Masters in Education: Worth having?
Masters in Education: Worth having?
I know that in the end experience counts the most and all that, and I understand that a masters degree that specifies in particular small area of education is more valuable than a general Masters in Education. So is a Masters in Education worth having? At this time when it seems that so many people are going for masters degrees, is anyone actually going to look at a general non-specific masters in education and think “this person has a masters, we should definitely give them a second lookâ€
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overseasvet2
- Posts: 191
- Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:50 pm
value of a master's degree
Perhaps the greatest value of a master's degree is your earning power of the course of your professional career. The difference on the pay scale is significant in some schools; in others, not so much.
Do recruiters care? Depends...some schools like to cite the education of their teachers. For example, at my school 100% of the foreign hired teachers have a masters - you can bet that this is published! (almost 90% of the locals). Each person reviewing a CV will have their own biases. Fair or not, an online master's degree may not be as valued as one from Harvard or a major university in North America or Europe.
Professional value? I earned my master's before heading overseas. It was in special ed at a major university in the U.S. I learned much more about teaching than I ever did in my undergrad. Perhaps it's because I had a few years' experience under my belt. Many schools offer master's courses on site and these can be invaluable in terms of getting to know your colleagues and for being able to apply the new knowledge right away.
Depending on where your certiffication is from, this might put you in a different license category. Some states in the US give a higher grade certificate which requires less continuing ed credits.
Finally, how can one go wrong with more education? If you choose courses from a reputable institution....the greatest benefit is to yourself.
You can have a fine career overseas without a master's but you miss out on a great deal....
Do recruiters care? Depends...some schools like to cite the education of their teachers. For example, at my school 100% of the foreign hired teachers have a masters - you can bet that this is published! (almost 90% of the locals). Each person reviewing a CV will have their own biases. Fair or not, an online master's degree may not be as valued as one from Harvard or a major university in North America or Europe.
Professional value? I earned my master's before heading overseas. It was in special ed at a major university in the U.S. I learned much more about teaching than I ever did in my undergrad. Perhaps it's because I had a few years' experience under my belt. Many schools offer master's courses on site and these can be invaluable in terms of getting to know your colleagues and for being able to apply the new knowledge right away.
Depending on where your certiffication is from, this might put you in a different license category. Some states in the US give a higher grade certificate which requires less continuing ed credits.
Finally, how can one go wrong with more education? If you choose courses from a reputable institution....the greatest benefit is to yourself.
You can have a fine career overseas without a master's but you miss out on a great deal....
As someone who is currently looking for next year, a master's degree is almost critical. Maybe not so much later on in the Spring when schools are more desperate, but early on the schools are very picky. I would add that all recruiters care about master's or beyond degrees. How much they care varies, but what school would hire a BA over an MA if the applicants otherwise appear equal?
I don't think it matters much how/where you got your degree (assuming it is from an accredited university). Maybe an Ivy League degree is more of a door-opener - I wouldn't know.
Absolutely the degree matters to recruiters and schools. I don't think it makes better teachers, and I have not seen any studies that put the degree as crucial to being a good teacher (experience is a factor however), but a master's degree looks better on paper and in the early stages of recruiting, the "good on paper" gets you through the first round and makes you more competitive.
I don't think it matters much how/where you got your degree (assuming it is from an accredited university). Maybe an Ivy League degree is more of a door-opener - I wouldn't know.
Absolutely the degree matters to recruiters and schools. I don't think it makes better teachers, and I have not seen any studies that put the degree as crucial to being a good teacher (experience is a factor however), but a master's degree looks better on paper and in the early stages of recruiting, the "good on paper" gets you through the first round and makes you more competitive.
Answered your own Question
Everyone else already answered this pretty completely. Ill just add, that you answered your own question "if everyone else has a masters" and you dont, where do you think that puts you in the candidate pool? Its really a question of being one of the have's or being a have not. Were finishing up a job search for two positions, to start in January and we got just under 600 applications. Not a single person in the finalists pool didnt have an advance degree.
Does a masters make you a better teacher, i dont think so. Theres only so much theory you can put to practice in the classroom. A masters is going to make you more competitive in recruiting and give you, in general a higher salary (some differences between BA and MA can be really small, some really large).
