Changing careers into a classroom job makes the history master’s vs teaching master’s decision practical, not academic: your choice affects which courses you take, whether the program supports initial licensure, and how directly it moves you toward public-school work. If you already hold a license, the balance shifts toward deeper history study. online teaching master’s
Key Takeaways
- Career changers should look for state-approved teacher preparation, supervised field work, and a clear route to initial licensure. Those pieces show whether the program is built for someone entering teaching rather than someone adding subject depth.
- Licensed teachers may get more value from advanced history courses than from repeating general teaching preparation. Once licensure is already in place, deeper historical study serves a different purpose from coursework designed to establish eligibility to teach.
- Degree titles are unreliable guides; compare the required courses and licensure status before comparing cost. Two programs with “master’s” in the title can leave you with very different next steps.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that public-school teachers typically need at least a bachelor’s degree and state-issued certification or licensure. A master’s degree is not the usual minimum. That makes the program’s licensure status more important than its graduate title. A history program can strengthen your subject knowledge while still leaving you responsible for the teacher preparation your state requires. For most career changers, that extra step can change the timeline and the total work involved.
History Master’s vs Teaching Master’s: What Each Degree Trains You to Do
A history master’s treats history as the main field of study. One university’s official online program page describes a 30-credit history MA with historical methodology, digital and public history, research seminars, and an optional thesis. That design makes sense for a licensed teacher who wants stronger content knowledge, research skill, or preparation to teach advanced history courses. It can also suit someone whose goal is subject-matter depth rather than a change in professional role. The optional thesis matters because it signals room for sustained historical research, while the methodology and seminar courses show how the program expects students to work with evidence and scholarly arguments.
A teaching master’s puts classroom practice closer to the center. Another official program page describes a 30-credit history degree for teachers that combines history courses with education courses and teaching methods. The credit totals match, but the academic purpose does not. One develops a historian’s research skills; the other connects subject knowledge to instruction. For a career changer, that distinction affects more than the course titles: a degree built around education methods may address the work of planning instruction, assessing learning, and completing classroom-based requirements, while a history MA may leave those areas outside the program.
The course list usually reveals more than the diploma title. Use this quick comparison:
- History-heavy plan: historiography, archives, research seminars, public history, and a thesis or major research paper.
- Teaching-heavy plan: instructional methods, assessment, classroom practice, field experience, and courses tied to teacher preparation.
- Mixed plan: graduate history courses paired with education methods, often aimed at teachers who already have classroom standing.
Review a program’s required courses against this online history master’s curriculum guide. Electives can add useful depth, but they cannot repair a program that omits the teacher preparation required by your state. Pay particular attention to whether the education courses are required or merely available, and whether classroom practice is part of the plan. A history degree can strengthen what you know; it does not automatically show that the program covers the preparation your intended classroom role demands. That is the distinction to resolve before comparing tuition or assuming two degrees with the same credit total lead to the same result.
Which Degree Can Lead to Initial Teacher Licensure?
A teaching master’s is the stronger candidate only when it explicitly leads to initial licensure in your state. A degree can carry an education-related title and still be intended for someone who already holds a teaching license. Programs labeled teaching, curriculum and instruction, or education can therefore produce very different results for a career changer: one may include the preparation and supervised experience needed for licensure, while another may deepen the skills of an experienced teacher without creating an entry path into the classroom.
Read the program description for its licensure outcome, not just its degree title. If initial licensure is not part of the program, earning the master’s may not move you closer to eligibility to teach. That distinction affects the time and coursework you will need after graduation, particularly if you are comparing a teaching program with a history master’s that is designed as an academic subject degree rather than a teacher-preparation route.
The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, known as CAEP, accredits educator-preparation providers offering master’s degrees and programs that lead to teacher certification, licensure, or an endorsement. CAEP accreditation is a useful quality check, but it does not replace a review of the rules for the state where you plan to teach. State approval, field work arrangements, and examination eligibility still determine whether the program fits your intended path.
