Education Degrees
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities in the educational service industry are expected to see a 12.5 percent increase through 2018, meaning that there should be plenty of work available for those holding education degrees. This industry encompasses a great deal of opportunity, including working as part of a grade school, high school, college, university, or even becoming involved with a distance learning or online education program.
Of course, when most people think about education degrees, they tend to focus on teaching. This makes sense, of course, instructors are the ones most directly involved in educating students of all ages. There are a variety of education degrees for aspiring teachers, including bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in fields such:
Each can be obtained either through traditional means (i.e. attending a college or university) or by working to complete an online education program.
Education Degree Descriptions
Early childhood education degrees tend to focus mainly on children under eight years of age. Often times this is the preferred program for individuals looking to work in preschools or kindergarten classes. The broader K-12 education program covers much the same area, but also broadens the focus area to older grade school, middle school, and high school students. Finally, higher education and adult education degrees are preferred by those individuals seeking employment in post-secondary institutions or other adult learning programs.
A good collegiate, university, or online education program granting any of these degrees should cover basically the same type of material. They should show educators at all levels how to effectively convey lesson plans in a way their audience understands, using all of the different materials and technological resources at their disposal. They need to instruct teachers on how to manage diverse groups and be flexible enough to alternate between covering a variety of subjects and focusing on a single discipline.
However, education degrees aren’t the only option for those participating in a traditional or online education program. There is also a call for curriculum designers, who are the individuals that help teachers develop plans for use in their classrooms. Education administration degrees prepare future professionals for careers as principles, deans, athletic directors, and superintendants. These degrees focus less on teaching and more on the managerial, legal, ethical, and financial aspect of running a school, school district, academic department, or educational institution.
Educational technology degrees focus on using computers and other high-tech devices to enhance the learning process. Physical and health education is a specialize field that allows the instructor to focus on fitness, coaching, first aid, kinesiology, physiology, and other related areas. Special education degrees prepare instructors for the unique challenges of teaching students that have mental, physical, or psychological disabilities. Like all degrees in this field, the special education, physical and health education, and educational technology degrees can be earned by attending classes at an accredited college or university, or by participating in an online education program.