Master’s in Education Schools in West Virginia
If you have a master’s in education in mind, there’s no better place than West Virginia to put it to good use! The state’s unwavering commitment to achieving and retaining the best and brightest K-12 educators has resulted in countless awards being bestowed on educators and other education professionals in recent years, including National Distinguished Principal of the Year and the Milken National Educator Award.
This commitment includes a myriad of programs and initiatives aimed at improving the quality of the teaching workforce at the elementary, secondary, and even postsecondary levels. For example, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission works with the West Virginia Department of Education to provide the annual Student Success Summit, a gathering place for educators to share best practices that inspire and engage their students.
A master’s in education in West Virginia, whether your goal is to earn your initial teaching license, add another endorsement to your teaching license, or focus your efforts on an area like educational leadership, policy, or administration, can get you where you want to be. Keep reading to learn more about the many master’s in education programs that are designed to meet your specific career goals!
Earning Your Master’s in Education in West Virginia – Why Get a Master’s Degree?
In West Virginia, a bachelor’s degree remains the minimum requirement for licensure, but a master’s degree here remains a very useful endeavor and can result in a salary increase and a lifetime teaching license.
West Virginia has a tiered licensing systems for its teachers that begins with an Initial Professional Teaching Certificate and then moves to a Professional Five-Year Teaching Certificate once you’ve taught for at least three years. To renew the Professional Five-Year Teaching Certificate, you’ll need at least two years of teaching experience and at least six semester hours of college coursework. While a master’s degree isn’t required to teach in West Virginia, it will satisfy the coursework requirements to renew your Five-Year Teaching Certificate after just two courses.
Master’s degree holders are also eligible to earn a salary supplement (Form 12) in West Virginia. After earning your master’s degree and at least five years of teaching under a Five-Year Teaching Certificate, you can apply for a Permanent Professional Teaching Certificate, which is valid for a lifetime and requires not continuing education requirements.
A master’s in education degree is not one-size-fits-all, as it can serve many purposes for both current and aspiring educators. Fortunately, there isn’t a lack of programs from which to choose, regardless of your educational needs and/or career goals.
Aspiring teachers may use it as a pathway to their initial teaching license, while currently practicing educators may use it to add another endorsement to their license or pursue study in other areas like instructional technology, teaching leadership, administration, literacy, and more. If you have career goals that include research, administration, nonprofit work, and beyond, a master’s in education is what you’ll need.
Many colleges and universities have also begun offering specialized master’s in education degrees for career changers that hold a bachelor’s degree in another field and are looking to make the switch to a teaching career.
Online Master of Education (MEd) and MAT Programs in West Virginia
Part-time, weekend, accelerated… master’s in education programs are flexible courses of study that offer students a variety of learning options. One of the most popular features of today’s master’s in education program is online study. In fact, you’ll find just as many schools offering hybrid and/or online master’s in education programs as you will traditional, on-campus programs.
West Virginia colleges and universities offering hybrid and/or online master’s in education programs include:
- Concord University
- West Liberty University
- West Virginia University
- Shepherd University
- West Virginia State University
- Fairmont State University
- Marshall University
- Alderson Broaddus University
- Salem University
- Wheeling University
- Strayer University West Virginia
- Ohio Valley University
- American Public University System
Jobs and Salary Benefits with a Master’s in Education in West Virginia
Jobs for K-12 teachers are projected to increase by about 3.5% between 2018 and 2028, according to the West Virginia Department of Commerce, which is slightly more than the projected nationwide average increase of 3.3% during this time.
During this period ending in 2028, the state expects about 440 annual job openings for elementary school teachers and 260 annual job openings for secondary school teachers due to a combination of new job growth, retirements, and natural job turnover.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median salary for elementary school teachers in West Virginia is $47,330 and the median salary for secondary school teachers is $48,780, as of May 2020.
The top earning educators in West Virginia (75th – 90th percentile) earn about $53,500 – $62,280 at the elementary level and $57,210 – $64,150 at the secondary level. These salaries reflect the earning power of West Virginia teachers with significant experience and/or advanced degrees like the master’s in education.
In West Virginia, a master’s in education guarantees a higher salary if you teach in one of the state’s public schools, according to the salary schedules published by the West Virginia Department of Education.
May 2020 Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and job growth data for kindergarten and elementary school teachers, middle school teachers, and high school teachers. Figures represent national data, not school specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed April 2021.
Job growth projections sourced from the West Virginia Department of Commerce and reported in the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Long Term Occupational Projections (2018-2028) database – https://projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm.
Masters in Education Programs in Nearby States
Delaware / Washington D.C. / Kentucky / Maryland / Ohio / Pennsylvania / Tennessee / Virginia
