What Can I Do With A Major In Education?

Introduction

A career in education was once exclusively a career in teaching, usually in an elementary or secondary school or in a college or university, or to a lesser extent in a church or synagogue, or other religious institution. Today it is a much broader enterprise. Most educators are still teachers, but many specialty areas have developed, i.e. reading teachers, guidance counselors, librarians and other media specialists, nurses, physical therapists, social workers, business managers, computer experts--to mention a few. It can be said that teaching is the central career in education. All other educators exist to support teachers in one way or another.

In the public schools the most prevalent career route is a result of training in an approved program which leads to state certification. Other institutions and programs may consider a candidate without certification, but necessarily with a strong educational background and strong commitment.

Though teaching is still the career of choice for teachers, training, education and skills allow one to consider alternative career choices. These are wide and varied, occurring in different settings and with titles other than "teacher" (see Related Occupations).

The related occupations listed below are just some of the possible choices for teachers.

A Sample of Related Occupations

Related Occupations Related Occupations Related Occupations
Admissions Counselor Adult Educator Advertising Account Executive
Advertising Director Audio-visual Specialist Biographer
Consultant Consumer Advocate Continuing Education Program Planner
Convention Organizer Corporate Trainer Counselor/Guidance Counselor
Critic Editor Fundraiser
Government Agency Administrator Human Resources Administrator Journalist
Librarian Lobbyist Market Researcher
Media Buyer Non-profit Administrator Personnel Recruiter
Private Tutor Public Information Officer Public Lecturer
Public Relations Specialist Radio/Television Newscaster Researcher
Sales Representative School Psychologist Screen/Script Writer
Social Worker Speech Consultant Station Programmer
Teacher Technical Writer Tour Guide

Types of Employers
 

Colleges and Universities

Media

Community Service Agencies

Museums, Historical Societies

Consulting Organizations

National Associations and Councils

Cultural Organizations

Pre-school/Day Care Centers 

Federal Education Agencies

Private Schools

Financial Institutions

Private Schools Abroad

Government Affiliated Schools Abroad 

Public Schools

Health Service Providers

Regional and National Accrediting Agencies

Industry

Research and Development Centers

Judicial System

State Boards/State Departments of Ed.

 

Related Web Links

Professional Associations

For additional career information, see the Occupational Outlook Handbook