In the modern world, there are endless options for education, whether in person or from a distance, regardless of ones discipline. With all of the options, it helps to have a guide to put everything into perspective and to understand the programs. This is especially important when it comes to those who are looking to teach future generations. Teachers, no matter what they teach, need to be up to date on their techniques and information. They must also connect with their audience. This becomes increasingly difficult when the prospective teacher is seeking online or distance education. As a teacher, the person will be responsible for educating future generations and therefore they need to have the most preparation and gain some experience before leading their own class.
To help prospective teachers in their journey from a distance, we’ve compiled a list of the best online bachelors programs for teaching degrees. In order to come up with this list, we examined several important areas, such as academic rigor, preparation for real teaching scenarios, flexibility of enrollment, price and payment/financial aid options and the quality of the faculty and staff. There was also a focus on the more unique offerings, with the opportunity to take the alternate route to certification, or concentrations in fields related to education that are harder to find.
To determine academic rigor, we are looking at the pass rates for certification tests, such as the Praxis, and also how quickly graduates became employed in their field after earning that certification. For preparation of real teaching scenarios, we are looking for opportunities for the student to complete student teaching or a related internship local to them. In order to measure the quality of faculty and staff at the college, we are looking for the availability of the staff to answer questions as soon as possible, their knowledge of the programs and the faculty response time to assignments and student questions.
Related (Campus):
- Top Science Education Schools
- Best Undergraduate Degrees in Secondary Education
- Top Adult Education Undergraduate Programs
- Best BA in Education Teaching Degrees
- Top Math Education Bachelor’s Programs
Related (Online):
Without further ado, here are six of the Best Online Teaching Degrees at the Bachelors level:
Drexel University
The oldest school overall from this list has one of the newer distance education programs. Founded in 1891, Drexel has been offering online education for two decades and offers more than 140 online degree and certificate programs. These programs aren’t any different from the campus programs, because the curriculum is reviewed using the same process as with the traditional program. The faculty is also just as accomplished and qualified to teach online as they would be in person. For an online program, Drexel offers a Bachelor of Science in Education which is geared toward prospective teachers seeking to educate in the pre-kindergarten through fourth grade age range.
To achieve an in-person experience, a student teaching component is included. This student teaching requires twelve consecutive weeks of full-day teaching in the classroom. In addition, you as the student would be required to complete 190 hours of in-school pre-student teaching activities, ensuring rigor and experience is completed. This program is also unique because there are 180 credits to completion, but those are quarter credits, so they are equivalent to 1.5 normal credits. Students can also transfer in up to 90 quarter credits (equivalent to 60 regular credits).
Liberty University
Liberty University is well known in the field of online education and is for a good reason. For 45 years overall and 31 years in distance education, Liberty has offered education that are flexible and affordable. For teaching, students have degree options such as a Bachelors in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education or in Special Education.
Courses are consistently 8 weeks with some at 16 weeks and they offer curriculum that will ensure increased work performance and the ability to move forward in your career. In order to excel, Liberty also provides free access to a tutor whenever they are needed, as well as a student support team and a private Facebook group of peers for support.
Western Governors University
Western Governor’s University has a specific teachers college designed to meet the needs of prospective students. At the Bachelors level, there are eight separate programs for specialties in teaching math, science, special education or an overview of teaching grades kindergarten through eighth grade. In each program, the course work is flexible to meet the needs of a non-traditional student, while still supporting them with outreach from faculty and staff alike.
At WGY, 68% of graduates finish within 36 months.
UMASS Global
The University of Massachusetts consists of five separate campuses, as well as their online program, which has been around for fifteen years. The education department consists of over twenty programs specialized to the needs of students and their specialized fields. An undergraduate student could go into the Bachelor of Arts with concentrations in Children’s Learning and Development, Early Care and Education or Advocacy and Social Justice studies.
For the next level, there are also leadership programs related to the education field. If you are looking to transfer in previous credits, the University of Massachusetts allows up to an astounding 100 credits from previous education, prior learning and work and life experience.
Grand Canyon University
When you arrive on Grand Canyon’s website, you’ll immediately see that they have perfected the process of answering your questions and getting you to complete your goals. They are the definition of flexibility, with education formats as a traditional student, nighttime and weekend student or online student. Grand Canyon makes the process convenient for students by requesting transcripts on their behalf, then evaluating them and determining a graduation date based on that information. Courses are four credits each, with a total of 120 to complete the program, and 80 of those are in the major.
Throughout the program, there are Practicums, which allow the student to gain real experience in a teaching setting, so they will leave their program feeling prepared to teach.
