An online K-12 education degree program teaches the fundamentals of class instruction in four areas: early childhood, elementary, middle school and high school. A degree in this field allows you to choose the subject area and grade level you wish to teach. K-12 teachers utilize a variety of instructional techniques and materials to communicate ideas. Most online institutions offer a broad selection of degrees and certification to K-12 educators. The amount of training you require will depend on your level of education, experience and desired area of specialty.

Getting an online K-12 education degree will allow you to acquire the specialized training needed for advancement opportunities in your current career while continuing to work in your present job. These programs are also beneficial to those seeking a career change.

K-12 Education Degree Programs Online

Associate Degrees in K-12 Education

An Associate Degree in K-12 education is typically a two-year academic program that prepares you for a career as a support staffer or teacher assistant in areas of early childhood education, child development or daycare work. Courses covered will include topics in classroom management and lesson planning.

Bachelor Degrees in K-12 Education

Bachelor degree programs in K-12 education will vary depending on the subject area and grade level you wish to teach but they include general courses in child development, education techniques and classroom management. Students who successfully complete a Bachelor’s degree in K-12 education will have the appropriate qualifications to teach in public and private schools at the preschool, middle school or high school levels. A Bachelor’s degree in education is also the required qualification needed to obtain licensure in the state you wish to teach. It also keeps you on track for a graduate degree program that can qualify you for a department head or administrator position within the field.

Masters in K-12 Education

Masters of Education degree programs provide specific training to K-12 educators depending on the grade level or subject area they wish to specialize in. These programs cover a wide range of courses in areas such as school administration, advanced classroom instruction, educational leadership, elementary reading and literacy and middle level education. They also allow for concentration in mathematics, science or education administration such as counseling, educational technology or curriculum design.

Top Schools that provide Online Degrees in K-12 Education

• University of Phoenix
• Capella University
• Jones International University Online
• Western Governors University

Salary Range for K-12 Educators

Salaries for K-12 educators with an advanced degree will vary depending on the level of training, experience, position and employer. The average salary for elementary, middle and secondary school teachers is around $52,000 per year. An administrator in a senior position can earn an average $75,000 to $120,000 per year.

Number of online educational programs and enrollments for these courses has increased phenomenally. Biased opinions about online education and their opinions have begun to change. Gone past are the days when organizations and companies where vehement against considering these courses.

Online Graduate Programs – The Preferred Choice

Online Educational Courses are offering a stiff competition to Traditional Campus courses both in terms of standard of education offered by them and the evaluation system followed by online institutions. Online courses in general offer the convenience of anytime anywhere study to students, especially working adults and busy professionals. Hence it is the most preferable choice for individuals who are otherwise committed all through the day.


Online Graduate Programs pave way for career advancement and career change especially for those who are already into full time employment. With need for career professionals differing every day, there might be individuals who are looking for a serious change in their career, at the same time not leaving out the opportunity to earn money. Those individuals, who are planning to take a specific career option, find these graduate programs extremely helpful in taking up an entry level job.


After having understood the advantages offered by online educational institutions number of students started preferring online educational courses. With the growing demand more and more institutions have started coming up offering wide range of specialized courses. Given that they online educational programs have grown in their variety and standard. Hence now there are many opportunities for students to make a choice of courses.

Top Ten Tips for Selecting Online Graduate Programs

After having listed the reason why students prefer Online Graduate Programs, it is important to guide them through the process of selection and offer some of the valuable suggestions and tips.

