Jobs for a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership

<h3 id="section---SchoolPrincipal">School Principal</h3> <p>A school principal directs and manages the activities, personnel, and operation of either an elementary, middle, or high school. In this role, you would have quite a few responsibilities that could include: </p> <ul><li>Overseeing budgets, class schedules, and professional workshops </li><li>Interacting with students, parents, and teachers </li><li>Evaluating teacher performance and student outcomes </li><li>Developing curriculum </li><li>Directing maintenance and safety procedures </li></ul><p>Generally, to become a school principal, you need several years of experience as a teacher and you need to earn a master's degree in educational leadership or a related field, such as educational administration. </p> <h3 id="section---PostsecondaryEducationAdministrator"> Postsecondary Education Administrator</h3> <p>Postsecondary education administrators work on the student services, research, or administrative side of higher education. There are a variety of different types of postsecondary education administrators, such as: </p> <ul><li>Admissions officers, who work on reviewing college applications and accepting students </li><li>Provosts, who direct academic policies, budgets, and faculty appointment decisions </li><li>Registrars, who are responsible for scheduling classes, student registration, and commencement </li><li>Student affairs professionals, who oversee housing, athletics, and other student programs </li></ul><p>Those who work as postsecondary education administrators need at least a master's degree; however, deans or provosts are often required to have a doctoral degree in higher education or in their specific field of expertise. </p> <h3 id="section---InstructionalCoordinator"> Instructional Coordinator</h3> <p>Instructional coordinators are educational professionals who specialize in evaluating, designing, and implementing curriculums and teaching methods. In this career, you will typically analyze data, like student test scores, observe and train teachers, choose educational materials and textbooks, and then help put into place new curricula. As an instructional coordinator, you are required to have teaching experience and a master's degree in educational leadership or curriculum and instruction. </p> <h3 id="section---TrainingAndDevelopmentManager"> Training and Development Manager</h3> <p>Training and development managers are responsible for developing, planning, and administrating training programs for employees to help them develop new knowledge or skills. As a training and development manager, your primary job responsibilities might be: </p> <ul><li>Analyzing training needs of an organization or staff </li><li>Designing training programs and choosing course materials and content </li><li>Teaching and leading training programs </li></ul><p>If you want to pursue a career as a training and development manager, it's best to earn a master's degree in training development, education, or business administration, as most employers prefer job candidates with an advanced degree. </p> <h3 id="section---SocialAndCommunityServiceManager"> Social and Community Service Manager</h3> <p>A social and community service manager works within their community where they lead social services organizations that aim to help people with disabilities, children, veterans, or another special population. This is a leadership-focused position, and you might be tasked with: </p> <ul><li>Managing social programs and services </li><li>Analyzing and collecting data on program outcomes and effectiveness </li><li>Hiring and overseeing staff </li><li>Completing administrative duties, such as creating budgets and writing proposals </li></ul><p>Although many social and community service management positions may only require a bachelor's degree, a master's degree is often preferred, and an educational leadership master's degree may help you gain important analytic and managerial skills needed for this job. </p> <h3 id="section---EducationProfessor">Education Professor</h3> <p>As a professor, your job duties would likely include teaching classes within your subject area, creating curricula, mentoring students, grading assignments and exams, and conducting your own research. With a master's degree in educational leadership, you may be able to pursue a teaching position at a community college (4-year universities usually require a PhD), and it is recommended that you have teaching experience as a graduate teaching assistant or in the field of education. </p> <h3 id="section---HighSchoolTeacher">High School Teacher</h3> <p>High school teachers guide and teach students in the 9th through 12th grades, and as a teacher, you would: </p> <ul><li>Create lesson plans and assignments </li><li>Grade work and tests </li><li>Prepare students for standardized tests </li><li>Discipline and mentor students </li><li>Collaborate with other educational professionals and parents </li></ul><p>To become a high school teacher, you need to earn a bachelor's degree, complete a teacher preparation program, and become certified or licensed. As high school teachers are often required to earn a master's degree after they acquire their first job, a master's degree in educational leadership could help you fulfill this requirement and act as a stepping stone to a career as a principal. </p> <h3 id="section---AdultLiteracyAndHighSchoolEquivalencyDiplomaTeacher"> Adult Literacy and High School Equivalency Diploma Teacher</h3> <p>Teachers in the field of adult literacy and high school equivalency diploma instruction mainly work with adult learners. Their job duties are similar to other types of teachers, yet unique job responsibilities may include: </p> <ul><li>Teaching basic writing, math, and reading skills to adults </li><li>Helping students with careers services, such as job placement and resumes </li><li>Working with adult English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students </li></ul><p>Pursuing a teaching career of this type requires that you have at least a bachelor's degree; however, to teach at the community college level, you need a master's degree in adult education or a related field. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><th>Job Title </th><th> Median Annual Salary (2019) </th><th> Estimated Job Growth (2019-2029)</th></tr> <tr><td> Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals </td><td>$96,400 </td><td> 4%</td></tr> <tr><td>Postsecondary Education Administrators </td><td>$95,410 </td><td> 4%</td></tr> <tr><td> Instructional Coordinators </td><td>$66,290 </td><td> 6%</td></tr> <tr><td> Training and Development Managers </td><td>$113,350 </td><td> 7%</td></tr> <tr><td>Social and Community Service Managers </td><td>$67,150 </td><td> 17%</td></tr> <tr><td> Education Professor </td><td>$65,510 </td><td> 5%</td></tr> <tr><td> High School Teacher </td><td>$61,660 </td><td> 4%</td></tr> <tr><td> Adult Literacy and High School Equivalency Diploma Teacher </td><td>$54,350 </td><td> -10%</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <p>Master's degrees in educational leadership may prepare you for a range of high-level careers that require leadership and management skills. With this type of degree, you could go on to become a principal, teacher, or social service manager.</p>