Education Specialist Degrees
Deepen your skills and expertise without the dissertation.
Advanced Study to Advance Your Career
An educational specialist (Ed.S.) degree demonstrates that you are an educator ready to take on leadership roles. Whether it’s creating curriculum or managing students school-wide, you’ll have the confidence and knowledge you need to set the strategic direction and make significant decisions about educational initiatives.
ACE’s fully online Ed.S. degrees give you the option to specialize within a specific type of education – such as early childhood, nursing, public health, literacy, second language instruction and more – or take a more general approach by growing your leadership capacity. No matter which program you choose, know that you’ll be on track to earn a valuable credential in just over a year.*
Skills and Knowledge Gained
Because an Ed.S. is a post-master’s degree, you will have the opportunity to engage in a more rigorous level of study. This in itself is a valuable experience – it’s a crucial part of gaining more comprehensive expertise in your field of education, but it also prepares you for the highest level of scholarship should you choose to pursue it: a doctorate.
Here are some other skills and knowledge areas you gain from an education specialist program:
- Advanced theoretical foundations mapped to real-world practices
- Specialized skills for a specific role
- Practical, immediately applicable strategies
- Evidence-based decision making
- Effective initiative and program design
- Leadership skills
Education Specialist Degree Admission
Along with ACE’s general admission requirements, prospective Ed.S. degree students must have a minimum of a master’s degree with a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. We may grant provisional admission for a GPA of 2.0. Our Ed.S. in Nursing Education requires you to also have an active, unencumbered registered nursing license.
Find detailed admission requirements for your program of interest on the program’s page.
*Source: Student Right to Know
Education Specialist Degree FAQs
What is an education specialist (Ed.S.) degree?
An Ed.S. degree is a postgraduate degree unique to the field of education. It helps educators gain specialized skills or knowledge in a particular area within education, showing their readiness for leadership roles within their field.
What is the difference between an Ed.S. and an Ed.D. or Ph.D.?
The biggest difference between an Ed.S. degree and an Ed.D. or Ph.D. is that the Ed.S. is not a doctoral, or terminal, degree. Ed.S. degrees take less time to complete and usually cost less than a doctorate. For more information on the differences and how to decide which degree is right for you, visit our Ed.S. vs. Ed.D. guide.
Is a specialist degree the same as a master’s?
No, an education specialist degree is not the same as a master’s degree. While master’s degrees are often described as a way to help you specialize in a field or industry, they are academically a level below an Ed.S. degree. Ed.S. degrees are designed for people who already have a master’s degree and want to pursue further study.
What are the career benefits of earning an Ed.S. degree?
An Ed.S. degree helps you gain specialized skills and knowledge quickly, along with practical strategies you can implement in your role right away. This means you may be able to advance your career faster than if you were to pursue a doctorate. It also serves as a great stepping stone toward attaining a doctorate later on.
How long does it take to complete an education specialist program?
Standard Ed.S. programs are typically completable in 18 to 24 months. At ACE, you can complete an Ed.S. in just over a year.*
What are the admission requirements for ACE’s Ed.S. programs?
You must have a minimum of a master’s degree with a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. However, we may offer provisional admission for a GPA of 2.0. Our Ed.S. in Nursing Education program has the additional requirement of an active, unencumbered RN license. Otherwise, we do not require the GRE, an interview or an essay.
*This is an estimated time to completion. Actual completion time may vary depending on the number of transfer credits applied, availability of courses, satisfactory pace, multiple course requests, successful course completion, and meeting program milestones as required.