What Courses Will You Take in a Master’s in Education Program?

Getting an online master’s in education can be a worthwhile step in advancing your career. Master’s in education courses typically provide in-depth knowledge about learning processes, instructional strategies, the education system, and curriculum development. Electives offer students the opportunity to develop their expertise in more specialized areas, such as:

Consider applying to programs with courses that prepare you for licensure or certification.

Still not sure what path to take in the education realm? Don’t worry! Master’s in education programs design foundational classes, or core classes, to provide you with a broad basis of understanding.

Below are some of the most common core courses you’ll take during a master’s in education program.

The primary goal of this course is to teach you the basics behind instructional design. In this class, learners discover the best way to teach others and improve their teaching methods.

Whether you’re a specialist in a subject area or coaching colleagues, this course can help you become an expert in instructional design. This class also addresses instructional strategies, such as classroom management and student engagement.

Curriculum development teaches you how to form an effective curriculum, either for a district, a school, or a private sector setting. Doing so can help you meet the needs of the students you’re serving.

You may study high school course requirements for college admissions, how to select the right textbook to meet curriculum goals, or how to create a manageable student workload.

The main focus of this course is identifying leadership concepts and applying them to education. In addition to learning about how the concepts work both in theory and in practice, you’ll study how to talk about leadership in terms of on-campus advocacy.

Eager to make a broader change in your community? This course will also teach you how to be an effective advocate in your district and within the educational community.

In this class, you’ll learn about quantitative and qualitative research. You’ll explore various trends and methodologies so you can determine which strategies best fit your students’ needs.

This course may also teach you how to effectively collect and analyze data around classroom dynamics, such as student learning habits and different teaching methods.

Whether you know exactly what you love about education or are still figuring out your niche, master’s in education programs allow you to take subject-focused classes, known as specialized courses.

So what’s the purpose of a specialized course? These classes can help you to home in on one particular area in education. Unlike core courses, elective courses give you the opportunity to pursue specific interests.

Plus, many master’s in education students typically choose a concentration area to make them more marketable for educational roles.

For example, if you want to create lessons that inspire students, you might get a degree in curriculum and instruction with the aim of becoming a campus instructional coach. Or, if you specialize in educational psychology, you could become a school crisis counselor.

Either way, there’s a specialization out there that’s right for you.

Choosing a specialization within your master’s in education program can help you concentrate on an area of education that you’re passionate about. Below are some common concentrations:

Note: The insights on this page — excluding school descriptions — were reviewed by an independent third party compensated for their time by BestColleges. Page last reviewed March 11, 2024.