Career Specializations

• Early Childhood Education: This vein concentrates on using principles of child psychology to foster the growth of young children up to the preschool level.
• Kindergarten and Elementary Education: These teachers emphasize play and caring but begin to include basic academic concepts in such subjects as biology, math, and reading.
• Secondary Education: At this level, teachers begin to push their students to perform well in classes and on tests, and students are exposed to many more types of subjects, helping them determine possible careers.
• Postsecondary Education: This specialization denotes education at the college and university level and is the most promising concentration in contemporary education in terms of job availability and salary.
• Special Education: These educational professionals tailor their skill sets to meet the needs of students who would be at a disadvantage in more traditional classroom settings.
• Administration: In this specialization, professionals manage other teachers and educational staff. 
• Vocational: These experts are well versed in very particular career fields, many of which are known for being quick paths to successful employment. 

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Degree Levels

• Associate Degree: 2 years to complete
• Bachelor's Degree: 4 years to complete
• Master's Degree: 1-2 years to complete
• Doctorate of Philosophy in Education: 3-5 years to complete
• Doctorate of Education: 3-7 years to complete 

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Education & Certification Requirements

The first step to developing into an specialized educational professional is to earn a bachelor's degree. Many undergraduate programs may offer concentrations in such fields as special education or early childhood education, and students interested in such specializations should avail themselves of the chance to learn about them at this early phase. Those who are interested in teaching a particular subject, such as French or art history, should double-major in that field along with education, or at the minimum, take a good number of classes in that field. Vocational teachers and some early childhood educators may find a bachelor's degree enough to find work. And in order to teach in public schools (but not private schools), state licensing is a requirement.

But specialization in education truly begins at the master's level of study. This is especially true for those looking into postsecondary education. Earning a PhD or an EdD, the terminal degrees in education, is an excellent path to postsecondary education as well. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards offers voluntary but recommended certification for educators of many specializations.

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Salary Information

Determining salary points for specialized educators demands looking into the educators' academic backgrounds, experience level, and type of education instructed. Those who focus on administration, for instance, sport varying salary potentials: Elementary and secondary school administrators earn around $85,000 annually, whereas those in postsecondary education take home $80,000 on the average per year. Special education teachers between the early childhood and elementary school levels earn approximately $50,000 yearly. Interested parties should conduct thorough research into the particular and specific type of education that interests them to assess more direct salary info. (BLS), (BLS)

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Job Outlook

By the year 2018, the employment possibilities for teachers, not including those at the postsecondary level, are estimated to climb by 13 percent. Postsecondary school educators will enjoy a higher 15 percent of increase in demand. This is because the country's workforce has been forced to become more knowledgeable in the face of digitalization and automation of labor; essentially, jobs that need humans to fulfill them have become more difficult to earn, necessitating the holding of a college degree. Regardless of the education specialization held by a particular candidate, the best way to ensure steady and profitable employment is to have earned at least a master's degree, if not an EdD or Ph.D, in education, and to have been approved for certification. (BLS)

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Related Careers

Teaching English as a second language has become yet another offshoot of educational specializations. This specialty, known as ESL, has become increasing popular as a result of the effects of globalization in English-speaking countries. ESL instructors are trained to handle the difficulties of grasping English, especially because of the need to engage in skills not centered in language in order to become fluent. 

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