Why study for an education degree?

The individuals that devote their careers to educating others are taking on roles that are both demanding and fulfilling. The pursuit of a career in education is one that is filled with a variety of opportunities, allowing educators to find their specialties, preferences, and abilities that will lead them on their future career path. Teaching has transformed throughout history, but managed to remain a constant in the lives of millions of individuals.

Studying for an education degree may be the perfect option for individuals who seek to make an impact on others around them, have vast reservoirs of patience and enjoy interacting and communicating with others.

What can I do with an education degree?

A career path with an education degree is one that can lead to many different options in location and sectors of learning.

A teaching degree can lead to but is not limited to the following jobs:

• Early Education Teacher
• Education Administrator
• Foreign Language Teacher
• Special Educational Needs Teacher
• Teaching Assistant
• Primary School Teacher
• High School Teacher
• University Professor

If you choose to study for an education degree abroad, you may be able to teach in another country because there is a constant demand for all levels of educators in many countries. Studying to teach a foreign language is another possible route to working outside of your home country.

Prerequisites for studying for an education degree

The prerequisites for many teaching degrees vary depending on the institute of education, degree type, and specialization of education. Most commonly, a background in general studies that has led to a high school diploma or equivalent are prerequisites for many bachelor's programs in education.

Master’s or PhD programs in education will require a larger amount of prerequisites such as a bachelor's degree level of studies. Prerequisites are entirely dependent on the institute of education or university program, so be sure to check with the administration of the program/courses you wish to take before applying.

What will I learn studying education?

As a student teacher in a teaching degree program, your possibilities of learning are endless. Many teaching degree programs will offer a variety of exposure to the core principles of teaching. The programs will also teach student teachers methods and techniques of learning that are adaptable to a number of learning scenarios.

Many student teachers studying for teaching degrees at the bachelor's level may find the following included in their coursework:

• Principles and theories of education
• Childhood and adult studies
• Education technologies
• Methods of education
• A period or more of student teaching

Student teachers who are enrolled in master’s programs in education or higher may undertake the following subjects:

• Curriculum construction/ knowledge
• Fundamentals of learning theory
• Studies in literacy
• Capstone projects (possibly includes experience in learning environment that leads to self-assessment and reflection of previous education)

Whether at the bachelor’s level or higher, such as a master’s program or beyond, student teachers will be actively engaged in many situations of assessment and ever-growing influence.

Or perhaps you're more interested in a similar field of studies:

• Humanities & Culture
• Psychology
• Languages
• History