Online Teaching Degrees

People learn in different ways, so a teacher must be able to work with multiple students at a time and find a way to meet the educational needs of each. Teaching degrees can be earned at every level, and there are teaching degrees that are geared toward certain age groups or types of students. Every state requires teachers to earn at least a bachelor's degree, while some require a master's degree as the minimum to teach. Additionally, all states require public school teachers to obtain licensure from their employing state's board of education. Teaching degrees include the following:

Associate Degree in Education

The courses you will take in an associate degree in education program will be mostly introductory courses and can include an introduction to education, an introduction to curriculum development, and the various concepts of learning styles. Many individuals will earn an associate degree in education and use it toward earning a higher-level degree later on, such as a bachelor's degree. This can save you money because you can earn an associate degree from a two-year college, which is generally less expensive than a four-year school, and then transfer your degree to a four-year school afterwards.

Elementary Education

Elementary education degrees are designed to show prospective elementary teachers how to instruct all of the basic subjects — math, science, reading, English, etc. — to elementary-age students. Some of the courses you may be required to take in an elementary education degree program can include foundations of education, literature for children, assessment and evaluation of literacy, and methods of teaching. In addition, some elementary educators may want to specialize in childhood development because they'll primarily be working with young children.

Special Education

Special education is geared toward teaching future instructors who want to work with students who have physical, emotional, and/or cognitive disabilities, varying in degrees of severity. Educating these students requires specialized techniques and methods. Some of the courses you may be required to take in a special education degree program can include an introduction to special education, problem solving for diverse needs, early developmental variations, interventions for classroom management, and interventions for learning problems. These will prepare students for a future in the classroom.

Secondary Education

Secondary education degree programs focus on educating students in middle and high school. These degree programs will cover foundational aspects of teaching, with courses such as psychology of education, teaching methods for the secondary level, student evaluation and assessment, and curriculum development. In most cases, these programs will require you to choose a major or specific subject to teach and assign courses accordingly. For example, if you choose to teach science at the high school level, you may have to take a materials and methods for teaching high school science course, whereas if you chose to teach math, you may have to take a methods of teaching mathematics at the secondary level.

Post-Secondary Education

An online post-secondary education degree program is designed to show prospective teachers how to teach at a college or university level. Depending on the institution, a doctoral degree may be required to teach at this level, though some community colleges may allow those with a master's degree to instruct a class. Some of the courses you may have to take in one of these programs can include foundations of post-secondary learning and teaching, effective college teaching, and applied research in education. However, most post-secondary education degree program courses will depend on what subject you intend to teach. For example, if you want to teach accounting, you will have more courses in accounting to ensure that you know enough about the discipline to teach it to others.

Adult Education

Adult education degree programs focus on showing prospective instructors how to teach adult students who are working professionals, life-long learners, or both. Adult students come from every stage of life and educational background. In many cases, several years may have passed since some of these individuals have enrolled in an educational program. Teaching adults requires a special set of skills, so some of the classes you may have to take can include foundations of higher education and adult learning, adult learning theory, facilitating adult learning, and adult learning treads, issues, and methods. However, much like degree programs for post-secondary education, your specific courses will correlate with what subject you want to teach.