The demand for an education degree has been on the increase in recent years. This has been necessitated by the increasing competition for jobs in the education sector. This problem has especially been exacerbated in the past few years as the economic recession bites. Many people have now been forced to return to classroom in order to better their credentials make them competitive for jobs.
Of course, one need not be a teacher after obtaining an education degree but it is equally important to note that the main career path of those with educational degrees is to become a teacher. Some however join the corporate sector and some professions such as training, talent development and human resource (HR).
As the world gets interconnected, one can now pursue an education degree from the comfort of their homes. All you need is a working and reliable computer and internet connection. An online degree is preferred by many because of the flexibility that it offers. In todays fast paced world, one may not have the time to attend a college fulltime and hence an online degree may be the best option. In addition, many do not wish to forego their incomes simply because they are studying. Unless you obtain a scholarship, attending a college often involves a huge financial outlay. You may also have to forego your income for the duration that you are going to attend college. Some people cant quite cope with this.
It therefore becomes easier for them enroll in online degree programs. Some may also have children or other day to day bills to pay and hence cannot afford to forego their day to day. Similarly, some international students want to obtain degrees from reputable universities without having to travel physically to attend the college. They may be afraid to fit in a completely new environment and the attendant culture shock that may follow.
Before enrolling for an online program, it is essential that you ascertain the quality of the program. This can be done by checking the quality of the faculty. You should check whether the college professors are well respected among their peers. This respect may be gauged by how they publish in the academic papers and other peer review journals. Publications I such journals usually indicates whether the professors are regarded as an authority in their field.
Another important gauge that can be used for quality is the success of the past alumni. Check on their employment trends and how easily they got job offers after graduation. Their starting salary as compared to graduates from other colleges should also be ascertained.
One can choose many career paths after obtaining the online education degree. For instance, one can become an elementary school teacher. This will require that you master a little bit of many disciplines in order to become attractive disciplines.
A high school teacher on the other hand, only needs to master two or three disciplines in order to be attractive to employers. For instance, an English teacher could double up as a journalism teacher or a creative writing teacher. On the other hand, a math teacher can double up as an accounting teacher or a physics teacher. A foreign language teacher can double up as a multicultural teacher given that she knows a couple of foreign languages and cultures.
Others choose to pursue careers in the corporate world. Many human resource professionals hold education degrees as well as corporate training managers.
A bachelors degree in education is usually enough for one to obtain a decent job. However, some people choose to get masters and doctorate degrees in order to stay competitive. A masters degree will help you secure jobs as head of a department in high school or get an administration position in the school. On the other hand, a doctorate degree helps one to secure teaching jobs in universities and colleges. Many people prefer such jobs because they are tenured positions hence providing a high degree of financial independence.
