5 Great Career Options for Educational Leadership Majors
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Numerous fields rely heavily on specialized academic training to excel. The evolution of technology has ensured that innovative tools like digital learning have emerged to improve educational delivery. Even students opting for educational leadership majors have started utilizing online programs to acquire their degrees.
Hence, you can contribute significantly towards the future of education by dedicating yourself to one of the many educational leadership career paths. The fact that most careers in this field offer above-average salaries and job security are additional bonuses.
How To Prepare for Educational Leadership Careers
An educational administrator must have a combination of specific traits like dedication, passion, and confidence. Considering they have the power to impact the future of thousands of students, they must be fully invested and introduce innovative techniques to enhance learning. However, before you go about designing new curriculums or implementing strategies to empower teachers, you must have relevant prior qualifications that can help you perform the job smoothly.
For starters, having a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership can greatly enhance your career prospects. If you’re a working individual seeking a convenient and affordable way to acquire an advanced educational leadership degree, you can consider online EdD.
Here are some career options you can opt for once you have the required qualifications.
1. Principal
Principals work at the highest level on the school campus. Some of their duties include overseeing essential daily operations pertaining to the school budget and managing the staff. You may also be required to conduct personal meetings with students in case they have issues and provide guidance.
Schools often host various events throughout the term, either for educational, charity, or entertainment purposes. Your job description will require you to oversee the smooth management of such events and prevent disruptions. You may also have to act as the liaison between the staff and parents, which demands adequate diplomacy.
Though the job comes with several duties, many principals enjoy positively influencing students’ lives and creating a better reputation for the school.
2. Dean of Students
The dean of students acts as a mediator between the higher administrators and students to ensure the campus provides a positive experience.
There may be times when students want to communicate specific issues or suggestions to higher administrators like the Vice President. They can facilitate this communication and present the relevant queries. Alternatively, if the administration has pressing concerns regarding the student body, it is up to the dean to relay them so they can enact the required changes.
However, that is not where a dean’s duty ends. Considering they have concerns regarding student engagement, they must track student enrollment rates by overseeing the admissions department. It can help them devise programs to retain students and create a positive experience through campus activities or conducting personal meetings to ascertain their needs.
3. Academic Consultant
Academic consultants do not only work on behalf of the school. At times, they may also be employed by government agencies or independent firms to provide essential advice regarding ideal school practices to parents and school boards alike. They might start by analyzing current education standards before suggesting new programs or technologies to enhance learning.
However, they do not always conduct their roles on a generic level. Sometimes they provide personal consultation to students by having one-on-one engagements. Often students need help mapping out an ideal career path or choosing a specific combination of classes that can help them achieve academic excellence.
Academic consultants can assist them with these matters by first analyzing the student’s background, making a note of their areas of difficulty, and suggesting the best course of action accordingly.
4. Department Chair
This position is mostly awarded to teachers with adequate leadership qualifications and excellent educational backgrounds. Having a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership can significantly assist with acquiring this post. It is primarily present in colleges and universities as opposed to schools. However, they must work with instructional coordinators to achieve the best results.
Department chairs must undergo extensive training to understand the requirements of a particular school. Their core responsibility entails overseeing the curriculum and identifying which teaching styles provide better academic results. They must monitor the teaching professionals to ensure they effectively relay knowledge to students. Moreover, they also oversee subject distribution and manage classroom schedules.
5. Curriculum Designer
A school’s curriculum can significantly influence the students’ academic results. Hence, a curriculum designer must be highly efficient yet creative to think out of the box and apply innovation to the curriculum so that students can absorb and retain worldly knowledge alongside the mandatory subject material.
You should be able to conduct research and monitor how well students respond to and perform with a specific curriculum. Analyzing teacher insights and satisfaction levels can also determine whether it requires a change. Due to the presence of advanced technology, it is also advisable to utilize digital learning techniques.
It may also help to perform the responsibilities better if you have an instructional design degree. You can only excel at this job if you have the student’s best interests in mind and if your traits include creativity and collaboration.
To Conclude
Acquiring an Educational Leadership degree can lead to various spectacular career options with excellent job security and above-average pay structures. However, you should be mindful of having the required qualifications and traits needed to excel in the jobs. No matter what opportunity you go for, the most significant aspect is prioritizing the student’s welfare and ways to enhance their academic learning.
*This article is based on personal suggestions and/or experiences and is for informational purposes only. This should not be used as professional advice. Please consult a professional where applicable.
