Two master’s degrees are better than one. Just ask Eliza Robertson.
“In order to be a school administrator in the state of Minnesota, where I teach, you have to have 60 graduate credits to be certified,” she said. “That’s basically two master’s degrees.”
Robertson graduated with dual emphases from the online Master of Education in Special Education – Administration and the online Master of Education in Special Education – Challenging Behaviors programs at Southeastern Oklahoma State University (Southeastern) in December 2021.
“As things progressed and I started working with the professors, I wanted to do leadership all the way,” she said. “I started the second program after I was 75% of the way done with the first one, but a lot of the courses I did were the same.”
Robertson is wrapping up an extra course she wanted to take in the online Master of Education in Educational Leadership with dual emphasis in Principal and Superintendent Certification program.
“I have always wanted to go back for a master’s degree, but I never had the opportunity,” she said. “When I found Southeastern, I was super stoked because of the affordability compared to other graduate programs. I saw that at the beginning of the pandemic and said, ‘Now’s the time.’ That pushed me to finally do it.”
The online format was essential for Robertson, who teaches special education in Fergus Falls Public School District. She and her husband, Andrew, have five daughters — Rayleigh (12), Aja (10), Sophia (8), Serenity (6) and Abigail (5).
“It was super manageable,” she said. “As a mom and an educator, that was important. I finished two master’s degrees in about two years. When you say it like that, it’s overwhelming.”
Family Business
Robertson is from Glendive, Montana, but she had ties to Minnesota before moving there.
“I have a niece who has autism, so I started getting into the special education world through her,” she said. “I come from a family of educators. Four of the seven siblings in my family, including me, are teachers. My daughter, Serenity, is special needs and adopted.”
She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in special education and teaching from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2013.The fact that Robertson had some familiarity with Southeastern was a big reason she initially enrolled in its online master’s degree programs.
“Since I got my undergrad in Oklahoma, I knew where the campus in Durant is,” she said. “It was a real, tangible place with an online program.
“I knew that there was some consistency with the program. That was my driving force. We also want to go back to Oklahoma. I am doing principal certification there.”
Robertson enjoyed adding higher education to her real-world experience in the classroom.
“I didn’t have a favorite course because I enjoyed all of them,” she said. “When I was looking at getting my administrative license for the state of Minnesota, I called the Department of Education and told them what I was considering. They tried to convince me to go to one of their universities.
“I love my professors at Southeastern. I was learning so much, and they are so into being educators, I didn’t want to leave that. So, I stayed for the second degree.”
Since enrolling in the first online master’s degree program, Robertson thrives on the immediacy of applying the knowledge she gains to her career.
“I already use what I have learned in my role as a teacher,” she said. “I also did my internship this semester, so I had awesome opportunities to implement programming on the administrative side in the school district through my project, which shifted the culture of our school and made a pretty big impact on my kids. It was really exciting.”
Perfect Savage Storm
With so many fellow educators — including some administrators — in her family, Robertson has had plenty of encouragement since returning to college.
“They think I am crazy for getting two master’s degrees, but they are super stoked about it,” she said. “I had outstanding family support.
“A typical master’s degree takes up to two years, but because Southeastern offers the eight-week courses, it doesn’t take forever to get a master’s degree,” she said. “I probably wouldn’t have stuck with the second master’s degree if it wasn’t offered that way.”
Robertson, who enjoys working with her church’s youth group and playing softball in the summer, believes that staying on top of schoolwork is the key to success in any online master’s degree program.
“It’s important to buckle up, organize your time and stay on top of things,” she said. “Also, know your professors because every one of them is different.”
Even though Robertson is a long way from Oklahoma, she now has a couple more good reasons to love it.
“My sister is working on her master’s degree in special education at a school here in Minnesota, so we have talked about it,” she said. “I love the expectations of their students and what the professors are teaching at Southeastern.
“There are a lot of genuine, involved individuals who want to make education better for the world. It’s great.”
Learn more about Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s online education programs.