Online schools dont have the same weight as traditional school programs do. Yes being accredited makes you "legit", but theres an "old school" bias in favor of traditional programs. It doesnt mean its worthless, its better then no Masters, but it doesnt mean a head is going to trash your resume just because you went to such and such a school. What really really matters to a school is your experience. Not so much in content mastery, but the big factor is classroom management and delivery skills. experience is the great equalizer salaries tend to average out between BA and MA at around 10 years.
Does a masters make you a better teacher, i dont think so. Theres only so much theory you can put to practice in the classroom. A masters is going to make you more competitive in recruiting and give you, in general a higher salary (some differences between BA and MA can be really small, some really large).
Online schools dont have the same weight as traditional school programs do. Yes being accredited makes you "legit", but theres an "old school" bias in favor of traditional programs. It doesnt mean its worthless, its better then no Masters, but it doesnt mean a head is going to trash your resume just because you went to such and such a school. What really really matters to a school is your experience. Not so much in content mastery, but the big factor is classroom management and delivery skills. experience is the great equalizer salaries tend to average out between BA and MA at around 10 years.
Thank you for your responses, all of which make good sense and seem very logical. Looks like I'll be signing up for the course then.
The part that I wasn't familiar with was just how varied additional pay is for M.Ed's in different schools, so that's something extra for me to look out for. Thanks again for the insight,
Best Regards,
Inman
The part that I wasn't familiar with was just how varied additional pay is for M.Ed's in different schools, so that's something extra for me to look out for. Thanks again for the insight,
Best Regards,
Inman
Really Varies
It can really vary, a majority of schools give small increases, a couple thousand dollars, about 5% of salary on average. Some schools give really big increases, around $10K.
In Italy last year my school gave $1,500 a year for an advance degree. My school in Denmark that Im at now gives Zero ($0). In China it was $3000. In Japan it was $7,500. Thailand didnt have a BA pay scale.
In Italy last year my school gave $1,500 a year for an advance degree. My school in Denmark that Im at now gives Zero ($0). In China it was $3000. In Japan it was $7,500. Thailand didnt have a BA pay scale.
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Mick Travis
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2012 4:09 pm
- Location: Denmark
masters
I have to admit being rather paranoid about qualification creep in the international teaching world. I understand that top schools will take the M Ed over the B Ed, but it is not that simple. The M Ed that American teachers acquire on route to accreditation is really just the same theory that UK teachers learn and apply for their PGCE; both are one year post-graduation courses involving dissertations etc.. Yet, one never has the right to call a PGCE a 'masters', so it would seem that UK teachers are at something of a disadvantage in this job market. If I am wrong about this, please put me right.
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Mick Travis
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2012 4:09 pm
- Location: Denmark
masters
Hi Ringler,
As I understand it, a Masters in Ed is de rigeur for Americans wishing to become teachers, completed after their bachelor's. Of course the undergrad and post grad degrees involve pedagogy and some field experience, but the requirement to work for a year or two in a classroom to become fully accredited is optional.
In the UK, both in Scotland and England, a bachelor's degree in the teaching subject is required, as is a post graduate certification in pedagogy which also involves working in schools for several months. After this, the putative teacher still has to work on probation in a school for a year in order to be fully accredited. As you can imagine, many of these teachers stay on/are offered full jobs in the school which accredited them and thus have no incentive in the short term to return to university for a Masters.
I am sure that the M Ed in the US is more demanding in terms of research and academics than the PGCE in the UK. On the other hand, the PGCE is, as the name suggests, more demanding in terms of research and praxis than the B Ed in either country.
The point is that the Master's is a normative qualification in US education, whereas in the UK it is optional (unless one wishes to take on a leadership role). There are Master's in specialist fields of education in the UK, requiring dissertation, research etc... at the cost of $20,000+ for a year's tuition, but far fewer UK teacher's hold masters than US teachers. Why? Because of the different structure and requirements of teacher training and accredition.
For example, someone like myself, who changed careers and retrained as teacher in his mid 30s - I made a considerable investment doing two years of training (PGCE plus probation) and once i was working in a school I had no incentive (and no money) to return to college for a Masters. Working where I am (international school in France) I don't have the money to do this now anyway, but I am increasingly worried that I will be left behind. It is bad enough having to compete with PhD people who wanted to teach in universities but have had to settle for private schools in the UK. Is this the way it is going to go at International Schools as well?
