What can I do with a BA in Education?
It seems that in order to teach anywhere I need a Masters in Education, so what can I do in the education field with a BA? #education #higher-education #k-12-education #education-management
5 answers
Ivy’s Answer
It depends on which track you are planning on taking for your career. If you intend to stay in Education as a teacher, it is not necessary to have a Master's degree in Education. Decide which grade level and subject area you want to teach in and work on those certifications. If you are planning on being in administration a master's degree may help but you still have to go through getting certifications in admin and must have some teaching experience... at least 3 years. Your advanced degree can be in any content area but I would suggest you get one in a field like business or something that will help you change tracks if you decide too. Hope this helps.
Gary’s Answer
Hi,
Good question, depending on what you want to do you may need a Masters but a BA in Education can get you in as a public school Teacher for most districts as well as working for educational agencies that support schools districts...I see you are in Texas as well...you can work for the State of Texas Education Agency/TEA, you can be a Trainer if you want to work in the corporate world. Education is also a good background for a lot of community, social service and government jobs as well...working for the city, county or state. There are also non-teaching school district jobs you may qualify for.
You can always start working and study for your Masters at night/part-time as well while earning money, starting your career and getting some experience for your resume.
good luck!
Stephanie’s Answer
Hi Caleb,
Yes you can teach with a Bachelor's degree, but teachers today do need a Master's degree to move up the career and pay ladder. You have lots of opportunities with a bachelor's - public or private school or even a charter school. You can work for a non-profit organization too that works with children. Check out the possibilities when you get closer to graduation. Some places do offer tuition help to pay for part of your Master's degree. Gary gave you good advice - you can work/teach in the daytime and go to school at night or weekends to get your Master's. Many universities offer flexible schedules so that teachers can get get a higher degree.
I found this article that might be helpful: http://www.educationdegree.com/articles/masters-in-education
From that article:
Why You Should Consider a Master's in Education:
Choosing whether or not to continue your schooling can be a tough decision. There are certainly many factors to consider. Below we list some of the benefits of earning a master's in education.
Better pay: a state by state analysis by the Center for American Progress showed that teachers with a master's degree earn anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 more per year than teachers with only a bachelor's degree.
Career Advancement: earning a master's degree may make you eligible for prestigious and potentially lucrative promotions.
Fulfillment of a Requirement: some states require teachers to earn a master's degree within a specified time period in order to maintain certification.
Increased Career Opportunities: if you have a bachelor's degree in something other than education, a master's degree in education will open the door to a teaching career.
Intellectual and Professional Development: an advanced degree program can deepen your subject area knowledge and introduce new concepts and methodology that may improve your teaching.
You can start with a Bachelor's - just don't stop there!
Good luck,
Stephanie - a teacher who got her Master's after teaching many, many years!
Aparna’s Answer
In order to teach you need a teaching credential with your BA. MA is not technically needed to teach, you can teach with your teacher training /credential. However, if you want to advance on your pay scale steps your MA will help you in earning more. Most teachers do their BA/BS first and also earn their teaching credential at the same time . They find a job and advance in education credits as they become permanent teachers.
Chermone’s Answer
You can teach with a BS in Education. If you want to teach at the Pre-K through High School levels, you'll be fine. Teachers are always in demand, especially in rural areas (think supply and demand). Having a focus also helps to get you noticed, after that the type of additional training or discipline. If you want to teach at the collegiate level, you will need to have a doctorate. Be sure this is what you really want to do, pay is very low to start with (which is one reason people try to get a MA before they start teaching). Good hunting!