What Courses Will You Take in a Master’s in Education Program?
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- Master's in education courses prepare graduates for various roles in the field.
- An education master's typically includes a concentration, like special education.
- Assessing your interests and skills can help you choose the specialty that suits you.
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:
- Adult education
- Early childhood education
- Educational assessment
- Educational leadership
- Educational technology
- Elementary or secondary education
- English language learning
- Reading and literacy
- School counseling
- Special education
Consider applying to programs with courses that prepare you for licensure or certification.
Featured Online Master's in Education Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
What Are Common Master's in Education Courses?
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.
Instructional Strategies and Models
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
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.
Teacher Leadership
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.
Research in Education
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.
What Other Courses Can You Take for Your Master's in Education?
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.
What Specializations Can You Study in a Master's in Education Program?
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:
Special Education
When pursuing a master's in education, one popular specialization area is special education. An average of 15% or 7.2 million K-12 students need educational accommodations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, according to National Center for Education Statistics data from 2020-2021.
The goal of this concentration is to help you work with students who have physical, emotional, psychological, and/or intellectual conditions. Your coursework will prepare you to identify and meet students' individual needs and provide them with methods for achieving personal and academic success.
Common courses for this specialization include:
- Law and special education
- Behavioral disorders in children
- Behavioral assessment
Curriculum and Instruction
In this specialization, you'll learn how to build classroom culture by designing new ways of instructing. Coursework in this concentration can teach you how to develop lesson plans and curricula for various student groups.
Classes in curriculum and instruction will also help you evaluate whether new adaptations in the curriculum meet state and federal regulations. They can also give you tools to help successfully coach other teachers, implement new standards, and maintain a high achievement level.
Common courses for this specialization include:
- Data-driven decision-making
- Identifying and responding to the needs of diverse learners
- Teaching digital learners
Literacy and Digital Learning
Because we use technology so pervasively in everyday life, it's important to incorporate it into the classroom.
Specializing in literacy and digital learning can teach you how to integrate new media into lesson plans while also encouraging language development, reading, and writing.
Pursuing this specialization can help you become an expert in effectively engaging students using technology and encouraging them to develop critical computer literacy skills.
Common courses for this specialization include:
- Teaching digital readers
- Teaching digital writers
- Media literacy
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics
Do everyday academic subjects pique your interest? Specializing in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) can help you play a role the current shift from STEM education to STEAM education.
The coursework in this specialization teaches you to adjust the framework of integrated instruction to a project-based learning approach across academic subjects.
Common courses for this specialization include:
- Social justice and educational equity
- STEAM and special student populations
- Communication, technology, and curriculum design
English Language Learners
Another popular master's in education specialization focuses on English language learners. According to the National Education Association, 1 in 4 children in the U.S. will be English language learners by 2025. As the U.S. is seeing a significant increase in dual language learners, educators with a master's in this concentration are experiencing high demand.
In this concentration, you'll gain a practical and theoretical understanding of linguistics and learn best practices for helping this often underserved population.
Common courses for this specialization include:
- English language learning
- Multicultural perspectives in education
- Linguistic theory
How to Choose a Specialization for Your Master's in Education
So you've decided you want to get a specialization for your master's in education, but you're not sure which one. Now what?
One of the best ways to choose your area of specialization for your master's in education is to assess your interests, skillset, and professional aspirations. You should also consider what field of education you want to make the biggest impact in.
Thinking through your learning objectives can help you identify potential careers. Knowing your end goal can help you select the best-suited specialization and provide you with a clear path to pursue it.
At the end of the day, you'll know you're making the right choice if you feel a meaningful connection to your work and studies.
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.
