A graduate degree in education generally prepares you for a job as a teacher or administrator; however, if you prefer other opportunities, many other alternatives are open to graduate education degree holders.
If you are already in education but wish to teach in a different area, a master's degree can help you to branch out, for example, into English as a Second Language teaching either at the K–12 or college level. If you are in a different field but wish to move into education, there are master's degree programs that simultaneously prepare you for certification and can help you to begin your new career in education with greater ease. And if you want to teach at the college level, you will find that most professors (even at online universities) hold a doctorate.
Administration is the other natural career path for education degree holders. Again, a master's and/or doctorate (with appropriate licensure) program can pave the way for prospective principals, superintendents, directors of curriculum, and other school district administrative posts. Other job opportunities exist at state-level departments of education, as well as national education organizations and associations (such as The National Education Association or The American Federation of Teachers), according to Careers for Book Worms and Other Literary Types.
A degree in education can also be useful for a transition from teacher to school counselor or psychologist. You may consider looking for work as an educational consultant or a trainer in business. Others use education degrees in careers related to coaching (such as an athletic director) or for educational programming departments in museums or park systems.
Regardless of your immediate career goals, a graduate education degree allows you to seize interesting opportunities as they come along, providing skills in teaching, planning, time and people management, research, and writing that can be applied to any number of careers.
