For those with a passion to lead and make an impact on children’s lives, education remains an ideal career choice, as it offers personal fulfillment and the potential for job security. If this is the journey you want to take, a Bachelor of Arts in Education Studies* can provide the foundation upon which you’ll build your career. Read on to discover what education studies is and how this program can set you up for a successful future.
What Is Education Studies?
Education studies is a broad-based degree program that examines how people learn and how you can be an effective educator in a traditional setting or in other areas such as corporate training. With your bachelor’s in education studies, you will develop the instructional skills that will position you to compete in this growing field, which includes communication, group behavior, research-proven instructional practice, and human development.
What Do You Learn in An Education Studies Degree Program?
In the Bachelor of Arts in Education Studies program at the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC), for example, you will cover the most relevant topics and techniques used by today’s professionals. More specifically, among other things, you will study principles of reading instruction, serving English language learners, curriculum creation and assessment, serving exceptional populations, child development, and pedagogical and andragogical processes. These courses will prepare you to become a well-rounded educator able to meet the needs of learners in multiple settings.
Coursework in the education studies program such as the one at UAGC will teach you how to:
- Design effective curriculum, instruction, and assessments 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 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that education professionals, specifically teacher assistants, must be well-prepared with the following skills:
Communication skills
As you will be working with young people and 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 childcare 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 An Education Studies Program?
A bachelor’s degree in education studies combines the core curriculum with general education and elective courses. Some colleges, such as 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
Explore 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.
Foundations of Educational Technology
Strategies and ideas for the use of technology to enhance learning will be explored in this course. The latest in Web applications will be explored and evaluated for their instructional application.
Further, a relevant education studies program should challenge you to step outside of the classroom and work one-on-one with a student. If you are pursuing your Bachelor of Arts in Education Studies at UAGC, you will take courses that engage you in a variety of modalities to include cooperative, inquiry, and project-based learning. Some of the features include creating a Google Classroom to deliver a unit of instruction, demonstrating competence in instructing Phonics-Based Reading and Decoding, by committing three hours per week, for three weeks, to instruct a student age 5 or older; creating curriculum units with lesson plans and assessment systems that differentiate instruction for all students.
How Long Does It Take to Earn An Education Studies Degree?
A bachelor’s degree in education studies is a four-year program that includes your core courses, general education courses, and electives. Course curriculum varies by college, but at UAGC your degree is made up of:
- 43 Gen Ed Credits
- 36 Major Credits
- 41 Elective Credits
Elective credits at UAGC can be chosen from one of several emphasis categories, which increase your depth of knowledge and understanding in an area you may choose to pursue after you graduate. These emphasis categories include:
- Business economics
- Cognitive studies
- Entrepreneurship
- Health and wellness
- Real estate studies
- Supply chain management
This adds up to a total of 120 credits, but at UAGC, you can significantly shorten your path to graduation by transferring approved credits from previous college courses, job training, military service, or other relevant life experience.
Can I Earn My Education Studies Degree Online?
It is possible to earn a degree in education studies online. This option can offer you greater flexibility if you are trying to balance your education with work and family responsibilities. At UAGC, for example, you will take one five week course at a time throughout your program, and be considered a full-time student.
What Can I Do with An Education Studies Degree?
With a fundamental understanding of curriculum and instructional design and assessment, as well as the cognitive processes involved in learning, you will graduate with the ability to compete for a number of careers in education-related fields. The versatility of your curriculum offers you a wide path post-graduation.
According to the BLS, the education sector – which includes training and library occupations – will grow 10% through 2030, adding about 920,500 new jobs in the U.S.
Let’s take a closer look at one of the most in-demand jobs: teacher assistant. The BLS projects as many as 136,400 new teacher assistant openings every year through the end of the decade, largely due to retirements or educators transferring to other jobs.
- Work under the guidance of a licensed teacher
- Provide feedback to teachers about student progress
- Sometimes help in specific areas, such as computer labs
- Supervise children at play and assist during meals
Where Can I Take My Academic Career with My Education Studies Degree?
Not all graduates go right into the workforce, and your education studies degree can serve as a springboard to greater academic success. If you are considering an advanced degree in the field of education, some of your options include:
By earning your master’s degree, you are joining an elite company, as just 13.1% of U.S. adults hold a master’s, professional, or doctoral degree, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
I’m Ready to Get Started
If you wish to invest your time and passion into educating others, you must first invest in yourself. To start your journey, reach out to an advisor to discuss your Bachelor of Arts in Education Studies today.
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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. If you want to become a classroom teacher, contact your state’s education authorities prior to enrolling at the University of Arizona Global Campus to determine what state-specific requirements you must complete before obtaining your teacher’s license.