Dear Khulan,
I think you have received great words of wisdom from Lori and Alyssa. With your permission, I would like to share my five cents as well. Personally, I have seen that the field of Instructional Design and Technology is increasing at a fast pace, so I would probably recommend this option if you are interested in that field. Although Educational Leadership (Community College) is another great choice, something to keep in mind is that, in my personal experience, full-time positions (both for faculty and leadership/administrative) in Communities Colleges are very competitive and there are very limited numbers of openings.
As far as Master's degree or Ed.D., I recommend pursuing an Ed.D. because it will open more doors for you professionally in the future, especially in higher education. If you are considering online programs, I recommend the American College of Education (ACE). Full disclosure, I am a Dissertation Core Faculty at ACE, so my recommendation might be biased. ACE offers Ed.D.s in different fields including:
- Adult and Continuing Education
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Early Childhood
- Educational and Community Organizations
- Health and Wellness
- Higher Education
- Online Education
- Second Language Instruction
- STEM Leadership
In addition to these options, ACE also has great, competitive costs for their programs because they keep teacher salaries in mind. Here is the direct link to their Ed.D. programs: https://www.ace.edu/program/doctor-of-education-in-leadership
I hope this information helps. Whichever option you choose, I wish you much success in this journey.
Best wishes,
Luis
------------------------------
Luis Javier Pentón Herrera
38th President (2018-2019), Maryland TESOL
Co-Chair Elect, Social Responsibility Interest Section (SRIS)
Member, Affiliate Network Professional Council (ANPC)
Dissertation Core Faculty, American College of Education
------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 04-06-2020 14:48
From: Khulan Z
Subject: Ed.D vs. second MA/MS - your thoughts?
Dear TESOL Community,
I am an adjunct ESL instructor/instructional specialist who works at community colleges in Southern California and loves her job. I am getting my teaching credentials in adult education cleared this summer and I also earned MA in Education (TESOL) in 2016. I'm thinking to either pursue an MS in Instructional Design and Technology (5 semesters), a doctorate program in Educational Leadership (Community College), or a doctorate program in Adult Education (3-4 years) online. I'm hesitant whether I need to get a loan and spend that much time and money for a second Master's degree/doctorate program and whether those fields have any promising job opportunities.
From one point of view, the job market for full time positions in higher education here in California is tough, especially in ESL and the competition is fierce. From the other point of view, I feel like I'm stuck having multiple PT jobs every semester. There is a possibility that I might become the sole breadwinner and that as a result, we are going to need health insurance for a family of 4. I'm doing some research regarding Instructional Design and Technology (MS), Adult Education (EdD), and Educational Leadership (EdD) fields and I'd like to hear your thoughts. I'm sure many are going to say it depends on my own preference and experience, but I would really appreciate if you share your opinions. Is there a point of pursuing those fields? Also, I'd really appreciate if you could recommend any schools that offer those programs fully online?
Thank you in advance for your time and suggestions.
Best,
Khulan
------------------------------
Khulan Z
ESL Instructional Specialist, Instructor
United States
------------------------------