Education Administration Majors Guide

What Does it Mean to Study Education Administration?

Principals, assistant principals, deans, and chairpersons have the important responsibility of determining whether an institution fulfills its educational mandate. If it does not, they must devise solutions to the problem; if it does, then they must maintain the institution’s standards and think of ways to improve them even further. They are largely responsible for the overall management of their facilities and may be in charge of many diverse tasks. Perhaps most importantly, they set academic standards for their establishments by selecting, evaluating and improving their faculty.

Some of the job tasks associated with educational administrators include:

• Coordinating activities within a school/school system
• Selecting and evaluating standardized tests
• Designing the curriculum
• Overseeing athletic programs
• Creating and enforce disciplinary measures
• Connecting with parents, faculty, and students

Types of Education Administration Degrees

A bachelor’s degree is the absolute minimum requirement for a career in education administration. Today, school administrator positions almost universally require some form of graduate degree. A master’s degree in education administration is the most common degree in the field. Many school systems also insist that you have a certain amount of prior teaching experience.

What Can You Do With a Degree in Education Administration?

Educational administrators include a wide range of jobs, including postsecondary education administrators who work for colleges and universities and school principals who work at the elementary, middle and high school level. Preschool and childcare center administrators are also included in this group. Based on 2014 numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, at the elementary and secondary school level, the median annual salary for education administrators is $89,540, though the salary can range from $59,250 to $129,300. There are nearly 230,000 professionals working in this category of job. At the postsecondary level, the median annual salary is $88,390, with annual salaries ranging from $50,240 to $174,00. The number of jobs in the postsecondary field, which typically require a master’s degree, is expected to grow by 15 percent by 2022 — a rate that is faster than average. Jobs for administrators at the elementary, middle and high school level is expected to grow at a much slower rate of 6 percent.

Education administrators can potentially attract other opportunities with their advanced degrees. Some educational administration graduates hold positions as:

• community education directors
• business managers
• school system superintendents
• curriculum coordinators
• administrators at post-secondary schools

Many graduates also serve as leaders on local school boards and in government organizations.

Education Administration Certification and Licensure

Most states require their school principals to obtain licenses as school administrators. However, this licensure varies greatly from state to state. The Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium has developed a series of national standards for various school officials. Many states now use these national standards to evaluate the conditions of their licensure requirements. Some states may require their administrators to continue taking “refresher courses” in order to keep their licenses. Be sure to investigate your state’s specific requirements for licensure/certification before choosing an online degree program.