Get Your Educational Specialist Degree

Everything you need to know about getting your educational specialist degree

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An Educational Specialist degree program is an advanced degree option for people who already have a master's degree with a teaching or educational focus. Like other six-year specialist degrees, it is an intermediate degree between a master's degree and a doctorate. It is designed for people seeking advanced teacher certification or career advancement beyond that normally attained with a master's degree.

The EdS degree requires from 30 to 45 credit hours of work and can often be completed in one year after attaining your master's degree. However, the classes offered in Educational Specialist programs are often incompatible with doctorate courses and do not readily transfer toward a future doctoral degree. Contact your State Education Board to learn about requirements in your state, and see "How to Become a Teacher" for more information.

Using Your Educational Specialist Degree

If you want to become a school psychologist or counselor, an Educational Specialist degree will be your minimum preparation requirement in many states. Or if educational leadership is in your future, an educational specialist degree will help you become a school principal, program director or senior level educator. Many EdS degree holders become professors at junior or small private or state colleges. For more information on school management careers and degrees, see our school leadership resource center. Here are some of the most common EdS degrees:

• School Psychology
• Curriculum & Instruction
• Special Education
• Educational Administration

As the intermediate degree for many professionals who supervise master's degree level personnel, the EdS degree is an easy choice for teachers who aspire to leadership roles but do not want the theoretical or researched-based advanced education provided in doctorate level degree programs. Many schools offer an online teaching degree option for your convenience. See our comprehensive database of teaching schools to find one that meets your needs.