Online Education Degree

Why Complete An Online Education Degree?

Many teachers must complete a master's degree in order to earn or maintain their professional certification. Since teacher certification regulations vary from state to state, you should visit your state's Department of Education website for specific requirements.

Regulations put in place by the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001 tightened restrictions on the content areas in which a certified teacher can teach. Educators who were once able to teach a high school math class after minoring in the subject or teach middle school language arts under a generic K-8 certification must now demonstrate they are “highly qualified” to teach those specific subjects. While a certification test will fit the bill in some cases, others must return to school for additional degrees and endorsements in order to continue teaching their subjects of choice.

Teacher pay scales are presented in lengthy charts with increases for seniority and completing college coursework. While pay schemes vary from district to district, a common scale offers bonuses for completing 15-20 hours of post-graduate work, earning a master's degree and taking 20-30 hours of classes beyond the master's.

Teaching is an ever-changing profession. Each class of students may require new instructional techniques, and the lesson plans you developed in your first years on the job can quickly be deemed useless by new theories and research. Completing an online education degree for your own professional development will revitalize your methods and put you in contact with interesting and innovative ideas from instructors around the globe.

Between lesson plans, grading papers and supervising extracurricular activities, most teachers just don't have the time to fit in a weekly class meeting. Factor in driving to the nearest university for an even larger time commitment in an already busy schedule. Online learning allows teachers to complete the classes they need at the time that's most convenient to them. As an added bonus, through the very nature of online learning, teachers often increase their technology skills while completing education degrees.

Schools Offering Online Degrees

• The University of Phoenix is one of the most well-known college providing online education. Available education degrees include Bachelor of Science in Education/Elementary Education, Master of Arts in Education/Early Childhood Education, and Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership.
• Walden University offers master's and doctoral degrees in education.
• The University of Maryland University College provides master's degree programs in education, distance education and teaching in addition to a Teacher Certification option for Maryland residents.
• The University of Missouri Columbia's online offerings include a Master of Education degree with early childhood education, gifted education, literacy, and social studies concentrations.
• With the increasing number of schools offering Internet-based instruction, if there's a school you'd love to attend, visit the college's website to see if there are any online degrees amid the traditional offerings.

Before enrolling in any online education degree program, make sure you're dealing with an accredited school. The U.S. Department of Education has created a site to help you research any school's accreditation.