Diving into the Best Career Tracks with an Education Specialist Degree

Education is a broad field, giving you a multitude of options within which you can work if this is your desired career path. Depending on your goals, you may decide to use your passion for helping others by getting a bachelor’s degree in a program geared toward a specific age group (such as Elementary Education) or a specific subject (like English or History), for instance. But if you want to have an even bigger impact, another option to consider is an Education Specialist degree. This course of study offers even more career tracks from which to choose.

What Is an Education Specialist Degree?

An Education Specialist degree, sometimes shortened to EdS, is a degree program for people in the education field who already have their master’s degree and want to further their education without going for their doctorate. An Education Specialist degree can be a good option for professionals who are interested in higher-level leadership roles within a specific school or institution, providing them the opportunity to elicit a greater amount of change.

Education Specialist Degree Career Tracks

Should you make the decision to pursue your Education Specialist degree, you may be wondering what this means in terms of your career. Career tracks available to an Education Specialist degree holder include:

• School superintendent: Superintendents are responsible for taking the school board’s vision and implementing programs that bring that vision to life. A person in this role also looks after the school or school system’s budget, is involved in hiring staff, and participates in long-term planning for the educational institution.
• School principal: A principal handles many of the day-to-day tasks associated with running a school. This includes making sure the school has the equipment and supplies it needs, ensuring that there is adequate staff working at all times, and reaffirming that there are proper procedures in place for teachers, students, and anyone visiting the institution—such as those related to school safety and security.
• School administrator: You can also use your Education Specialist degree to serve in a school administrator role. The exact duties performed will vary depending on your specific title and job description, but generally include overseeing the school to make sure it runs as smoothly as possible. This may require managing the budget, supervising staff, and assisting with the creation or modification of policies and procedures.
• School counselor: If you have a desire to work one-on-one with students, becoming a school counselor is a career track to consider. In this role, you would help students directly as they strive to overcome the obstacles they face and decide their own career paths. You may also work with students who are struggling either personally or academically, connecting them with the resources they need to improve their mental health and/or academic performance.
• Special education specialist: Another career track option with an Education Specialist degree is to work as a special education specialist. This involves working with students who have special educational needs so they can achieve greater academic success. This might mean assisting students who have learning disabilities, or it could involve working with students with mental health conditions that affect their cognitive abilities.
• Educational technology specialist: If you have a passion for education and technology, you can use both as an educational technology specialist. This position, which is sometimes referred to as EdTech specialist, is open to people with an Education Specialist degree and involves finding ways to utilize technology that is available within the school to improve student learning outcomes. Types of technology you would likely work with include computer software, online platforms, and a variety of electronic devices. As advances continue to be made in the technology field, your options for using this new technology to improve education will advance as well.

How to Get Started

If any of these career tracks sound interesting to you, Saint Leo University offers an Education Specialist master’s degree with a concentration in educational leadership. This two-year online program consists of 36 credit hours and prepares you to fill roles in education administration and supervision. Courses you will take include Analytical Leadership, Technology Innovation and Diffusion, Diversity and Leadership, and Leading the School Organization.

To learn more about this Education Specialist degree program, you can fill out the convenient online information request form. Alternatively, if you’re ready to advance your career with an Education Specialist degree from Saint Leo, you can apply now.