How Associate Degrees in Education Launch Teaching Careers

Teaching is a rewarding profession. However, its academic and licensing requirements can block some interested students from pursuing this goal. Associate degrees in education (as well as online associate degrees) are alternatives to four-year bachelor’s degree programs and subsequent teaching certifications, thus opening up teaching opportunities to many more people.
 
Associate degrees in education can function as a first step toward a full education degree for many. For others, the associate degree is all they need as they pursue careers as teacher’s aides or other important paraprofessional positions working with children.

Associate Degrees in Education

Associate degrees in education can serve as a bridge to four-year bachelor’s degrees. If associate degrees are considered transfer degrees, they will fulfill requirements for the first two years of a bachelor’s degree in education at participating schools. The bachelor’s degree is the first step toward earning teacher certifications in most cases.
 
Job prospects are bright for teachers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly 4 million teaching jobs exist in the United States, and job growth is expected to be roughly 12 percent through 2016. The bureau claims 479,000 additional teaching positions will be installed during this period.
 
An associate degree in education will include a general teaching curriculum as well as classes in sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. Specializations would include early childhood education, elementary education, special education and secondary education. Specific courses might include child development, child psychology, literacy development, design of learning activities and understanding children with special needs.
 
Associate degrees in education open up many fulfilling career paths. Associate degree in education graduates possess not only theoretical knowledge but also practical skills for identifying and managing the unique needs of children and families. If you want to engage in the growth and development of children, then you should pursue an associate degree program in teaching.

Associates Degrees for Early Childhood Education

The National Association for the Education of Young Children has accredited 34 associate degree programs in early childhood education. According to the NAEYC, accredited programs teach graduates how to:
  • become a professional educator
  • build family and community relationships
  • develop effective approaches to teaching and learning that promote positive development and learning for all young children
  • observe, document and assess the level of support young children and families need
  • promote child development and learning.

Coursework and Costs

An associate degree program can usually be earned within two years of coursework, though some degrees can be completed even sooner. Community colleges and junior colleges offering associate degrees typically cost far less than bachelor’s degree programs at four-year universities. Costs vary but the College Board’s annual college pricing trends report showed that the average tuition and fees for a two-year program at a public college was $2,272 per year, compared to $5,836 per year at a four-year public university.
 
Associate degrees in education allow graduates to teach at some levels. Private schools don’t always require teachers to be certified (though most do require at least a bachelor’s degree). However, associate degree in education graduates can work as substitute teachers in some districts (requirements vary). They can also hold preschool teaching jobs.

Alternative Career Paths

Associate degrees in education provide graduates with several career paths, some of which may allow them to:
  • serve as a teacher’s assistant
  • teach in a Head Start program
  • work as an elementary school paraprofessional.
These careers are especially attractive, given their positive job outlook. Nearly 1.4 million teacher assistants are currently employed. The employment rate of teacher assistants is predicted to grow by roughly 10 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than 137,000 of these jobs will emerge between 2006 and 2016, making associate degrees in education particularly marketable.
 
Even faster growth is anticipated in the area of special education and English as a second language. This is the part of the student population most in need of teacher assistants.

Online Associate Degrees

For those interested in working as a paraprofessional or teachers assistant and don’t have access to a university program on campus, plenty of online associate degree programs exist.
 
Online associate degree programs in education offer all the same coursework as brick-and-mortar associate degree programs but are oftentimes more affordable. They are certainly more convenient for some people.
 
The education retains much of the same impact and value online as it does on a campus. Students can sometimes even view lectures in real time and communicate with their instructors remotely. In many cases, students pursuing online associate degrees get the same assignments and hear the same lectures as students who attend the classes on campus. Other online learning systems enable students and teachers to interact online through e-mail and online bulletin boards.
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