Before applying, ask the program to identify these items in writing:
- Whether the degree leads to initial licensure or is designed for licensed teachers
- Which state has approved the teacher-preparation program
- How student teaching or other supervised field work is arranged near your home
- Whether the school verifies eligibility for required state examinations
- What happens if you live or seek employment outside the school’s home state
These details are especially consequential for an online student. A program may be delivered online while student teaching or other supervised field work still depends on an approved arrangement near your home. Approval in the school’s home state also does not, by itself, answer what happens if you plan to teach elsewhere. Ask for a formal review of your location and intended teaching state before you commit to coursework.
The U.S. Department of Education warns that some employers, schools, and licensing boards recognize only degrees from institutions accredited by an accreditor it recognizes. Institutional accreditation and program approval answer different questions: the first applies to the school, while the second may determine whether teacher preparation meets state rules. This history master’s accreditation guide explains what to verify.
How Curriculum, Program Titles, and Cost Compare
Real program titles show why readers must look below the word education. American Public University System offers the Master of Education / Online Teaching, while Ohio University offers the Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction. Both sit in education, but neither title alone proves that a career changer will earn initial teacher licensure. Read the admission requirements, course sequence, and field-experience requirements together. A program may build subject knowledge, teaching knowledge, or both, yet still leave you responsible for a separate state approval process or additional requirements.
| Comparison Point | History Master’s | Teaching Master’s |
|---|---|---|
| Primary academic focus | Historical research, interpretation, and subject depth | Instruction, assessment, and classroom practice |
| Best fit | Licensed teachers seeking stronger history knowledge | Career changers when the program leads to initial licensure |
| Field work | Usually not the central purpose | May include supervised classroom work in a licensure track |
| Main question to ask | How much graduate history does the curriculum require? | Does this exact program satisfy my state’s licensure requirements? |
Cost deserves scrutiny after you confirm that a program fits the goal. Published total program prices include all mandatory fees. Two licensure-track MAT entries illustrate how residency can change the bill: one lists $6,990 (In-State) / $25,800 (Out-of-State), while another lists $8,539 (In-State) / $30,304 (Out-of-State). Those in-state and out-of-state amounts are not minor variations; residency can determine whether a program remains financially workable. Ask the bursar how residency is determined, whether it can change during enrollment, and whether any required costs fall outside the published total. A low price does not help if the degree leaves you short of certification.
GetEducated's Picks
- Grand Canyon University Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages TESOL
- Lamar University Master of Arts in Teaching (Teacher Licensure)
- Campbellsville University Master of Education in Montessori Teacher Education
Also check whether an MAT or MEd better matches your status as a career changer. The labels vary across schools, so use this MAT versus MEd comparison to frame the questions before requesting program details. Your questions should connect the program title to the outcome you need: whether the curriculum includes the preparation required for initial licensure, whether prior coursework will satisfy prerequisites, and which parts of the program require participation outside your normal schedule. Request a formal prerequisite evaluation before enrolling, and confirm transfer treatment with the registrar rather than assuming that a related degree will shorten the path.
Who Should Pick Each Degree?
A licensure-track teaching master’s usually fits a career changer who has a bachelor’s degree but has not completed approved teacher preparation. Its value depends on how directly the program connects graduate study to the state’s certification process. If it leaves you to assemble missing requirements after graduation, the degree may not solve the problem that led you to enroll.
A history master’s fits a narrower classroom case. It may work well when you already hold a teaching license, your employer values graduate study in the subject, or you want research training that an education curriculum does not provide. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that historians typically need at least a master’s degree, so this option keeps more attention on professional historical work than a teaching degree does. That focus can be useful, but it does not replace the preparation or authorization required to enter a classroom for the first time.
The decision turns on what you need the degree to do after graduation. If the missing piece is teacher preparation, a history curriculum may give you deeper subject knowledge without giving you a path to licensure. If you are already licensed, however, another teaching-focused curriculum may repeat work you have completed, while advanced history courses could better match your professional goals. Course titles alone will not settle that question; the required content and the state’s rules matter.
