If you have completed your M.A. or M.A.Ed., chances are you’ve wondered if pursuing a doctorate is worth it. The answer to this question ultimately depends on your reason for the advanced degree.
Top Reasons to Get a Doctorate in Education
You Are an Educational Professional Who Wants to Increase Your Credentials/Earning Potential
As an educational professional, a Ph.D. (Doctorate Degree of Philosophy) or an Ed.D.(Doctorate of Education) helps increase your career opportunities and salary in the field.
The two doctorates differ in that the Ed.D. is a practitioner’s degree offered as an alternative to the Ph.D., which makes it more suitable for school administrators and teachers, thus enabling them to work in K-12 schools or as part of college administration.
On the other hand, the Ph.D. is more of a research-based doctorate; therefore, it is more suitable for college professors and academic researchers, which enables them to become tenured professors or publish books on education.
You Want to Improve Your Communication, Management, and Other Skills to Effect Change in Your Organization
A doctorate degree in education from a reputable place like Education Degree will also help improve your communication, management, and assessment abilities, which helps prepare you for leadership roles in educational institutions.
So if you are ready to advance your school or organization, it might also be a good reason to pursue an advanced professional degree.
You Want to Become a Better Administrator in Your Educational System
A doctorate education also provides you with higher learning into the latest education trends, including digital learning, which can then be applied to help solve problems and fix gaps in your educational environment.
Tips on Getting Started
- Final practicum projects – such as a dissertation or a capstone, are required as part of most Ed.D. programs. Therefore, be sure to select an educational institution whose requirements enable you to design your project around your current job.
- Course loads – for online or in-school studies can usually be scheduled yourself, depending on the college or university, so be sure not to schedule more classes than you can handle per term, so you are not overwhelmed.
- Credit transfers – are also available with most Ed.D. programs; however, you must check with your admissions counselors on the number of transfer credits they will accept.
How Will You Fund Your Studies?
Student loans are available for doctorate degrees, and if you are a K-12 teacher in an underserved area who is pursuing your Ed.D., you may also still qualify for student loan forgiveness.
Most Ed.D. programs are also designed for working adults, which means you don’t have to take time off your job to earn your degree if you plan to work and pay for the program yourself.
Conclusion
In the end, it is worth getting a doctorate if your goal is to advance to a senior education leadership role, increase your salary, or expand your current educational institution. Just be sure you have the time and finances to commit to it so that it is rewarding.
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