Early childhood education is one of the highest paying master’s degrees, but what many prospective students don’t realize is that there are different kinds of master’s degrees in this field. Both Master of Arts (M.A.) degree programs and Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree programs may offer courses of study in early childhood education. Different schools and program structures can categorize these degrees differently. However, generally speaking, M.A. degrees focus more on classroom teaching practices while M.Ed. degrees prepare students to fulfill other roles in education. M.Ed. and M.A. programs also differ in what they expect from applicants and whether they lead to certification.
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A Difference in Career Outcomes
Do you want to be a teacher or something more? Before you decide whether to apply for an M.A. or an M.Ed. degree program in early childhood education, you have to consider what you want to get out of your education. Despite the similarities in the names of these two types of degree programs, they are different courses of study that can prepare students for different roles.
An M.A. or a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in early childhood education usually emphasizes the practical skills needed for classroom teaching. For the most part, all of the coursework you complete for an M.A. program will help you cultivate the foundational through advanced skills needed to manage, instruct and assess a classroom full of young children.
The curriculum of an M.Ed. program looks beyond the confines of the classroom. This program may be a better fit if you aspire to eventually move up into a role in educational leadership, administration or curriculum development. Aspiring principals, superintendents and instructional coordinators, for example, will find the broader and more theoretical coursework of an M.Ed. program better fits their future career goals.
If you haven’t yet determined whether you want to remain in the classroom or branch out into leadership, that’s okay, too. Choosing an M.Ed. program in early childhood education is a way of expanding your career options, not a decision that will prevent you from continuing to teach in the classroom if that’s what you choose to do. M.Ed. programs still include plenty of coursework on teaching and pedagogy, and graduates can excel as senior-level classroom teachers.
Another question to consider is whether your master’s degree in early childhood education includes a thesis component. There are M.A., M.S. and M.Ed. programs that require a thesis and those that don’t, so students need to look closely that a school’s requirements.
A Distinction in What’s Expected of Applicants
Another difference is that M.Ed. programs more commonly expect students to have a teaching certification and experience, while M.A. programs are more likely to lead to initial certification. If you’re new to the field of teaching, you will most likely be pursuing an M.A. or M.S. degree rather than an M.Ed. degree. That’s because most M.Ed. degrees are intended for experienced educators who want to expand their career potential beyond the classroom, not newcomers trying to break into the profession. Aspiring M.Ed. students are often expected to have a minimum of two years of experience as a licensed teacher, although some schools may require either more or fewer years of experience.
Programs that don’t require incoming students to already have a teaching certification and years of experience will usually fall into the category of an M.A. or M.S. degree program. These programs may include a path to certification, but they don’t always.
Prospective students should thoroughly examine the coursework and expected outcomes of an M.A. or M.S. program to make sure it fits their needs. Otherwise, one of two unwanted outcomes could happen. Students who have already met their initial teaching certification requirements through their undergraduate studies in education could end up wasting time and money rehashing these requirements in a certification program. On the other hand, students who don’t yet have certification and wrongly assume that their M.A. or M.S. program will get them certification could end up failing to qualify for licensure and being unable to get a teaching job in a public school.
If you’re in a master’s degree program that leads to initial certification, part of your curriculum will include student-teaching fieldwork. This full-time commitment that lasts an entire semester may not be required for non-certification M.A. and M.S. programs.
Additional Resources
Are There Specific Areas to Study in Early Childhood Education Master’s Programs?