Earning an Online Teaching Degree

If you are interested in a degree in education or are looking to further your career in the field, an online teaching degree is a great way for busy professionals to get the credits they need.
 
Not only does an online teaching degree give you scheduling flexibility, but it's also likely that you'll earn your degree in less time than it would take if you were attending classes on-campus.
 
Accredited schools offer dozens of online teaching degrees. Here are a few that are available to you:
  • Adult Education: The U.S. Department of Labor forecasts that opportunities in the field of adult educationwill rise 34% through 2012. This field includes jobs in both the public and private sector. Many private sector companies utilize adult education programs to provide training for their employees.
  • Curriculum and Instruction: Public schools, private institutions and corporate learning providers often use curriculum specialists to ensure their programs meet requirements.
  • Education Teaching (General): This degree focuses on preparing teachers to instruct basic reading, writing and arithmetic. It also offers professional development for teachers and provides skills for teaching technology and becoming a teacher's aide.
  • Online Instructional Technology: Computers in grammar school are no longer the wave of the future, they're now here and being used as educational tools. This degree helps teach educators how to tap into the rich and valuable interactive online world.
  • Leadership and Administration: Qualified administrators are worth their weight in gold in this fast-growing field. Cross-disciplinary skills, such as instructional theory and curriculum development, as well as a working knowledge of law, finance, human resources and more will prepare you for a leadership role.

Levels of Online Teaching Degrees

Students seeking an online teaching degree have a wide range of alternatives from which to choose. Beginners can pursue associate's or bachelor's degrees, while education professionals can go for their doctorates. There are also many certificate classes available in areas that are more specialized.
 
Undergraduate teaching degrees focus on areas such as:
  • counseling: training guidance counselors to serve in schools

  • early childhood education: training teachers for kindergarten through sixth grade

  • secondary education: training teachers for seventh through 12th grade

  • special education: training teachers for special needs students.
Secondary education majors will pick a subject area to teach, such as English, math, science or history. Most teachers eventually pursue a master's degree; in fact, many states require an advanced degree to maintain licensure. All teachers interested in administrative positions, such as principal or instructional leadership positions, will need at least a master's of education (M.Ed.), if not an educational doctorate (Ed.D.).
 
Even if you're going for a bachelor's degree, it's not unusual for students to finish in as little as two years. Usually, students find themselves able to handle a heavier course load online.

Educators' Salaries

The national salary average for teachers is close to $48,000, ranging from the mid $30,000's to the high $50,000's. Starting salaries vary depending on which state you work in, your previous experience teaching and your level of education. School principals averaged from $82,000 (elementary school) to nearly $93,000 (high school) in 2006, with assistant principals making an average of about $15,000 less annually. One of the lowest-paying jobs, teacher's assistant, averaged $21,000 in that same year.

Do Your Research

Before you put the work in, make sure the school you choose for your online teaching degree is an accredited one. A simple Internet search should give you a long list of accredited programs to choose from, especially in the field of education.