Everyone wants a career that fulfills them both professionally and personally, but education is one of the rare fields in which the latter largely outshines the former. If you’ve ever had a favorite instructor or known a difference-making educator, you likely understand that people are driven to the profession because they want to change lives.

For a prospective college student with a passion for education as a career, a Bachelor of Arts in Education Studies* can provide the broad-based, versatile academic foundation upon which lifelong careers are built. 

What Is an Education Studies Degree?

An education studies program allows you to explore child and adolescent development through the lens of learning and education, while developing the skills, compassion, and knowledge that will help you transform generations of students. Further, you are opening yourself up to a number of opportunities in educational fields, as you immerse yourself in topics such as:

  • Education psychology
  • Phonics
  • English language learning
  • Curriculum development 

What Jobs Can I Get with an Education Studies Degree?

Many education studies students choose to pursue a master’s degree or teaching certification* after earning their bachelor’s degrees. But if you want to jump right into the workforce, you will be prepared for a career in which you can assist in instructional responsibilities. 

The careers in education that you can consider with a degree in education studies includes teacher’s aide and teacher’s assistant, while a more thorough list of careers in education will often include:

Careers in Early Childhood Education:

  • Daycare Provider
  • Camp Counselor
  • Recreation Coordinator
  • Infant/Toddler Caregiver
  • Teacher Aide or Assistant
  • Home Visitor
  • Recreation Worker

Careers in Child Development:

  • Daycare Provider
  • Tutor
  • Camp Counselor
  • Recreation Worker
  • Teacher Assistant
  • Human Services
  • Parent Educator
  • Early Childhood Education Consultant
  • After-s-School Program Director
  • Child Life Specialist
  • Special Education Paraprofessional
  • Extension Agent: Family Services

Careers in Early Childhood Development:

  • Instructional Aide
  • Teacher Aide
  • Teacher Assistant
  • Paraprofessional
  • Child Care Provider
  • Child Care Worker

Careers in Early Childhood Education Administration:

  • Preschool Owner
  • Head Start Component Coordinator
  • Pre-kindergarten Coordinator
  • Early Childhood Consultant
  • Childcare Facility Director

Careers in Early Childhood Education Leadership:

  • Early Childhood, Child Care Center, or Multisite Administrator
  • Early Head Start, Child Care Center, Preschool, Education, or Executive Director
  • Education Coordinator
  • Early Childhood Care Consultant
  • Parent Educator or Advocate
  • Early Childhood Director

If you’re certain a degree in education studies is right for you, let’s take a closer look at the career outlook for degree-holders.

Career Outlook for Education Studies

As a teacher’s aide or assistant, you can play a critical role in the development of learning and start impacting the lives of students immediately. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the agency that analyzes and reports employment data, projects that as many as 136,400 new openings for teaching assistants are projected each year through 2030, as the occupation is expected to grow by 9% during that time. Many of the openings, the agency reports, will come as the older workforce retires.

Teaching assistants work with licensed teachers and have face-to-face contact with students every day. A typical teacher’s aide will perform duties that include: 

  • Reinforcing lessons by reviewing material with students one-on-one or in small groups
  • Following school and class rules to teach students proper behavior
  • Helping teachers with recordkeeping, such as taking attendance and calculating grades
  • Getting equipment or materials ready to help teachers prepare for lessons
  • Supervising students outside of the classroom, such as between classes, during lunch and recess, and on field trips

What Education Careers are in Demand?

Education is a sector that will always need qualified professionals, though like many industries, the number of opportunities available may vary depending on where you live. 

According to the BLS, employment in the field of education (as well as training and library occupations) is projected to grow 10% through the end of the decade. That will result in about 920,500 new jobs. The reason is because student enrollment will be increasing, leading to greater demand. 

“The median annual wage for education, training, and library occupations was $52,380 in May 2020, which was higher than the median annual wage for all occupations of $41,950,” the BLS reports.

What Skills Do You Learn with an Education Studies Degree?

