree programs to find your best fit–from there you just need to hone in on a specialization or concentration area that will help you achieve that outside-of-the-box education job.
We all know that you can be a teacher with a Master of Education (MEd) degree, but that profession is just a tip of the iceberg of possibilities for MEd graduates. Working our way from the closest to teaching to the most unique careers possible with an MEd degree, first up is the Master of Science in Reading degree offered online from the School of Education at University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY). This degree is especially for those who either have lapsed certification or no certification and want to work in literacy settings rather than a classroom. The University website declares that this degree can elevate careers such as “literacy volunteers, international students, parents, private school providers, after school program coordinators, counselors in prison settings” just to name a few possibilities. The Mary Lou Fulton Teacher’s College at Arizona State University boasts an MEd degree with two different concentrations that can open up many different career opportunities. The MEd in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in either Autism Spectrum Disorders or Applied Behavior Analysis can lead to careers in speech pathology, social work, psychology, counseling or therapy for example.
Moving on to more unconventional possibilities, the University of Arkansas’ Global Campus has a completely online, 33 credit hour MEd in Human Resource and Workforce Development Education degree that prepares graduates to work specifically with adults as management and training specialists with the goal of increasing employee satisfaction and productivity within the companies for which they work. In the field of science, the next degree is for professionals who desire to enhance their skills in public education and leadership. The Science and the Public EdM degree program offered collaboratively through the University at Buffalo Graduate School of Education and the Center for Inquiry is an interesting option. This degree leads to career possibilities in museums, zoological and wildlife parks, and science centers. Rather than being a teacher, graduates can be field guides, lead debates, or work in public policy or in the government.
So a Master of Education degree doesn’t always mean you’re slated to be a K-12 teacher. Working with different populations, in different settings–MEd graduates have a world of possibilities.