Earn Elementary Education Degrees Online

Whether your goal is to enter the teaching profession or to advance your career in education, earning an elementary education degree online can be a great decision. Along with business professionals, educators are among the most frequent users of online degree programs. Many programs are designed around working adults’ busy schedules.

What is studied in an online elementary education program?

Elementary education degree programs train people to educate students in kindergarten through sixth or eighth grade.

Accredited online degree programs meet the same requirements as campus-based programs. Students study child development, educational psychology, and the material that’s covered at their grade level (e.g., fifth grade reading, math, and social studies). Training in elementary education can also be more specialized. Depending on the program, a student might study curriculum development, education administration, bilingual education, literacy, special education, or another specialty in-depth.

Some programs also include an on-campus student teaching component. Student teaching is a requirement of many graduate programs and is a prerequisite for earning a state teaching license.

Which elementary education degree do I need?

It’s possible to find employment in elementary education regardless of one’s education level. High school graduates and people holding associate’s degrees can be hired as teachers’ assistants. Their responsibilities typically include preparing materials for class projects, supervising children during lunchtime and breaks, disciplining students, and meeting one-on-one with students who need extra help.

To be hired as a salaried teacher, a person needs to earn a bachelor’s degree in elementary education or a closely related field. Public schools and some private schools require a state teaching license in addition to the undergraduate degree, and some states nominally require public school teachers to have a master’s degree. However, teacher shortages mean that emergency credentialing and deferred credentialing arrangements are frequently offered to less qualified job applicants.

A master’s degree in elementary education makes teachers eligible for higher pay at most public and private schools. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, teachers with master’s degrees earned an average of approximately $200 more per week in 2006 than teachers with bachelor’s degrees only. The advanced degree can also open up additional leadership opportunities within schools as well as jobs in the private sector.

Some elementary educators with doctorates continue teaching in elementary schools. Many people who earn an Ed.D. or Ph.D. in elementary education pursue careers as professors and researchers.

Which schools offer elementary education degrees online?

The past decade has seen rapid growth in the number of schools offering online elementary education programs. To be sure that the school you choose will be worth your investment, make sure that it’s accredited through the US Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Administration. Here is a sampling of accredited online programs in elementary education:

• American Public University awards the master’s in elementary education and prepares students to be certified teachers in West Virginia. All work except student teaching is completed online.
• Ball State University offers an online master’s program in elementary education with seven areas of specialization.
• Drexel University, which has been granting degrees since 1914, has become a leader in online education. Drexel’s bachelor’s degree program in K-4 education can be completed entirely online in 2.5 years. Students seeking teaching certification in Pennsylvania or another state can enroll in the program’s optional student teaching program.
• The University of New Mexico offers a variety of distance learning formats to students earning a bachelor’s in elementary education. Students can take classes online, through interactive television, via the mail, or face-to-face at centers located around the state.