A bachelor’s in education studies is designed to develop your instructional skills and strengthen your understanding of communication, group behavior, and human development as it applies to young learners. 

Upon completing your degree at UAGC, you will be able to:

  • Design effective curriculum, instruction, and assessment to meet the needs of diverse learners
  • Demonstrate knowledge of child and adolescent development in the cognitive, social, physical, and emotional domains
  • Identify the unique needs of special learners and adapt curriculum and instruction to meet those needs
  • Apply alignment practices of standards, instruction, and assessment to identified academic, district, and state standards, goals, and priorities as part of the planning and material selection process
  • Apply foundational research skills to a topic of interest in an area of education

Those outcomes are possible because you will have amassed a toolbox of valuable, transferable skills. In its findings, the BLS reports that educational professionals, specifically teacher’s assistants, must be well-prepared with the following skills:

Communication skills
As you will be working with young people, as well as their parents, it’s important you are able to communicate clearly and concisely. Further, your education studies coursework will help you develop the proper tone and approach when communicating with students.

Interpersonal skills
Among the soft skills employers covet, being able to develop positive relationships with a diverse assortment of people is in demand. As a teacher’s assistant, you will need to use your interpersonal skills to work with students, parents, teachers, and administrators.

Patience
As any parent can attest, patience is critical when dealing with children. Through your coursework, you will learn coping skills and other methods to increase your patience and understanding around students.

Resourcefulness
A child care environment can be challenging, but you will learn how to become resourceful and find ways to overcome obstacles through your coursework. In the end, you’ll need that resourcefulness, as no two children learn the same way. 

What Courses Will I Take in My Education Studies Program?

A bachelor’s degree in education studies combines the core curriculum with general education and elective courses. Some colleges, such as the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC), allow you to customize your degree with emphasis courses in areas such as business economics, cognitive studies, entrepreneurship, and health and wellness, among others. When researching schools, you should look for an education studies program with a core curriculum that includes:

Educational Psychology
Educational Psychology explores the theories of how people learn. Selected learning theories are analyzed from the perspective of teaching and learning. Developmental theory and environmental and social factors are explored as they interface with the learning process. Educational psychology’s research is applied to the measurement, assessment, and evaluation of learning and the effectiveness and efficiency of teaching-learning interactions.

Child & Adolescent Development
This course provides a basic introduction to the nature of human growth and development from conception through adolescence. Students are provided the opportunity to explore the physical, psychosocial, and cognitive factors of growth and development from both a theoretical and a practical perspective. The context and impact of the family and society as well as individual, cultural, moral, and linguistic differences of development will be covered.

Curriculum & Instructional Design
Students will examine the pedagogy involved in designing, selecting, and assessing curriculum to meet the needs of diverse learners. The basics, such as how to write learning outcomes based on academic standards and selecting the research-based materials and activities to support student learning, will be covered. Evaluation of student learning will be included in the course.

Exceptional Learning & Inclusion 
This course provides an examination of historical approaches for inclusion and their influence on current trends for learning environments for children with exceptionalities. Students will apply evidence-based instructional methods and strategies to support children with diverse needs. In addition, students will analyze the collaborative models in inclusive settings that support and serve children and their families. Finally, students will create a professional and ethical-based philosophy of inclusion for children with exceptionalities.

Can I Earn My Education Studies Degree Online?

As recently as 2019-20, more than 51% of students took at least one online course, according to an analysis of U.S. Department of Education data. You can earn a Bachelor of Arts in Education Studies online, and for adult learners, online learning provides the flexibility they need to go to school while keeping their work and family commitments. 

What kind of flexibility? For example, UAGC offers start dates throughout the year for students, so you don’t have to wait until the fall or spring to start classes. Additionally, students are provided 24/7 tech support, plus the benefits of the online library, writing center, and tutoring.

Ready to build the foundation for your education career? Reach out to an advisor about your Bachelor of Arts in Education Studies.

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Written by University Staff

Certain degree programs may not be available in all states.

*An online degree from the University of Arizona Global Campus does not lead to immediate teacher licensure in any state.

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