Another masters degree or PhD?

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TeacherGal
Posts: 128
Joined: Sat May 14, 2016 8:51 am

Another masters degree or PhD?

Post by TeacherGal »

I have a masters of educational leadership and I'm thinking of pursuing another post graduate degree out of interest and also for career purposes. In terms of career and salary scale is there an advantage to having a Phd over another masters degree?
sid
Posts: 1392
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:44 am

Re: Another masters degree or PhD?

Post by sid »

PhD is often a requirement for a director or superintendent position. If you’re heading there, get the PhD. Otherwise, do what suits you.
TeacherGal
Posts: 128
Joined: Sat May 14, 2016 8:51 am

Re: Another masters degree or PhD?

Post by TeacherGal »

Thanks Sid,
Can you or anyone else recommend a good Phd program for an aspiring school head or superintendent?
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Response

Post by PsyGuy »

It depends what you want to do? Did you get a leadership credential with your Ed.Ld masters?
I would concur with @Sid, If your goal is executive leadership than a doctorate is becoming more typical and common. However if your goal is something else such as counselor, librarian, or tech than a Masters in one of those fields is appropriate. The general rule is that a degree should do more for you than get you in a classroom, especially an advance degree and if you already have an advance degree. However, as always no amount of training equals any amount of experience a doctorate isnt going to be nearly as owing as a candidate who has 5 years of senior leadership experience.

There are also different types of doctorates aside from a Ph.D and even the Ph.D has different types such as a taught Ph.D and research Ph.Ds (as well as the D.Phil). Aside, from that you also have the Ed.D a professional practitioner doctorate and the and less common doctorates such as the Doctor of Arts Teaching (DAT), the Doctor of Professional Studies (DPS) and a few other doctoral degrees that could be applicable to education. Research Ph.Ds take about 3-4 years and are almost if not entirely exclusively based on the dissertation (a "long book" dissertation). Taught Ph.Ds are about 5-7 years and combine several years of taught courses followed by several years of dissertation writing (a "short book" dissertation). Research Ph.Ds in the US are practically non-existent, they are mostly a EU program and in English primarily in the UK. Ed.Ds are 3-5 years, and can be completed in that amount of time in the UK during part time study and full time study in the US, with part-time study in the US taking closer to 5 years. Ed.D candidates generally complete a capstone project that can be a research dissertation, but can be something else, like an IS improvement plan or something more action orientated.

If youre goal is counseling, library, technology, etc. youre far better off going though an EPP program a part of a masters program that offers a credential track. Very few doctoral programs are aligned with the regulating authority to meet the requirements for a professional edu credential in those fields.

If your goal is executive leadership, the optimal path would be getting a leadership credential using your Ed.Ld masters and then getting a senior leadership position in an IS and working on a doctorate from within that position, especially if you pursue a Ed.D.
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