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Online PhD in Professional Studies in Education

An online PhD in professional studies in education can lead to a rewarding and fulfilling career that spans a wide range of disciplines and opportunities. An online doctorate program in professional studies in education builds the on prior education, training, and experience of education professionals, consultants, and researchers seeking to broaden their careers.

Online PhD in Professional Studies in Education Requirements

Education professionals seeking an online professional studies in education Phd will need specific experience in their chosen field including education principles, child development, psychology, and even state and federal guidelines, depending upon the specific field of interest. 

The majority of the top online doctoral programs in professional studies in education require a minimum of a master’s degree to pursue a doctorate program, although some courses do allow for equivalent experience in certain areas. For example, teachers, counselors, and administrators that do not currently hold a master’s degree but have spent sufficient time working in a relevant field may use this experience in lieu of, or in addition to, a master’s degree.

Some of the master’s degrees that are perfect for pursuing an online doctorate in professional studies in education are:

• Master’s in Education
  Students typically learn education fundamentals, teaching strategies, curriculum development, and more. A master’s in education can encompass many specific disciplines like English, mathematics, or science, and commonly requires an internship or student teaching tenure.
• Master’s in Child Development / Child Education
  Child development and early childhood education are two of the most sought after and scrutinized educational opportunities around; not only are the demands just as high for other educational positions, but there are also many psychological, moral, and ethical principles that must be adhered to.
• Master’s in School Administration
  The school administration programs focus on the policies and day to day operations of the schools and the school system itself, requiring extensive training in education processes as well as a firm knowledge of the federal and state rules, regulations, and educational guidelines.

Online PhD in Professional Studies in Education

Completing an online doctorate degree in professional studies in education can take from as little as two years to around four years to finish, depending upon the particular field of study and the present education or experience level of the student. Most online doctoral programs in professional studies do allow for certain credit transfers, and most online programs offer the flexibility of working at your own pace. This flexibility, in many cases, allows the student the opportunity to complete the coursework at an accelerated rate.

Professional Studies in Education Courses

Coursework for an online PhD program in professional studies in education can vary greatly from field to field, but the general fundamentals will be the same across all disciplines. Education processes, learning theories, advanced research techniques, and critical thinking are all core subjects for any online doctorate degree in professional studies in education. Once these principles are mastered, the students will move on to the specific subject areas pertinent to their field of interest.

Typical coursework for a PhD in professional studies in education include:

• Doctoral Principles – Students learn theoretical and practical principles and applications expected in a doctoral program.
• Education Research Methods – Understanding and applying research methods and strategies for the education process, typically focusing on application instead of purely research.
• Educational Statistics – Statistics play an integral role in the entire education process; many problems and concerns about the education system and process are only apparent when these statistics are available.
• Learning Theories – Students will learn how people absorb and process information in the best manner, how different people learn, learning rates across different demographics, and more.
• Dissertations – Students will learn how to present their findings, theories, and data in a concise and professionally accepted format.

Specializations and Concentrations

The educational field offers almost limitless possibilities for specialist degrees; there are also many new fields of study emerging all time as technology and education strategies progress. Some of the specialized fields available through online degree programs in professional studies in education include:

• Educational Research
• Educational Statistics
• School Administration
• School Board Administration
• Educational Policy Maker
• Educational Consultant

These are just a few of the many possible specialist fields that an online doctorate program can lead to.

Careers in Professional Studies in Education

There many exiting and rewarding career opportunities with great pay and benefits available to anyone with an online doctorate in professional studies in education from a top school including:

• School or Education Administrator – Education administrators typically handle the daily operations of an education program as well as staff supervision, program design, and creating policies and procedures. Education administrators can expect to earn anywhere from $30,000 to over $150,000 per year, depending upon location, discipline, and experience, and the market is expected to grow by at least eight percent through 2018.
• Educational Counselor – An educational counselor’s career can range from vocational, special education, adults, children, and adolescents, depending on their area of expertise. Educational counselors are always in high demand and typically make between $50,000 and $65,000 per year, although some positions pay upwards of $80,000 or more per year.
• Post-Secondary Educators – Post-secondary educators teach subjects beyond the high school level, covering just about every topic imaginable. Pay scales for educators vary greatly by location, educational level, and subject matter. Professors in universities tend to bring in more than other occupations with $70,000 to $90,000 a year, while most post-secondary educators typically earn between $40,000 and $80,000 per year. The post-secondary educator fields are in high demand, and are estimated to grow by around fifteen percent over the next ten years.
• K-12 Educators – Educators covering the K-12 range often find themselves under the highest expectations of the educational industry; teachers may find themselves teaching many students over a range of topics, as well as creating innovative and original ways to present material and help younger students retain information. These aspects, along with the stricter guidelines, bring unique challenges to K-12 educators. The demand for K-12 educators is expected to increase by about thirteen percent by 2018, with the most common earnings in the $40,000 to $50,000 per year range.

There are many fields in the education industry that are in high demand, and offer great rewards and benefits in addition to monetary gain. Helping people learn, either directly through classroom and curriculum work or indirectly through research and development, is just one of the many ways that an online doctorate program can broaden your horizons.