Are you ready to advance your career in education in a way that will let you make an even bigger impact on the lives of students and provide teachers with the resources and support they need to be successful? If so, it may be time to consider earning your master’s degree in school leadership.

A Master of Science in School Leadership, also sometimes called an M.S. in Educational Leadership, will prepare you to become a building or district leader at both public and private institutions. These master’s degree programs focus on teaching future leaders in education about best practices for supervising staff, effectively using resources, developing curricula, implementing educational technology and successfully meeting other administrative challenges.

With an advanced degree in educational leadership, you’ll be qualified to take on positions of authority across the education spectrum, from elementary school to the post-graduate level. This includes roles like principal or vice principal at a primary or secondary school, school superintendent, college administrator, dean of students or even president at a university. This plethora of options will allow you to shape your education leadership career in ways that suit your strengths and interests.

Along with the wide range of opportunity and the ability to make a difference in the lives of students, teachers and other school faculty, there are plenty of other positives that come with a master’s in educational leadership. Read on to learn about five career benefits you can reap by earning your Master of Science in School Leadership.

BENEFITS OF EARNING YOUR MASTER’S DEGREE IN SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

1. Advance your career and your salary potential

Earning a Master of Science in School Leadership puts you on a path to move out of teaching and into a position of authority, where you’ll have decision-making power over crucial issues like budgeting, hiring and curriculum development. Completing your master’s degree satisfies the advanced degree requirement needed to apply for leadership roles in school districts or colleges and universities and prepares you to earn the necessary certification for your desired role.

Moving into a school leadership position also comes with a salary increase, which varies based on your role—but is generally a significant jump from the average teaching salary of roughly $61,000 a year. College administrators and schools principals earn an annual salary that averages around $97,000 to $98,000, while higher level positions like superintendents or college deans can earn between $105,000 and $120,000 (or more) annually. Plus, with a projected growth rate of 5% to 7% between now and 2031, educational leadership roles will likely be in demand for the foreseeable future.

2. Develop a diverse skill set you can use beyond education

The skills you build by earning your master’s degree in school leadership will prepare you for the challenges you’ll face as a principal, district manager, administrator or superintendent. You’ll learn to supervise teachers, improve student curricula, create budgets and secure funding and implement the newest ed tech tools. You’ll also develop soft skills like empathy, confidence, listening, reasoning and decision-making and more. These aren’t just invaluable for your career in education, but you’ll likely find yourself using them in your everyday life.

An M.S. in School Leadership also can open doors to careers in other fields. Partnering with community leaders could lead to entrepreneurial opportunities, utilizing the organizational, financial and collaboration skills you gained by working in education leadership. You could even take your practical experience supporting students with special needs to run a nonprofit related to disabilities. The options for transferring your skills to other industries are virtually unlimited.

3. Become a more influential part of your community

Educational leaders—from principals to administrators to superintendents—play an important role in the community, building bridges that allow schools and the areas in which they’re located to work in harmony for the betterment of everyone involved. Along with engaging the community to get involved with student activities, leaders also create programs that encourage students to volunteer in their neighborhoods, creating win-win situations that sometimes lead to long-term relationships.

School leaders also often work closely with local businesses to secure sponsorships, solicit donations and partner in other types of fundraising activities. Teaming up with both small and large businesses to generate funds can support everything from music and arts programs to sports teams to field trips and other educational events that in most of today’s schools are considered extras.

By becoming involved in the community, advocating for its needs, and building meaningful partnerships, research shows that school leaders actually have the ability to become community leaders. The trust and rapport they develop not only strengthens the community itself, but it can also lead to strong parental support of the school, which ultimately leads to better outcomes for students.

4. Make connections to build a wider-reaching professional network

While teachers often build strong relationships with others who work at their school or at nearby schools, it can be hard to branch out and meet people who work at other levels or in other environments—like private schools or neighboring districts. However, earning a master’s degree will provide you an opportunity to meet other teachers with whom your path would most likely never cross.

This is particularly true in master’s degrees programs that offer flexibility—like the Master of Science in School Leadership at Touro College Graduate School of Education. With classes available in person or online, evening and weekend courses, and affordable tuition, the program attracts a diverse range of educators who are looking to move forward and break into leadership roles in education.

Mixing and mingling with a diverse group of people will provide you with new ideas, new perspectives and a new network. Classmates can share experiences from a wide range of environments, try out what they’re learning in class and trade notes on what they’ve found to be most effective when solving specific problems. In many cases, they remain friends well after graduation, bolstering each others’ professional networks, facilitating new opportunities and introductions and giving each other support.

5. Gain the knowledge and resourcefulness to better support teachers and students 

One of the biggest benefits of earning a master’s degree in school leadership is putting yourself in a position to make a difference. In an educational leadership role, you’ll influence everything from school safety to classroom technology to policies and procedure, and you’ll have the opportunity to shape your school, university or district in ways that can have a positive impact on the students, teachers and community.

As a school leader, you’ll have a unique understanding of the challenges teachers face and will have the ability to support them—by providing additional resources, acting as a mentor or sounding board or serving as buffer with parents and community members. You’ll also have a direct impact on students, from the quality of education they receive to their educational experience, by hiring qualified staff; deciding which curricula or technology to implement; creating community partnerships; and securing the budget for arts, music, sports and other extracurricular activities.

TOURO’S MASTER’S DEGREE IN SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

At Touro College Graduate School of Education, our Master of Science in School Leadership program provides a comprehensive overview of pedagogical theory and emphasizes effective supervision and resource utilizations. It also covers the latest educational technologies, as well as current best practices for teaching, learning, and leading in a multicultural environment.

Students have the option to choose between two tracks: the school building leader track, which prepares you to become a school principal or vice principal, and the school district leader track, which focuses on leading at the district or regional level. Both programs are available online or in-person and include courses that build a solid foundation in how to secure resources, hire and supervise staff, improve student performance, plan and implement technology and much more.

If you’re ready to take the next step in your education career and advance into leadership, learn more about the Touro College Graduate School of Education master’s degree in School Leadership and apply today!