With an online Master of Education degree program, most students can complete the requirements in about 18 months. However, self-paced, competency-based programs allow students to move faster if they wish, while also allowing them to schedule school work around professional and personal obligations.

With online degree programs, the time it takes to complete a degree is in the hands of the student more than ever.

Online Education Provides Flexibility

By choosing an online Master’s of Education, students have flexibility in how they approach their education. In some cases, such as with the advanced degree from Merrimack College, the programs are self-paced and competency-based, so students quickly move through some classes where they have gained experience on the job.

To offer an idea of how it works, here’s a closer look at the  Merrimack College Master of Education with a concentration on curriculum and instruction. To earn the degree, students complete eight courses. Each course earns the student four credits and lasts for eight weeks. All are offered 100% online.

The core courses include:

  • Critical Issues in Education
  • Diversity and Social Justice
  • Research Topics in Education

Students work with advisors to choose elective core courses. They also complete a capstone project. That involves an ongoing research project that is related to their career goals and incorporates the idea of creating change in education.

If students wish to add a license to their degree program, the capstone project is replaced by an internship that is required for licensure.

Why a Master of Education is Important

In Massachusetts, a master’s degree of education can help students prepare for the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL), the state’s mandatory test for teachers. Passage of the pertinent sections of the MTEL demonstrates a teacher’s expertise in the subject matter of their chosen teaching area.

It also prepares Massachusetts teachers to communicate well with students, parents and other educators.

MTEL prep is part of the online master’s of education programs at Merrimack College.

Earning a master’s of education may also allow graduates to specialize in specific areas of the teaching profession. For example, Merrimack College offers four concentrations for graduate students in education:

  • Curriculum and Instruction
  • Elementary Education
  • English as a Second Language
  • Moderate Disabilities

Students can also add licensure in moderate disabilities or in English as a Second Language.

Earning a master’s degree of education takes time and commitment, but the emergence of online programs has made the process easier than ever. For those who wish to enter the top tiers of the teaching profession in Massachusetts, earning a master’s degree is a step in the right direction.