There are not many job openings that can’t be achieved with a doctorate to show. There are plenty of industries that, for the highly trained achiever, find benefit in their hiring. Being that there are so many job opportunities that are wanted and desired by companies looking for leadership positions to be filled, anyone who takes the time to do the work of earning a Doctorate of Education (Ed.D) will be of high value.
While there are numerous paths that can be taken, industries to explore, and individual positions to vet, a Doctor of Education degree is one of those broad reaching degrees that helps prepare a student for a wide breadth of career opportunities.
The following is a short list of advanced career opportunities that are open to Ed.D graduates.
Career Opportunities for Ed. D Graduates
Curriculum Instruction Specialists
Curriculum is the foundation of any educational programming. No matter the grade level, the curriculum that makes up the lesson plans and coursework is how students are prepared and judged on the level of competence which determines their eligibility to move forward educationally.
Curriculum Instruction Specialists focus on the consideration, measurement, and synthesis of various educational theories into the course work and curriculum that is meant to guide students. Taking into account that students are more than just walking brains, elements of psychology, sociology, and pedagogy are considered as combinational elements that would serve to best direct and encourage the learning potential of students.
Working in different environments and institutional levels, curriculum specialists are not just locked into the public or private educational sectors, there are also plenty of opportunities to be found working with private organizations for things like corporate training initiatives.
Academic Consultants
Consultants can be found in any industry as a result of both the necessity and demand for informed expertise. Companies and organizations are constantly looking to streamline, boost productivity, and increase the productivity of their employees and organizations. People with Ed.D degrees bring a wide knowledge and skill set that allows them to better understand how interdisciplinary studies and seemingly interdependent systems can combine to create more effective programming— like in the challenging cases of special education. That skill set is a valuable tool when the potential results are weighed against stiff competition.
Academic consultants can work with more traditional educational systems and faculty like teachers, and school administrators, governing bodies that oversee educational standards, and even the school boards made primarily by parent volunteers. They look at data to make determinations of best practices and how current curriculum may benefit from changes through the alignment with new technologies and the programs supported by those advancements.
Educational Administrators
Every organization needs and is greatly reliant upon the structure and guidance provided by administrative efforts. Administrators are skilled in the ability to see how the interconnected efforts of various departments and their goals interact with each other in the larger goals of an organization. As with any educational institution the necessity to balance student success rates with budgeting, governmental policy, and business growth are each important to the overall success of that school.
Educational administrators are individuals who oversee the direction, organization, and evaluation of those various components which make up an educational body. The support that they bring to students, faculty, and donor relations helps to ensure that everything works together smoothly.
School Principals and Superintendents
School Principals and Superintendents, while different roles, have much overlap in the goals that they strive for. School principals are in charge of the hiring, direction, and coordination with school board policies. Handing down the programs decided upon by higher administrative officials, school principals manage the flow of daily activities overseen by teachers and faculty all while doing their best to ensure the success of individual students. They report to superintendents.
Superintendents are the top governing officials of school districts. As such, they are tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the educational programming that is disseminated to the multiple schools and various grade levels, the governance of governmental policies as they are upheld at an institutional level, and the success of the curriculum as teachers and administrators engage from year to year.
The breadth of what superintendents manage is impressive and complex but deeply rewarding for those individuals who can create systemic change in thousands of lives.
Photo Credit
Image by robtowne0 from Pixabay
Guest Author Bio
Sarah Daren
With a Bachelor’s in Health Science along with an MBA, Sarah Daren has a wealth of knowledge within both the health and business sectors. Her expertise in scaling and identifying ways tech can improve the lives of others has led Sarah to be a consultant for a number of startup businesses, most prominently in the wellness industry, wearable technology and health education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life with a focus on making America a healthier and safer place for future generations to come.
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