If you’d like to study education programs abroad, one of the first things you’ll notice is that you have many options. In order to get further in your student journey, you’ll need to choose what kind of education or teaching you want to study.
Join an analytical and creative career in designing educational and professional learning programs.
There are many types of education degrees out there. Ensure that you understand what your future career path requires, and plan your future accordingly.
A certificate in education takes around one year or less, and gives students specialized skills in certain learning environments and age groups. For example, a certificate might focus on early childhood education, art education, or adult education.
A graduate certificate often functions as a supplement for students who already have teaching knowledge and would like professional development. These typically will specialize in areas such as education administration or instructional design.
In order to be a certified teacher, students must obtain a teaching credential, certificate, or license from an authoritative source such as a national government. Credential programs vary, but the standard program takes about year and a half, where the first semesters are usually classes and the final semesters are student-teaching.
There are significant differences as to the qualifications that different teaching jobs require in different countries. The credential will often require the completion of courses, student teaching hours, observed lessons, and other state, regional, or national requirements or exams. The most important thing is to ensure that your qualifications are accredited by the relevant education agency in the country and region you would like to work in.
Most teaching certificates are not accepted as a universal qualification for teaching. Many are more national or local, where a person gets certified to teach in a particular country and need to pursue an additional qualification to work elsewhere. Only some teaching certificates can be international, such as with International Baccalaureate teaching certifications, where a person can get certified in any licensed country to teach in any school around the world that offers that specific program.
A bachelor’s degree in education will usually take around three or four years. At the bachelor’s level, students typically learn core concepts such as pedagogy, developmental psychology, and instructional design. Some teaching credential programs can be completed concurrently with an undergraduate degree, but the student teaching portion is usually done after completing bachelor's degree.
A education degree at the master’s level takes around one or two years. This degree type is usually focused on a specialization, such as Higher Education or Educational Leadership. Students interested in specific career paths, roles, or research should look into a master's degree in education.
If you want to join the growing number of international students who study education programs or teaching degrees abroad, find more country-specific study abroad information in our country guides. Here are some reasons why studying an education degree abroad might give you the edge you're looking for.
It is best to pursue teaching certification in the country or state where you want to get a job. If you're aiming to start an international teaching career, then studying education abroad could be perfect for you. Whether you hope to become a teacher in the formal education system or spend some time teaching english abroad, a teaching degree can open doors to a wide variety of opportunities.
Exposing yourself to different ways of teaching and classroom management is a sure way to become an incredible educator. Learning about the structure and practices of education in different countries will give you a wide range of skills to cater your own teaching to students' diverse learning styles.
Whether you aim to teach students in an IB program or hope to coordinate study abroad programs, there are many careers to look forward to in international education, especially at the higher education level. Studying education abroad could be ideal for those who want to work with global educational programs or even international education at home.
Education is a very versatile field that can be connected to careers in a variety of other fields and industries. Knowing how to teach someone effectively is a universally monetizable skill that applies everywhere. Whether you become a math teacher, a corporate trainer, or a life coach, education skills learned alongside intercultural communication skills while studying abroad will be endlessly useful.
If you're interested in a teaching job, be clear about which subject you want to teach and which level of education you want to work at (primary, secondary, etc). Ask yourself whether you want to pursue your favorite subject as a field of study/research or you want to learn to teach that subject - studying how to teach a subject is completely different from studying the subject itself.
Think about which subject you like, rather than which subject you’re best at. Be ready to 'learn by doing' in classrooms outside your university. Teaching courses involve a lot of 'learning by doing' through on-site training in actual education institutions. Teacher training courses (the courses that you have to take to get a teaching license) are more about 'learning to do' rather than 'learning to know'.
You will also eventually need to decide whether you want to work at a public school, a private school, or a charter school. Consider the differences in what worker's rights you'd have, union protection, tenure, and pension between the different school types. Either way, it's best to get a full time job and clear your credential as soon as possible. The time it takes to clear your preliminary credential will vary depending on your location.
Consider these job factors when deciding on a teaching degree:
Study Law in NigeriaThe cost of living and average salary in the location you want to live and work in
The demand for multi subject or single subject teachers in different locations
The demand for specific subjects in different locations (subjects like Math and Science might be easier to get a job in than English, Physical Education, or History)
You can test different types of classrooms by becoming a substitute teacher before you commit to a specific degree or certification. Figure out who you are as a teacher to set yourself up for success. You might think you want to be a secondary school teacher now, but substitute teaching could show you that you actually prefer primary school.
Keep in mind that it's an emotionally taxing thing to get a credential and to go through your first year or so of teaching. Keep your head down, work hard, and document everything you do. Our insights from recent teaching graduates tell us that everything starts to feel much easier after the third year. From then, you'll know who you are in a classroom and what you should be teaching at which grade level, and everything feels like it fits.
Some students might be wondering, what is an education degree useful for? Why study education if you don't want to become a teacher? Beyond becoming a university professor or lecturer, there are plenty of jobs in education that are not teaching.
Here are some potential jobs in education that are not teaching:
Here are some potential jobs in education that are not teaching:
Tons of career paths focus on supporting students and educators, managing education systems, researching facets of education, mentoring and coaching, and designing education itself. Think of modern schools and universities. Everyone from your school principal to the admissions officers approving your university application is a professional in the field of education. Academia is another option for those who want to exclusively research education.
Outside of educational institutions, career paths in education only seem to be growing. There are more and more professionals involved in designing educational material used in professional development training, educational textbooks, and gamification, referring to the application of game design elements to education. The surge in online learning has also brought a high demand for the development of new technologies that could be used to enhance learning.
The field of international education is another huge area of opportunity. You can use your educational expertise in a variety of organizations that focus on international standardized testing, educational system management, and international development.
EAIE (European Association for International Education)
If you'd like to take your education degree back home, look into local NGOs or government education agencies. There are many national and regional organizations that work with education in ways that are closely related to skills in communications, community building, development, and project management. For example a career in your national government's education department could be ideal if you're interested in improving public school programs.
What are salaries for graduates of an education degree?
Expected salaries for careers stemming from a degree in education vary widely. We’ll provide some expected salaries of a few of the most popular career choices and the average salary for bachelor’s and master’s degree.
Do some self-reflection on your own goals and priorities before you start looking for a program. Once you have a better idea of what kind of program to study and where, you’ll be able to choose an education degree more easily, whether that be an online program, an undergraduate degree abroad, or a graduate program at home.
A bachelor’s degree will be less specialized than a master’s degree, but that doesn’t mean you can’t specialize in a particular area. Check out our degree guides to learn more about the requirements and benefits of different degrees, and consider your career goals in the process. Match different programs to what your dream job may require. While education and teaching jobs require a university degree, the requirements will change significantly according to your specific role and location.
