Throughout history, teachers in public schools had to get a degree in teaching, pass a teacher education program, and be certified by the state. Today, a bachelor’s degree in education can take five years, and will include the training needed for certification.
Alternative route programs have been created due to the growing need for qualified public school teachers. Part of the reason why some people are not interested in the field is because of the comparably low salaries that some schools offer. There are many school districts that are attempting to raise salary offerings. The changes in the certification process has made it easier for individuals with degrees in other fields to take positions as public school teachers.
A degree in teaching can be obtained at a traditional university or through an online educational institution. The online option would benefit individuals who are already working full time and want to make a career shift into teaching. This is also an inviting option for those who have some general college credits that can be counted towards a teaching degree. In general, teaching degree programs offered on the internet will take less time to earn than those offered at traditional universities.
There aren’t any states that higher public school teachers full time without a bachelor’s degree. Some states require a master’s degree to teach on the high school level. There are different educational requirements for elementary grades, middle school and high school.
A majority of the programs in teaching that are offered online are master’s degree programs, and prepare students for licensing exams. The University of Phoenix Online does have a bachelor’s program in elementary education, but they have four programs that offer master’s degrees in education. These include: early childhood education, elementary education, secondary education, special education, and ESL. They also offer doctorate programs in education, which focus on leadership in education, curriculum and instruction. The PhD programs are geared towards administrators.
Many states are using alternative route programs for individuals who already have bachelor’s degrees and want to teach. A good number of these programs focus on math and science, since there is such a lack of teachers in those subjects in some areas. Capella University has such programs that can help individuals get the education they need to meet teaching requirements. It is much easier to get a degree in teaching than it was a decade ago.