Fort Hays University
At the Bachelors level, Fort Hays State University offers options such as Elementary Education, Early Childhood Unified (for preparation as an administrator, coordinator teacher and special education training) and Elementary with a minor in Special Education. Each option is 127 credits, with 55 credits in general education, 40 credits in the major, 20 credits in professional studies and 12 credits of student teaching.
Their website helps you in advance to know what you qualify for, with areas such as financial aid and an online assessment to determine which type of program is right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
An online teaching degree is worth it for many different reasons. You can take the same courses taught by the same professors from the comfort of your home. Online teaching degrees typically allow you to complete student teaching activities in your home area, too. If you attend a state-approved, accredited program, you’ll graduate with the same credentials as on-campus students, allowing you to apply for a state teaching license. All the while, you can study at home and save money!
The Education Data Initiative notes that the average bachelor’s degree costs $36,436 per year. However, the overall cost of a bachelor’s degree varies from one school to the next and one person to the next. Costs vary based on the length of the program, whether you’re paying in-state or out-of-state tuition and the number of credits you completed before starting the program. Expenses for fees, books, supplies, and travel to and from student teaching locations also affect the degree’s cost.
There are many scholarships available for education majors. If you’re in high school, speak with your guidance counselor about possible financial aid sources. If you’re already in college, speak to someone at the university’s financial aid office for assistance finding scholarships and other types of aid. You can also search online for scholarships for education majors. Any of these sources can be helpful in identifying need-based and merit-based scholarships that help offset the expense of getting your degree.
A BA, or Bachelor of Arts, typically has fewer science and math course requirements than a BS, or Bachelor of Science. Secondary humanities-related degrees like social studies, art, and English tend to be Bachelor of Arts programs. Secondary math and science-related education programs are usually Bachelor of Science degrees. Elementary-level degrees are generally divided in the same way. A BS teaching degree is usually considered more rigorous, whether at the elementary or secondary level. This is because of the added requirements for taking science and math courses.
Online teaching degrees are legitimate, provided they are accredited and approved teacher education programs. The Council for the Accreditation of Education Programs (CAEP) is the gold standard for teacher education program accreditation. If your online program has CAEP accreditation and is regionally accredited at the institutional level, the chances are good that your degree will be recognized as appropriate for state licensure. It’s important to confirm this with the state licensing board before enrolling, though.
Typical teacher education programs are about 120 semester credits, which require four years of full-time study. However, you can shorten this timeline by taking extra classes each spring and fall and taking summer courses. The usual course load is 12-15 credits per semester, but taking 18 credits each semester for three years removes an entire semester from your graduation timeline. Likewise, completing some of your general education requirements in high school through Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or dual-credit coursework can significantly reduce how many classes you have to take in college.
A bachelor’s degree is the minimum education needed to teach in public schools. However, teaching in public schools also requires that you have a state-issued teaching license. There are some exceptions, though. For example, some states are so desperate for teachers that they issue an emergency certification to people who do not have the required teaching credentials. In many cases, recipients of an emergency certification must complete coursework equivalent to a teaching degree within a certain timeframe.
Some private schools might not require a bachelor’s degree. Some private schools don’t require state licensure, either. Instead, you might be able to find a teaching job based on life or work experience that is commensurate with a degree in a specific teaching discipline. Whether you have a bachelor’s degree and a license or not, all teaching positions require you to pass a background check.
A bachelor’s degree in education paired with the appropriate teaching license can qualify you for classroom teaching jobs at the pre-K through 12th-grade level. The levels at which you teach depend on the licensure. For example, many states offer an elementary certification for pre-K through 6th grade and a secondary certification for 7th through 12th grades. In some cases, you might be able to get dual certification and teach at all grade levels or gain specialized certifications (e.g., special education, early childhood education) to expand the types of classroom teaching jobs you can pursue.
The salary you earn as a teacher varies greatly. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that elementary teachers earn a median yearly salary of $61,620, while middle school teachers earn $61,810. High school teachers make $62,360 per year. Teaching salaries are highly dependent on your level of experience and education. Pay scales take these two factors into account, paying higher amounts the more experience and education you have. Other factors affecting teacher pay include the following:
• The district where you teach
• The city and state in which you teach
• Any additional duties that earn extra income
• Teaching in a high-need area, like special education
• Whether you teach in a public or private school
As a result of these and other factors, the pay range for a bachelor’s-level teacher can be anywhere from the mid-$40,000s to more than $100,000 per year.