Online Master’s in Education

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Before applying and enrolling in education degree programs with the lowest tuition costs, college students must remember that there are additional costs involved in all online master degree programs, such as materials and fees, that determine the total amount of attendance. Master’s students should also check if special tuition rates apply to online students, regardless of state residency. Experts at OMC have considered some of these and other factors, and created a list of the most affordable education degrees available:

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Source – Integrated Post Secondary Education Data System & University Data
*Tuition rates are for in-state and per year. Program specific rates may apply.
**NA – data not available

It is easy for graduate students to get confused about the many online master programs available to them. Therefore, before choosing an online master’s in education program, it would be helpful to understand this graduate degree fully. The following sections, deep dive into the full details of education degree.

Why Earning a Degree Online is a Master’s Student Best Option

Online learning makes sense for education master’s programs because of the flexibility it provides. The ability to self-pace is essential for graduate students who are working full-time or have familial obligations and is most beneficial when they can choose the number of courses they take at a time. Learning can also be accelerated through the online master’s degree as time allows, as well as slowed if the student’s schedule is busier than anticipated. In addition, graduate students of education programs can often “attend” class anytime they want, even if it is in the middle of the night.

But, “What about the in-person curriculum requirement?” Graduate students of an education online master can achieve this through alternative means such as fieldwork or supervised instruction within a classroom. Fortunately, there are also options where this requirement can be through day-to-day teaching without disrupting the student’s schedule.

Some of the most common questions about achieving a master’s degree in education online are detailed below to help students quickly assess if this degree option is a good fit for their aspirations and goals:

Most programs consist of 30 to 54 credit hours and take around 15 months to two years to complete. However, 1-year online master’s degrees in education do exist. It is important to note that students will only meet this timeline if they can fully devote themselves to accelerated coursework and come into the program with at least some transfer credits. This might mean that during that year, they are not actively teaching – rather, they are taking time away from teaching others to fully focus on educating themselves. Here are few schools that offer a 1-year education program:

Capella University

Capella University is a leader in distance learning with broad experience providing the most flexible, yet complete education possible. To earn the Master of Education Teaching and Learning degree, students can choose between FlexPath and GuidedPath.

With FlexPath, students must complete 35 courses, with each course lasting 12 weeks. During these 12-week periods, master’s students can take as many courses as they wish, yet still, pay the same tuition rate. Flexpath is ideal for grad students who want to save as much time and money as possible on their master’s degree, and need the ability to self-pace. By using the FlexPath track, master’s in education students can potentially complete their degree in one year and for less than $10,000.

The GuidedPath track provides grad students with an additional structure for completing their curriculum. Although students maintain the ability to attend class whenever and wherever they want, there are weekly deadlines they must meet. The school year is divided into quarter terms, where students take between one and three courses per 10-week term. The cost of tuition will depend on how many courses the student chooses to register for. Regardless of which path a student chooses, they may save time and money by transferring coursework from another postsecondary institution.

Clemson University

Clemson University might be better known for its athletics programs, but it still offers a robust number of academic programs, a growing number of which are available online. One program, in particular, is its Master of Education in Teaching and Learning. Comprising 30 credit hours over five semesters, most master’s students will take 1.5 years to earn their degree. During this process, grad students can choose from one of three concentrations:

1. Instructional Coaching
2. Experiential Learning for Early Childhood
3. STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics)
   
   The coursework is 100 percent online and is delivered through Canvas. But unlike many other such programs, the ability to self-pace is somewhat limited. Within most courses, learning is asynchronous. However, there will be deadlines where students must complete critical learning modules, with all students entering the program as a single cohort that begins in the summer.
   
   Interested students must possess a bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale). If this GPA is not achieved, students may apply if they score in the top 50 percent on the GRE or GMAT. While possession of a teaching license is not required, this program does not provide graduates with an initial teaching certification.

