What is a Master’s in Education Management?

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One of the most popular graduate degrees for teachers is a Master's in Education Management, which is designed to teach the fundamentals of management and leadership across a broad array of areas within the education industry. The degree goes beyond merely writing curriculum and managing the classroom experience. As part of this graduate degree program, educators learn everything from current industry regulations and policies to best practices for managing staff, students, parents, and district initiatives. The degree is considered a fundamental first step toward becoming a school principal or even a superintendent of an entire school district. Professionals considering this degree should keep in mind its three main areas of focus.

Educational Leadership in the Classroom

The M.Ed. program in Education Management focuses initially on leadership in the classroom, giving professionals the skills they need to more effectively manage the implementation of new curriculum, management of student issues and parental concerns, and integration of their own curriculum with others in a team environment. These skills typically make up at least three or four courses within the Educational Leadership curriculum.

This part of the program is perhaps the easiest to implement immediately in the classroom. Most M.Ed. students are already full-time teachers, allowing them to apply skills in the classroom as soon as they're taught as part of the graduate curriculum. After mastering these leadership skills, the program will focus on broader themes of the modern education industry.

School Leadership Skills

The second key part of a M.Ed. in Education Management is managing the daily activities of a typical public or private institution. Students will take another three or four courses to fully cover this area of the program, focusing primarily on the relationship between an individual school and the broader school district, the role of state and federal regulations in the educational workplace, and the best way to handle teams of teachers and implementation of standards in the classroom.

This part of the program is specifically designed to help professionals determine whether or not they'd be effective as school principals. In fact, many students who undertake a Master's degree in Education Management eventually pursue the administrator certification needed in order to take on such a role. This is an excellent way to learn introductory school leadership skills that can lead to big career changes in the future.

Educational Policy and Compliance

Finally, a significant part of the curriculum is designed to bridge the gap between the modern educator and the policies that regulate their role in the classroom. Students who enroll in this kind of graduate program will learn how regulations are developed at the state and federal levels, how they are best implemented in today's classrooms, and how their understanding of educational leadership can help them work alongside colleagues to implement new standards and increase student achievement. This often inspires many educators to pursue a concentration, or even a separate degree, in educational policy.

Covering All Parts of Educational Leadership and Compliance

A degree in education management is decidedly broad, but that's by design. This program gives educators the context they need to evaluate a future leading schools, whole districts, or efforts to standardize curriculum. As a result, the Master's in Education Management program typically serves only as the first of a series of programs undertaken by aspiring educational leaders in public and private schools alike.