Purchasing Resources for Education Degrees

Education Degrees

Education degrees have become a staple of the university education curriculum. With many teachers reaching retirement age, as well as the increased number of children entering school, the demand for teachers is predicted to rise in the coming years, and both young adults and seasoned career changers are opting to obtain education degrees to either share their passion for their subject or to enter what is perceived to be a stable career field with many opportunities. The following guide details some of the options available as well as some of the difficulties you might encounter in the pursuit of an education degree.

Benefits

Convenient Education Opportunity

Education degrees may be attained both online and on a physical campus. Online courses can be done on your time, rather than on a professor’s set schedule. The instructor will detail the available instructional readings, lesson plans, and deadlines. You can communicate with your professors via message boards, email, or on live chats at your convenience. This is one of the best available options if you are an independent worker or are already in the professional world.

Fun and Informative

Surrounding yourself with students of the same study can be very beneficial, both personally and professionally. When presented with the option of earning their degrees online or in a classroom, many students prefer the classroom environment. Personal friends are generally acquired through common interests, including your field of study. Professional friends and acquaintances provide the opportunity to collaborate which will provide new viewpoints and opinions that may otherwise not be addressed. The option to socialize and work together makes traditional classes both fun and informative.

Career in Demand

As more parents elect to enroll their children into special education programs, more special education teachers are needed. According to the Labor Statistics Bureau, these teaching positions are anticipated to increase 12% by 2016. Teachers that are bilingual are expected to have the most amounts of potential employers. Subjects with the greatest necessity include math and science.

Position Variety

Teaching is generally the primary position for attaining an educational degree. From science and math to history and physical education, there is a field of study perfect for every education student to pursue. Although teaching is generally the position education majors strive for, other positions are available as well. If just starting out or looking for part-time employment, tutors and teaching aid positions are available. When looking to progress in the educational world, administrative positions such as principals and superintendents require education degrees.

What to Look for in Education Degrees

Regardless of where you get your education (online or on-campus), you have to be on the lookout for some pitfalls.

Pitfalls

Accreditation

There are numerous online schools and campus-based schools that offer only training certificates or degrees; however, some of these schools aren’t accredited. If the school you ultimately attend isn’t accredited, the education degrees you earn aren’t going to be worth much. Some companies and many schools won’t entertain a degree obtained from a college or university that isn’t accredited.

Scams

Besides having to watch out for unaccredited schools, you also have to keep an eye out for diploma mills or schools that allow you to pay a certain fee to get your degree. These schools may require you to take a test or submit a thesis paper for a degree. The problem is that you don’t actually go through any training. No proof of any other education is required. For example, a “school” you happen upon may offer you a doctoral degree in psychology if you send it a $2,000 fee and write a paper that pertains to psychology. You may get the degree, but it won’t be worth the paper it is printed on, and it is highly unlikely that you will be able to get a job with the degree.

Learning Style

If you opt to earn your degree through an online school, you won’t have personal interaction with other students or your professors like you would have if you go to a campus-based program. This can turn into a pitfall if there are subjects that you don’t fully understand. You can’t just schedule an in-person tutoring session with your professor or another student.

If you choose to earn your degree through a campus-based program instead, you don’t have the same freedom you have if you choose an online program. You will be bound by class schedule, and too many absences can lead to failing the course.

Pricing

On Location

Prices for education degrees range from $200 per credit hour to higher than $500 per credit hour. But this doesn't include extra expenses such as the cost of living on campus, text books, and transportation.

Online Degrees

According to the Sloan Consortium, by 2008 there were already 4.3 million students enrolled in online programs. This is because the costs associated with doing these online degrees are similar to the costs of going to a campus, but with some important exceptions. First, because most of the academic texts you'll need are online you won't have to buy expensive text books. Also, you don't have to take time off work or worry about any on-campus expenses.

Conclusion

Pursuing an education degree, whether on campus or online, can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. The incorporation of communication technology into both realms allows for a lot of flexibility and convenience. Whether the student is looking for a teaching career or employment in a related area, an education degree carries with it a high employability factor.

Care must be taken when choosing a program, particularly one that is online, to verify that it is an accredited program and that the coursework offered is relevant to the desired future employment. Students must also determine which option is best—a traditional classroom or an online course—to help them learn what they need to know.