Get Prepared for Rewarding Careers in Education Outside of the Classroom with an Online Graduate Degree

Today’s educators can take advantage of many exciting career options outside of teaching in the traditional classroom setting. After being a teacher for several years, some educators feel the urge to use their credentials in a different way, especially in high-demand areas such as school counseling, instructional design, and early childhood education.

Walden University, an accredited university offering online degree programs, invites you to take a closer look at these exciting career options outside of the classroom:

School Counseling Careers

School counselors are in a position to help students in many ways, both academically and emotionally. Elementary, middle, and high school students today have more pressures and challenges than their parents experienced growing up.

Peer pressure about drugs and sex is ever-present. Bullying is a concern both at school and online. The student population is more ethnically diverse with more children speaking English as a second language. Teachers are dealing with more students per class. And many students may have serious problems at home that directly affect their ability to learn and excel in school.

In this complex environment, school counselors are in high demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 13% growth in school counseling jobs between 2016 and 2026. A master’s degree is normally required, and school counselors earn an average annual salary of more than $55,000.^*

Online Degree Programs in School Counseling

Walden University’s School of Counseling offers two online graduate degrees:

• MS in School Counseling with four specializations
• PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision (CACREP accredited) with six specializations

Careers in Instructional Design and Technology

The demand for instructional design and technology professionals who can reshape the way information is created, integrated, and delivered is growing rapidly throughout a wide spectrum of educational institutions and organizations in the private, nonprofit, and government sectors.

In education, instructional designers develop coursework for school districts, colleges, and universities. In corporations and government agencies, they develop employee training programs. By integrating the latest interactive technology and multimedia tools into the design, instructional designers (also known as instructional coordinators) enhance and enrich the learning experience of professionals and students.

Online Degree Programs in Instructional Design and Technology

Walden University’s Richard W. Riley College of Education and Human Sciences provides a robust MS in Instructional Design and Technology program that teaches educators how to build quality education courses and training experiences while incorporating interactive technology. The online master’s degree program prepares educators for interesting jobs outside the classroom such as instructional designer or coordinator, training developer, online instructor, performance improvement consultant, and manager of e-learning delivery.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the number of jobs for instructional coordinators is projected to grow by a faster-than-average rate of 11% between 2016 and 2026. In 2017, the median salary for instructional coordinators was $63,750.^† The “instructional coordinator” job title is a term that encompasses instructional designers, staff development specialists, directors of instructional materials, and educational consultants, specialists, and technologists.

Careers in Early Childhood Education

The U.S. Department of Education reports that the United States ranks as one of the lowest in the world in early education enrollment for children. Statistics reveal that only 67% of 3-to-5-year-olds in the U.S. are enrolled in a high-quality preschool program.^‡ Multiple studies document that children who have rich early-learning experiences are better prepared to thrive in kindergarten and beyond.^§

As states become increasingly responsible for early childhood education, the credentials required to teach will become more rigorous, creating a demand for educators with an early childhood education master’s degree. These graduate-trained professionals will be skilled to interpret policy and secure funding for early childhood programs.

Preschool administrators and preschool teachers each have a projected job growth of 11% from 2016 to 2026.^**

Online Education Degree Programs in Early Childhood Education

The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Human Sciences at Walden University, an accredited university with online degree programs, offers many opportunities for specializing in the field of early childhood education:

• Graduate certificate programs in early childhood education
• MS in Early Childhood Studies
• EdS in Early Childhood Education
• Doctor of Education (EdD) with a specialization in Early Childhood
• PhD in Education with specialization in Early Childhood Education

For more than 45 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, students from all 50 states in the U.S. and more than 150 countries are pursuing their bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees online at Walden.

Explore Walden University's online college degrees in education and position yourself for success inside and outside of the classroom. Earn your education degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your life and schedule.

*U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook, School and Career Counselors, on the Internet at www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/school-and-career-counselors.htm.

†U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Instructional Coordinators, on the Internet at www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/instructional-coordinators.htm.

^‡U.S. News, U.S. Trails in Early Childhood Education Enrollment, on the Internet at https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2017-06-21/us-falls-behind-other-developed-countries-in-early-childhood-education-enrollment.

^§U.S. Department of Education, Early Learning: America’s Middle Class Promise Begins Early, on the Internet at www.ed.gov/early-learning.

**U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Preschool and Child Care Center Directors, on the Internet at www.bls.gov/ooh/management/preschool-and-childcare-center-directors.htm.

Career options may require additional experience, training, or other factors beyond the successful completion of this degree program.

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.

Walden University’s PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

The PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision is not a licensure program and does not prepare an individual to become a licensed counseling professional.

Walden offers both state-approved educator licensure programs as well as programs and courses that do not lead to licensure or endorsements. Prospective students must review their state licensure requirements prior to enrolling. For more information, please refer to www.WaldenU.edu/educlicensure.