Double Masters, Specialist or Doctorate?

A couple of years ago after presenting at a regional foreign language conference, I had the opportunity to speak with foreign language teachers who were considering their higher education options. Most of them were public school teachers. One teacher had a Masters degree in Education. Her school district's pay scales allowed for pay raises for Masters, Specialists and Doctorates. She wanted to continue studying foreign language methodology but was losing faith due to the limited programs available in her area. The universities in her area offered other Masters degrees but nothing higher than that. I recommended that she go for a Specialist degree or Doctoral degree because of the pay scale in her district. I knew of some online and summer residency programs that might have been of interest.

Deciding to study with family and financial commitments is a hard decision. However, the cost of the program should not outway the financial benefits. If your school district does not offer a Masters + 15 or Masters + 30 pay, a double Masters degree would not be beneficial. If they offer a Specialist and Doctorate differential, consider how much money you will have to loan out. If you can find scholarships that would be great. If not, consider a research doctorate or an in-state program where you can use your residency for lower cost tuition. However, more and more programs are offering in-state tuition for out-of-state students if they study online.