• Validity of Online Institutions – Examining the validity of the existence of an online educational institution is the foremost step to be taken by a student. It is a step prior to even listing top colleges of your choice. Failing to verify the legitimacy of the institution only results in a sheer waste of time and money.
• Online Institutions and their Accreditation – Credibility of an educational qualification earned by you depends upon where you pursued your study. The courses and the resultant qualifications have no recognition if the institution is not recognized by one these six accrediting institutions namely New England, Northwest, Middle States, North Central, Western and Southern Accrediting Associations. Those willing to opt for tuition reimbursement by employers should necessarily opt for accredited institutions.
• Operational Online Institutions – Your choice of institution should be completely operational. Hence it is better to go for established institutions than for new ones. If you find any operational problem either in accessing online graduate program classes or getting technical support it will become simply impossible for you to continue your studies.
• Technological Compatibility – The primary and most important requirement of online education is the technical compatibility issue. Online education is possible only with the help of technology; hence make it a point to verify what you need in order to pursue the course.
• Learned Educators – It is an absolute necessity to verify the quality of teachers employed by the online institution. The more learned and professional the educators are the better will the quality of education offered through online graduate program.
• Funding– Funding is one of the critical issues when it comes to enrolling for an online educational program. Similar to traditional courses, online institutions are also offered financial aid by government as well as private agencies. There are options like tuition reimbursement and military aid which can be considered before applying for financial aid.
• Customer Care and Support – While the fact is that online graduate programs use the latest technology to deliver classes and online training, how comfortable are the students in handling technology related issues is a question of serious concern.
• Class Strength – Not necessarily in online education even in case of traditional courses lesser number of students per class ensures personal attention by the teacher, which is good for the students. Choosing an online graduate program with lesser of students is good. Again beware of popularity of the institution.
• Course Curriculum – Learn the time frame within which you should be completing the course and in case self paced study pattern is allowed know the maximum time frame before which the program should be completed.
• Opinion of Past Pupil – Past pupil opinion makes more sense and carries importance where you are completely new to the institution and you are not aware of anybody who had been to the institution you have chosen to be a part of.

While we have taken a conscious effort to offer you the tips while selecting an Online Graduate Program, the students are required to take the needed precautions before proceeding with their decision.

The average salary for online Engineering degree holders depends on their job profile.

• Level 1 Electrical Engineer - The average salary of a level 1 Electrical Engineer is in the range of $50,000 to $60,000.
• Engineering Manager - The average salary of Engineering Manager is in the range of $100,000 to $120,000.
• Dean of Engineering - The average salary of a Dean of Engineering is in the range of $170,000 to $190,000.

Career Opportunities for Online Engineering Degree Holders

Online Engineering Degree Holders can work in the field of automotive manufacturing, information technology, defense manufacturing, consultancy, healthcare facilities, research institutions, software, telecommunication and transportation.

Online Bachelor in Engineering

By successfully earning online Bachelor degree in Engineering, you can work as an assembly Engineer, integration Engineer, development Engineer, test Engineer and quality control Engineer.

• Assembly Engineer - The average salary of assembly Engineer is in the range of $40,000 to $60,000.
• Integration Engineer - The average salary of integration Engineer is in the range of $45,000 to $65,000.
• Development Engineer - The average salary of development Engineer is in the range of $45,000 to $60,000.
• Test Engineer - The average salary of test Engineer is in the range of $55,000 to $70,000.
• Quality control Engineer - The average salary of quality control Engineer is in the range of $60,000 to $80,000.

Online Master in Engineering

By successfully earning online Master degree in Engineering, you can work as chief Engineer, electronics design Engineer, Engineer division head, operations supervisor, software design Engineer and structural design Engineer.

• Chief Engineer - The average salary of chief Engineer is in the range of $90,000 to $120,000.
• Electronics Design Engineer - The average salary of electronics design Engineer is in the range of $80,000 to $90,000.
• Engineer Division Head - The average salary of Engineer division head is in the range of $120,000 to $170,000.
• Operations Supervisor - The average salary of operations supervisor is in the range of $75,000 to $85,000.
• Software Design Engineer - The average salary of software design Engineer is in the range of $80,000 to $100,000.
• Structural Design Engineer - The average salary of structural design Engineer is in the range of $100,000 to $110,000.

Area of Specialization

How much you can earn with online Engineering degree depends entirely on your area of specialization. You need to choose your area of specialization very wisely because any mistake in this regard can have a negative impact on your career. According to recent study, the average salary of people with online civil Engineering degree is lot more in comparison to those with online electrical or mechanical Engineering degree. Before taking any decision on area of specialization, it is advisable that you interact with your faculty. They can help you in choosing a right kind of specialization as they are aware of all your strengths and weaknesses.

Selection of Online University for Engineering Degree Holders

For Online Engineering Degree Holders that are looking to get high average salary after earning an Engineering degree, selection of online university is very important. You need to select an accredited online university for an Engineering degree program. Employers these days prefer taking the services of online Engineering degree holders that have earned degree from an accredited online college or university. When you take admission in an accredited university, you will be able to implement Engineering concepts in a much better way. This in turn means that you are going to get higher average salary from your company.

Work Experience for Engineering Degree Graduates

To get higher average salary, Online Engineering Degree holders need to increase their work experience. Once you get an admission into online Engineering degree program, look out for internship opportunities. This can turn out to be quite useful when you start working on a full time basis.