As I understand it, a Masters in Ed is de rigeur for Americans wishing to become teachers, completed after their bachelor's. Of course the undergrad and post grad degrees involve pedagogy and some field experience, but the requirement to work for a year or two in a classroom to become fully accredited is optional.
In the UK, both in Scotland and England, a bachelor's degree in the teaching subject is required, as is a post graduate certification in pedagogy which also involves working in schools for several months. After this, the putative teacher still has to work on probation in a school for a year in order to be fully accredited. As you can imagine, many of these teachers stay on/are offered full jobs in the school which accredited them and thus have no incentive in the short term to return to university for a Masters.
I am sure that the M Ed in the US is more demanding in terms of research and academics than the PGCE in the UK. On the other hand, the PGCE is, as the name suggests, more demanding in terms of research and praxis than the B Ed in either country.
The point is that the Master's is a normative qualification in US education, whereas in the UK it is optional (unless one wishes to take on a leadership role). There are Master's in specialist fields of education in the UK, requiring dissertation, research etc... at the cost of $20,000+ for a year's tuition, but far fewer UK teacher's hold masters than US teachers. Why? Because of the different structure and requirements of teacher training and accredition.
For example, someone like myself, who changed careers and retrained as teacher in his mid 30s - I made a considerable investment doing two years of training (PGCE plus probation) and once i was working in a school I had no incentive (and no money) to return to college for a Masters. Working where I am (international school in France) I don't have the money to do this now anyway, but I am increasingly worried that I will be left behind. It is bad enough having to compete with PhD people who wanted to teach in universities but have had to settle for private schools in the UK. Is this the way it is going to go at International Schools as well?
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BookshelfAmy
- Posts: 120
- Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2012 4:21 pm
Hello, American here.
The major difference between the UK and US is that every state in the US has different requirements. Some states require a B.Ed for elementary and a specialist subject degree for secondary; some allow several different routes of alternative certification. I don't know of any state that requires a Masters for certification, but it wouldn't surprise me to hear it. In my state, you can get a Bachelors degree in anything, then take an approved summer program on pedagogy and get hired by a school.
My husband and I both currently teach at state-run schools in the US. We each graduated with a Bachelor's, and then did a post-baccalaureate teacher certification program at a university, which included a year of full-time teaching. He finished his program in a year, doing teaching and coursework at the same time. I did all my coursework before I started teaching, so it took me two years. From what you described, it seems to be about equivalent to the PGCE. It's definitely NOT a masters, and some people have very little respect for a post-bacc cert. (Programs vary a lot in terms of quality.)
In my state, there are certain certs you can't get without a Masters. I do have a masters (in Library Science), but it's not an education degree. Hubby doesn't have one.
It may be true that more American teachers have Master's degrees, but it's for other reasons: pay scale, becoming a specialist, prestige, America's focus on higher education, or the continuing education requirements in order to renew your teaching cert.
The major difference between the UK and US is that every state in the US has different requirements. Some states require a B.Ed for elementary and a specialist subject degree for secondary; some allow several different routes of alternative certification. I don't know of any state that requires a Masters for certification, but it wouldn't surprise me to hear it. In my state, you can get a Bachelors degree in anything, then take an approved summer program on pedagogy and get hired by a school.
My husband and I both currently teach at state-run schools in the US. We each graduated with a Bachelor's, and then did a post-baccalaureate teacher certification program at a university, which included a year of full-time teaching. He finished his program in a year, doing teaching and coursework at the same time. I did all my coursework before I started teaching, so it took me two years. From what you described, it seems to be about equivalent to the PGCE. It's definitely NOT a masters, and some people have very little respect for a post-bacc cert. (Programs vary a lot in terms of quality.)
In my state, there are certain certs you can't get without a Masters. I do have a masters (in Library Science), but it's not an education degree. Hubby doesn't have one.
It may be true that more American teachers have Master's degrees, but it's for other reasons: pay scale, becoming a specialist, prestige, America's focus on higher education, or the continuing education requirements in order to renew your teaching cert.
In Canada (in British Columbia at least) a teaching certificate is granted after a one year B.Ed., by which I mean, a year that starts on Sept 1st and ends on August 31st and includes a three month practicum.
You can't be considered for a B.Ed. unless you have a four year bachelors. I believe in the UK most first degrees are three years plus a year for a PGCE. You're not allowed in a classroom in BC until you've done at least five years at uni.
To do a Masters, I'd be looking at at least another year at school and probably two, making six years minimum.
