Secondary Education Degrees

Overview

If you wish to pursue teaching as a profession and would like teach students at the middle or high schools, a secondary education degree is an essential requirement for you. Programs for secondary education degrees are designed with focus on specific subjects.

You can pursue a secondary education degree either at the bachelor's or master's level. A few universities even offer Ph.D. degrees in secondary education. You may take up a secondary education degree to get the training and skills necessary to pursue your first teaching job, or you may already be in the teaching profession and looking to scale up the ladder in the field of education.

Benefits

If you are working as an elementary school teacher then with a secondary education degree, you can move to junior high school, high school, or middle school. It also gives you the opportunity to change your subject of specialization.

Secondary education degrees immensely facilitate career opportunities and an increase in salary and earning potential. Most teachers in the country are facing retirement over the next 10-20 years. There is also an increase in the need for teachers in certain areas of the country. Thus, the prospects for people who have earned a specialized degree in secondary education are bright.

Costs

The course fee depends on the university a student is applying to. For instance, if you wish to pursue a BA program at the Pennsylvania State University, you may have to spend about $12,124 per semester, while at the North Carolina State University is about $17,584 annually.

Schools

Secondary education degrees, or any other educational courses, are being offered by plenty of institutions across the country. You need to ensure that the course and the institution you choose are accredited by the regional university and college accreditation boards. If the institution is accredited, they should be able to show you their accreditation. Some good schools offering degree courses in secondary education are the New York University, University of Pennsylvania, and Illinois Institute of Technology.

If you have access to the Internet, even location is not a constraint as many schools have started offering secondary education degrees online, which supports the overall efforts of providing a quality educational experience to one and all. Some of the well-know universities offering online degrees in secondary education are the University of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University, and University of Southern California.

Testing & Preparation

Good academic performance in high school along with competitive Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Tests (ACT) scores is a pre-requisite for applying to many of the universities. A SAT I Critical Reading score of 450 or higher is imperative. International applicants are required to take up English proficiency tests such as Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Financial Aid

To fund your secondary education degree course, you can turn to a number of avenues. The first place to begin your search is the college or the university you plan to apply. For example, the Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Phoenix, and University of Southern California all have a proper financial aid program in place. Further, you may also look for Federal Student Aid in order to fund your education.