If you want to become a teacher, chances are you’ve begun to think about the different degree options available, namely a Masters in Teaching and a Masters in Education. But what’s the difference? The difference, actually, is quite large.

Masters in Teaching
Do you want to teach, but don’t have experience? The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) is the way to go. The Master degree in teaching requires a minimum of 30 post-graduate semester hours and relies heavily on advanced coursework in a specific subject. For example, if you love calculus, the Master of Arts in Teaching will make you an expert calculus teacher. Even more exciting is that, with the Masters in Teaching, you actually get to teach. MAT students typically spend a full semester as student teachers (a program also known as guided practice), teaching alongside certified teachers.

Masters in Education
The Masters in Education is a degree with actual majors within itself and allows you to do a number of things. To become a teacher, one can have a Masters in Education with a focus on Curriculum Instruction or Curriculum Teaching. A Masters in Education with a focus Counselor Education can certify you to become a mental health counselor, and a Masters in Education with a focus on School Counseling is the path you would pursue to become a guidance counselor. There’s also Higher Education and Student Affairs, if you’re looking to teach college students, and Adult Education to (you guessed it) teach adults who are returning to school. You can even use a Masters in Education to prep for your PhD. The most important difference between this and the Master in Teaching is that the Masters in Education is commonly (but not exclusively) aimed towards professional teachers hoping to advance their knowledge in their particular field.
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Now that you know the difference between the two, it’s probably pretty noticeable how different they are. Knowing the difference between a Master in Teaching and a Masters in Education, you can ask the right questions, save time and get the degree you need.

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Effective July 15, new rules in Georgia will require teachers seeking an increase in salary pegged to continuing education to complete their masters degrees or doctorates at an accredited college or university. Previously, teacher salaries in Georgia increased at an average of $6,000 per year for teachers with an advanced degree from any university, whether or not it was an accredited school. Now, only degrees from colleges accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) or the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) will qualify teachers for those salary increase.

According to Kelly Henson, head of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission that oversees teacher certification, “The rules in Georgia prior to the policy change essentially allowed — with a few exceptions — an educator to get a degree in virtually any subject or field from virtually any institution and qualify for a compensation upgrade… We believe in the value of advanced degrees and we believe that educators should be compensated for the completion of meaningful, relevant and rigorous advanced degrees.”

The new rule is designed to increase the quality of education in Georgia, ensure that instructors have the proper teacher certification and prevent educators from pursuing a graduate degree at a college with an inadequate curriculum. In addition to this, teachers will also be required to complete their degree in a subject related to the one they teach.

This teacher certification overhaul in Georgia coincides with new federal regulations implemented by the Obama administration to prevent students from taking on too much debt to attend for-profit, non-accredited colleges. These “gainful employment” regulations are designed to ensure that students will enroll in a school that can actually increase their job prospects and prevents for-profit schools from accessing federal financial aid if too many of their graduates are unable to find jobs that pay enough to allow them to pay back their student loans.

As of now, Georgia ranks third in the country for their compensation of advanced degrees, but in terms of the quality of those degrees, they are at the bottom. Tim Callahan, spokesman for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, says, “We don’t want people going to fly-by-night educational institutions to get degrees… I think teacher quality is a big issue, and that includes teacher education and professional education.” The state hopes that requiring their teachers to pursue degrees from accredited colleges or universities will improve the quality of their teaching certification and therefore improve the quality of education in Georgia.

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Interested in becoming a teacher in Georgia? Check out our page on Georgia teacher certification and salaries.

Tough economies pose difficult career hurdles, but also opportunities. Even if you haven’t lost your job, you probably know someone who has. Any period of economic correction is the perfect time to question your educational goals.

A great post from Happy Halfway discusses the writer’s individual educational goals:

What are your educational goals?

• Do you want to keep your skills up to date in your current job?
• Do you want to vamp up your earning power?
• Do you want to retrain for a completely new midlife career change?
• Do you want to focus on your personal growth and development?
• Do you want to learn something fun like scuba diving or photography?
• Do you feel alive when faced with new challenges and just love learning new ideas and things?
• Do you want to learn something that will get you one step closer to retirement such as managing investments and retirement accounts?
• Do you want to be a role model for your children and teach them it’s never too late to get an education?
• Do you just want to learn more about your favorite hobbies and subjects?Your education purpose will most likely change as you get older. When I first went to college my goal was to get a degree in order to get a good job that paid well.

Today my goal is to learn those things that I’m passionate about and that challenges me to be the best person I can be.
Once you know what your education purpose is, there are countless resources available to find the learning gateway to help you reach your needs.

What are your educational goals?