You can't be considered for a B.Ed. unless you have a four year bachelors. I believe in the UK most first degrees are three years plus a year for a PGCE. You're not allowed in a classroom in BC until you've done at least five years at uni.
To do a Masters, I'd be looking at at least another year at school and probably two, making six years minimum.
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BookshelfAmy
- Posts: 120
- Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2012 4:21 pm
It seems like there's a pretty broad spectrum of requirements across the states. I'm not surprised that Texas (where I live) is at the lower end. :) Texas employs something like 10% of all teachers in the country -- that's a lot of jobs to fill.
I found some statistics from the US government: 52% of public (state) school teachers have a master's degree or higher, while only 38% of private (independent) school teachers have one. Of all public school teachers, 12% have a Master's that's not in education; only 1% have a doctorate.
As Mick suggested, teachers who went through traditional teacher prep programs are much more likely to have masters' (and to have those masters' be in Education) than are teachers who went through alternative programs (presumably those who have changed career paths).
Also this quote from the Center for American Progress (which admittedly has some biases, but I don't know that this is one of them):
"On average, master’s degrees in education bear no relation to student achievement. Master’s degrees in math and science have been linked to improved student achievement in those subjects, but 90 percent of teachers’ master’s degrees are in education programs—a notoriously unfocused and process-dominated course of study. Because of the financial rewards associated with getting this degree, the education master’s experienced the highest growth rate of all master’s degrees between 1997 and 2007."
Interesting.
I found some statistics from the US government: 52% of public (state) school teachers have a master's degree or higher, while only 38% of private (independent) school teachers have one. Of all public school teachers, 12% have a Master's that's not in education; only 1% have a doctorate.
As Mick suggested, teachers who went through traditional teacher prep programs are much more likely to have masters' (and to have those masters' be in Education) than are teachers who went through alternative programs (presumably those who have changed career paths).
Also this quote from the Center for American Progress (which admittedly has some biases, but I don't know that this is one of them):
"On average, master’s degrees in education bear no relation to student achievement. Master’s degrees in math and science have been linked to improved student achievement in those subjects, but 90 percent of teachers’ master’s degrees are in education programs—a notoriously unfocused and process-dominated course of study. Because of the financial rewards associated with getting this degree, the education master’s experienced the highest growth rate of all master’s degrees between 1997 and 2007."
Interesting.
American - from Michigan - here.
Mick Travis, thanks for the description of the UK's process, something I've been curious about. It sounds somewhat similar to what the requirements are in Michigan. Elementary teachers complete a generalist degree with a specialist minor, and Secondary teachers complete a subject-area degree with a teachable minor as well. Prior to graduation, we also complete a series of education (pedagogy) courses, including a year of working in schools (which we refer to as student-teaching).
After completion of those requirements, teachers are issued a probationary teaching certificate, which is good for 6 years. To renew it, they must complete an additional 18 hours of graduate-level coursework, and three years' teaching experience. At that point, you're half-way to a Master's degree, so it makes financial sense to finish the degree, because the pay jump from Bachelor's to Master's is significant in most schools. (For my school, it was about $4500, and my coursework cost me about $12000, so after three years, I was coming out ahead.)
In Michigan, and in most states, teachers are required to keep taking coursework in perpetuity to renew their state certificate. Here, it's 6 credits every 5 years, which isn't too bad. Professional development conferences and trainings can be counted instead of that, but you have to do about 3 times as much coursework for that, and you have no degree to show for it.
Mick Travis, thanks for the description of the UK's process, something I've been curious about. It sounds somewhat similar to what the requirements are in Michigan. Elementary teachers complete a generalist degree with a specialist minor, and Secondary teachers complete a subject-area degree with a teachable minor as well. Prior to graduation, we also complete a series of education (pedagogy) courses, including a year of working in schools (which we refer to as student-teaching).
After completion of those requirements, teachers are issued a probationary teaching certificate, which is good for 6 years. To renew it, they must complete an additional 18 hours of graduate-level coursework, and three years' teaching experience. At that point, you're half-way to a Master's degree, so it makes financial sense to finish the degree, because the pay jump from Bachelor's to Master's is significant in most schools. (For my school, it was about $4500, and my coursework cost me about $12000, so after three years, I was coming out ahead.)
