Education Degree

Obtaining an education degree is necessary for teaching in a public or private school; a bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement. Those who wish to teach in a public school will also require state teacher certification, which is only obtained after fulfilling student teaching requirements.

Teachers typically begin their training by acquiring a bachelor’s degree in the subject they wish to teach, such as English or math. Another option is to earn a degree in education at the undergraduate or graduate level. Course work for a typical master’s degree in education takes full-time students about a year to complete. The final step is student teaching, which provides valuable hands-on experience and insight into how a classroom works. It may also provide graduates with future job contacts.

Online education degrees tend to be specialized, with elementary school teachers completing a different course of study than high school and middle school teachers, who obtain a single-subject credential rather than a multiple-subject credential. One of the most rapidly growing specialties is special education, and there is a high demand for teachers who have this specialized credential.

Students who obtain more advanced degrees in education, such as a master’s or PhD, can count on more job opportunities as well as a higher salary. For instance, a master’s degree in education administration will prepare students for a career as a school administrator, such as a principal or superintendent. A doctorate in education may prepare students to oversee a large school district or university. Other options for graduates in education include work as a public policy consultant, a university professor or an educational publishing professional.

Earning an Education Degree

In order to become licensed to teach in the United States, one must first get an education degree. Education degrees can be obtained from over 20,000 teacher education and certification programs offered by more than 1,700 colleges and universities throughout the country.

Another career path that requires a degree in education is education administration. Education administration careers provide leadership for instruction, as well as management of operations for a school or learning center.

In addition to traditional education jobs, there are many positions available to a graduate who has obtained an education degree. The business sector regularly hires people with an education degree to provide training to employees in a variety of areas, such as management training, sales techniques, diversity, team building, safety training, and leadership skills. A candidate with an education degree and business experience would be well-suited for these types of training careers. Likewise, people with an education degree who are also skilled with computers are in high demand to facilitate computer training.

Other careers that require an education degree include: tutoring, freelance writing for educational magazines or Internet articles, writing curricula or textbooks, and administering standardized tests, such as SAT exams, and ACT (American College Testing) exams.

Education degree programs often allow students to specialize in an area of interest. Common specializations include: early childhood education (ECE), gifted and talented education, history education, music education, art education, science education, and math education. While a general education degree is marketable, a specialized education degree can help build credibility in a field of interest.

An education degree can be granted at different levels, including bachelor’s, graduate and doctoral. Most education degree programs require students to work in a classroom setting with a licensed teacher or school administrator supervising their performance.