Use these questions to make the final call:
- Do I need my first teaching license? Favor a state-approved teaching program that confirms eligibility in writing, including any preparation or field requirements attached to the credential.
- Am I already licensed? Compare advanced history courses with education courses you may have completed before. Repeated coursework can add time without adding much value.
- Do I want to study history or how to teach it? Read every required course title and description. The degree name is less useful than the work you will actually complete.
- Can I complete local field work? Confirm who arranges placements and whether your workplace can qualify. A placement requirement can affect your schedule even when the classes are online.
- Will my state accept the program? Get an answer from the licensing authority, not only from an admissions representative. State approval of a school or admission to a program does not by itself establish eligibility for a teaching license.
Do not use admissions approval as proof of licensure eligibility. A school can admit you to a graduate program even when that program does not satisfy your state’s teacher-preparation rules. Write down the credential you need first, then compare online teaching degree options against that requirement. This keeps a subject-focused degree from being mistaken for a licensure pathway, and it gives you a clearer basis for evaluating the program’s courses, field work, and state recognition.
Find Your Online Education Degree
Narrow 112 accredited online Education degree programs to find the perfect fit.
Northwest Missouri State University
Master of Science in Education in Teaching History (Non-Licensure)
Emporia State University
Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction - Effective Practitioner PreK-12
Arizona State University
Master of Arts in Education - Educating Multilingual Learners (Non-Licensure)
National University
Master of Education in Inspired Teaching and Learning with a Preliminary Multiple or Single Subject Teaching Credential and Intern Option (California)
Northwest Missouri State University
Master of Science in Education in Teaching Mathematics (Non-Licensure)
University of South Carolina-Columbia
Master of Education in Teaching / Multicultural Contexts in Education
Frequently Asked Questions
What degree do you need to be a teacher?
Public-school teachers generally need a bachelor’s degree, approved teacher preparation, and state licensure. The required major and preparation route depend on the grade, subject, and state. That means the same history degree can lead to different next steps depending on whether you already hold a license and which classroom you want to enter.
Do you need a Master’s degree to be a teacher?
Usually not for entry. Some states or employers may require graduate study later, but a master’s should solve a specific licensure, subject, or advancement need. If you are not yet eligible for a classroom, graduate study that does not include an approved preparation route may leave the central requirement untouched.
Can you be a teacher without a teaching degree?
Possibly. Alternative certification and post-baccalaureate preparation may accept a bachelor’s degree in another field. You must still meet state requirements. Review the route as a complete sequence, including coursework, testing, and supervised practice, rather than assuming that admission to a program means you are ready to teach.
Can a history Master’s lead to teacher licensure?
Not by itself unless the program includes approved teacher preparation. A history MA focused on research usually does not replace certification coursework or supervised classroom practice. It may strengthen your subject background, but it does not automatically provide the state approval or classroom experience required for a teaching license.
Can you get a teaching degree online?
Yes, but licensure programs may combine online courses with in-person field work. Confirm where placements occur and who arranges them before enrolling. A program that appears fully online can still require local classroom access, scheduled observations, or supervised teaching that cannot be completed from home.
Is a teaching Master’s always a licensure program?
No. Many teaching and education master’s programs are built for licensed educators. Look for an explicit statement that the program leads to initial licensure. If that statement is missing, compare the curriculum with your state’s preparation requirements before treating the degree as a route into the classroom.
Is a history Master’s better for teaching high school history?
It can deepen subject knowledge, especially for someone already licensed. A career changer who still needs certification will usually need teacher preparation as well. The useful comparison is not simply history versus education; it is advanced subject study versus the coursework, field experience, and licensing path required to become eligible to teach.
Should a licensed teacher choose history or education?
Choose history for deeper subject study. Choose education for work centered on curriculum, instruction, assessment, or another teaching specialty. Compare required courses rather than relying on the degree name. The course list should show whether the program builds the expertise you want or adds requirements that do not move you toward licensure or your intended classroom role.