In Michigan, and in most states, teachers are required to keep taking coursework in perpetuity to renew their state certificate. Here, it's 6 credits every 5 years, which isn't too bad. Professional development conferences and trainings can be counted instead of that, but you have to do about 3 times as much coursework for that, and you have no degree to show for it.
Comment
You dont need a masters degree to become a teacher in the USA. There isnt a single state in the USA that requires one for entry into the profession. Some states such as NY require a Masters within 5 years (typically at renewal time) when you apply for the advance/professional credential. But entering the field the vast majority of teachers have a Bachelors degree.
Many schools and states in the USA dont even offer a B.Ed anymore, the rational being that a teacher should be first an expert in the content and not pedagogy/methodology. Typically you major in your certification subject and minor (around 21 hours) in education. Even for those majors in ECE, students get a B.A. as opposed to a B.Ed.
While there are 1 year (or 15/18 month) Masters degrees in education (and not all of them are M.Ed degrees but M.A.s and M.S.s as well) the typical program is 2 years without a thesis (and very few Masters programs in education require or even offer a thesis option).
There are "Post-Bachelors" graduate certification programs that are more closely - to the PGCE. There are also a number of alternative certification programs that can be completed in a month, or over a summer.
The Bologna accords really resolved most of this, a PGCE is not a masters.
A PGCE is just the first stage in a teachers career and after the year of all most all coursework, they become NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher). At this point they have to work in a school under mentorship for a couple years at which point they earn QTS (Qualified Teacher Status).
Some states have a similar program, where they have a "basic" (Provisional or Initial certification) and then can apply after meeting certain requirements, which are almost universally require a certain number of years experience (and typically additional coursework) at which time they can apply for an "advance" (Clear or Professional) credential. This process varies from state to state, though and its common for an international teacher to transfer and "park" their certificate in a state that has easier or more lax standards.
It should be noted that there is a "national" qualification in the USA referred to as NBCT, it doesnt replace your state certification, but just about all states will grant a state certificate to a teacher who has one.
The real issue is that the USA doesnt have a national certification program authority like the UK does.
A Masters doesnt guarantee a significant pay raise. In some states a Masters might only be worth a $1K-$2K a year. In some its can be worth two to three times that. Its the same internationally, some schools really see a significant increase in pay between a Bachelors and a Masters, some do not and have very little difference.
Most people get a Masters in the USA less for the money but to move up into administration, or pupil support positions (Librarian/Counselor), or other advancement opportunities. In education we dont have a very tall "corporate ladder".
Many schools and states in the USA dont even offer a B.Ed anymore, the rational being that a teacher should be first an expert in the content and not pedagogy/methodology. Typically you major in your certification subject and minor (around 21 hours) in education. Even for those majors in ECE, students get a B.A. as opposed to a B.Ed.
While there are 1 year (or 15/18 month) Masters degrees in education (and not all of them are M.Ed degrees but M.A.s and M.S.s as well) the typical program is 2 years without a thesis (and very few Masters programs in education require or even offer a thesis option).
There are "Post-Bachelors" graduate certification programs that are more closely - to the PGCE. There are also a number of alternative certification programs that can be completed in a month, or over a summer.
The Bologna accords really resolved most of this, a PGCE is not a masters.
A PGCE is just the first stage in a teachers career and after the year of all most all coursework, they become NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher). At this point they have to work in a school under mentorship for a couple years at which point they earn QTS (Qualified Teacher Status).
Some states have a similar program, where they have a "basic" (Provisional or Initial certification) and then can apply after meeting certain requirements, which are almost universally require a certain number of years experience (and typically additional coursework) at which time they can apply for an "advance" (Clear or Professional) credential. This process varies from state to state, though and its common for an international teacher to transfer and "park" their certificate in a state that has easier or more lax standards.
It should be noted that there is a "national" qualification in the USA referred to as NBCT, it doesnt replace your state certification, but just about all states will grant a state certificate to a teacher who has one.
The real issue is that the USA doesnt have a national certification program authority like the UK does.
A Masters doesnt guarantee a significant pay raise. In some states a Masters might only be worth a $1K-$2K a year. In some its can be worth two to three times that. Its the same internationally, some schools really see a significant increase in pay between a Bachelors and a Masters, some do not and have very little difference.
Most people get a Masters in the USA less for the money but to move up into administration, or pupil support positions (Librarian/Counselor), or other advancement opportunities. In education we dont have a very tall "corporate ladder".