Louisiana State University

Louisiana State University (LSU) offers its Master of Education in Educational Leadership to help current teaching professionals take the next step in their professional development into school administration. Specifically, this program is intended for grads who want to move into a leadership position and bring about positive changes in their existing school system. This program, designed for individuals who are already teachers, consists of 39 credit hours. Depending on the student’s schedule, the degree can be obtained in 1.3 years.

To gain admission, students must score at least a 297 on the GRE, have a valid teaching license, be currently employed as a teacher, and have at least two years of teaching experience. Additionally, applicants must demonstrate at least one of the following:

• National Board Certification
• Teacher of the Year Nomination
• Mentor Teacher for LA TAAP
• Presenter at a Local, State or National Conference
• Publication
• Teacher Leader Endorsement

Once admitted, grad students will complete the 13 courses in this program’s curriculum, with each course lasting seven weeks. Some of these courses include:

• Understanding and Applying Research in Education
• Ethics and Educational Leadership
• Administration of School Personnel
• Introduction to School Improvement/Action Research
• Best Practices of Principal Leadership I

There are two reasons why someone who is not currently a teacher might want to earn a master’s degree in education. The most likely reason is that they want to go into teaching, and the master’s program will help provide their initial teaching certification at the same time. The next likely reason is that the individual wants to work in the education field, but does not want to teach. What careers does that open up? Some administration openings at a school may not require prior teaching licensing or experience, but prefer applicants to have an educational background. Examples include admissions officers, instructional technologists, instructional designers, and career services administrators. In either case, online degree programs in education help. An online master’s in education will help aspirants to become teachers or to get into administrative roles related to teaching. And many universities will let students get admitted into an online master’s in education without a teaching background at a professional level, or without a bachelor’s degree in teaching. Here are a few such universities that offer an education program for non-teachers:

University of San Diego

Western Governors University

Wilmington University

Grand Canyon University

The most important question for a lot of students today is, “how to pay for higher education?”. This is even more important for an online master’s degree, as tuition costs can become a big burden. The following list details financial aid options that can help graduate students reduce the cost of their education degrees:

Scholarships and Grants

These forms of gift-based financial aid are the most popular among students because they do not need to be paid back. While the terms “scholarships” and “grants” are often used interchangeably, they are technically different. Scholarships are usually given based on a student’s merit or unique characteristics, while a grant is often given based on the student’s financial need.

Loan forgiveness programs

These programs help with the bottom line, in that a teacher’s student loans will be forgiven in full or in part if they agree to work in an underserved area, or with a particular type of employer. One of the most notable of these programs is the federal government’s Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program. Through this financial aid program, master’s students can have up to $17,500 of their federal student loans forgiven, if they provide at least five years of teaching at a low-income school or educational service agency.

Student Loans

Unfortunately, there are not enough grants and scholarships to go around; that is where student loans come into play. This form of financial aid is still better than a traditional loan because a student loan usually has generous terms, like low interest, and additional time for repayment, before interest begins to accrue.

Employer pay

As a means of helping existing teachers improve their knowledge and teaching skills, some school districts will provide full or partial tuition reimbursement to teachers who go back to school and earn a more advanced degree. Each reimbursement plan is unique, so interested individuals will need to consult directly with their employer to determine the details.

More information on financial aid is available on the Best Financial Guide.

After graduating with a master of science in teaching or any other online master’s degree in education, almost any career in education will be possible for graduates. Career goals can vary from person to person. Many licensed teachers will prefer the classroom teaching experience at their existing school and enjoy higher standing among their peers, teaching middle school students or high school students, which often comes with a bigger paycheck; others may choose to teach at a higher level, to college students. It is also not uncommon for individuals with an education graduate degree to work with special education students, or middle grades, and also in elementary education, special education, science education, school counseling, etc.

Some master’s in education degree holders will intend to move into a leadership or administrative position. In this case, a master’s degree will often not be enough on its own. Depending on the state, a school administrator license might be necessary. To earn this license, applicants must usually have a master’s degree, several years of relevant teaching or leadership experience, and pass a specialized licensing exam.

A few of the more common positions in education that can benefit from a master’s degree, as well as their job prospects, are detailed here:

Source: U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)