If your goal is a public secondary teaching job, a secondary education degree usually gives you the more direct route, because teacher preparation and classroom experience are built into the curriculum. An English bachelor’s offers broader subject and career flexibility, but you may need separate teacher preparation before you can teach. online English bachelor's vs. Secondary education degree
Key Takeaways
- A secondary education degree usually builds teacher preparation and supervised classroom work into the curriculum.
- An English bachelor’s offers more flexibility outside teaching but may not meet state licensure requirements by itself.
- Before enrolling, confirm that the program prepares graduates for licensure in the state where you plan to teach.
The education route places supervised classroom work and licensure preparation inside the degree. With an English major, those requirements may sit outside the degree instead. That can preserve more room for study and work outside teaching, but the preparation you postpone does not disappear; it may become a separate step before you can qualify for the classroom.
The distinction matters because an online format does not remove classroom requirements. A licensure program can still require local practicums, student teaching, state tests, and approval from education officials. An English major may avoid those requirements during the degree, but you could face them later through a separate teacher preparation route. Confirm how the program handles those requirements before you compare tuition or commit to a schedule.
Online English Bachelor’s vs. Secondary Education Degree: The Core Choice
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that public high school teachers typically need at least a bachelor’s degree and a state-issued certification or license. A secondary education degree is generally the more direct choice when your goal is a licensed public school position. Its course plan joins subject knowledge with teaching methods, classroom assessment, and supervised practice, so the degree is built around both what you will teach and how you will teach it.
That structure can matter more than the degree title alone. The supervised practice and education coursework are part of the preparation a public school system expects to see, while the English coursework gives you deeper study in the subject itself. If you already know you want a classroom career, secondary education usually reduces the amount of preparation you must identify and complete after graduation. It does not remove state licensing requirements, but it aligns the academic program more closely with them.
An English bachelor’s has a different purpose. It centers on literature, writing, research, and language. Those skills can support teaching, but the degree title alone does not show that you completed an approved teacher preparation program. You may need a post-bachelor program, alternative certification route, or graduate teaching credential, depending on state requirements. That additional route can change both the total time needed to qualify and the point at which you can begin pursuing a licensed teaching position.
Program titles provide an early clue, although the course requirements still deserve closer review. Grand Canyon University offers the Bachelor of Arts in English for Secondary Education, which names both the subject and intended teaching level. By contrast, American Public University System offers the Bachelor of Arts in English, a broader subject degree without secondary education in the title. The distinction does not make the English degree unusable for teaching, but it signals that you should investigate how teacher preparation and state certification would be handled before enrolling.
| Decision Point | English Bachelor’s | Secondary Education Degree |
|---|---|---|
| Primary emphasis | Literature, writing, language, and research | Subject study plus teaching methods and classroom practice |
| Licensure preparation | May require a separate teacher preparation route | Often designed around state licensure requirements |
| Field experience | Not necessarily part of the major | Practicums and student teaching may be required |
| Best fit | Students who want career options beyond licensed classroom teaching | Students committed to teaching English in secondary schools |
How Curriculum and Student Teaching Differ
The largest practical difference appears near the end of the degree, when classroom experience and licensure requirements become part of the schedule. One online licensure-track English education program requires 120 credit hours and prepares students to teach grades 6–12. Its official program page includes both practicums and student teaching, so classroom experience is built into the degree rather than treated as an optional add-on.
The program’s official catalog specifies three 0-credit practicums. Each lasts 16 weeks and requires at least 30 hours in a K–12 classroom. The 0-credit designation does not make those placements academically or practically invisible: they still require recurring time at a school. The advising page also calls for a 16-week student-teaching semester and passing Virginia’s required licensure tests before obtaining a Virginia teaching license. Those demands can affect work, travel, and completion plans even when academic courses are online, particularly because the placement schedule may not resemble the flexibility of an online lecture course.
An English major usually devotes more room to subject courses and electives. Southwest Minnesota State University, for example, offers both the Bachelor of Arts in English and the Bachelor of Arts in English / Literature. Those titles point toward English as the main field rather than a built-in teacher licensure sequence. That can suit students who want broader use of an English degree or who are not ready to commit to a teaching credential, but it also means the degree title alone does not answer how or where school-based preparation will occur. The online liberal arts bachelor’s workload guide can help you assess the academic side, while prospective teachers must also plan for any required school placement and the licensure requirements attached to it.
- Pick the education route if you want teaching methods, field work, and licensure preparation inside one degree plan. The tradeoff is a more structured sequence, including placements that can constrain your work and travel schedule.
- Pick the English route if deeper subject study and career flexibility matter more than an immediate licensure path. Before treating it as a teaching degree, determine how its coursework connects to any required school placement and license.
- Pause before enrolling if the school cannot explain where you will complete student teaching or which state license the program supports. A program that leaves those details unresolved has not given you enough information to plan the final part of the degree.
Which Programs Fit Each Teaching Goal?
A future public middle or high school teacher should give priority to a program that clearly identifies its grade level and licensure purpose. The Grand Canyon University Bachelor of Arts in English for Secondary Education is an example of a degree title aimed at that goal. A licensure-track title, however, does not by itself establish that the program will meet the requirements in the state where you plan to teach. Confirm state approval, student-teaching placement support, and test requirements before applying, particularly if you are comparing programs based in different states.
An English degree can make more sense if you are not yet committed to licensure or want room for writing, editing, communications, and other language-based work. King University offers the Bachelor of Arts in English, while Eastern Oregon University offers the Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Science in English/Writing. You can review additional online English degree options while checking whether each curriculum includes education courses. Those courses may provide useful background, but they do not automatically make an English bachelor’s a teacher-licensure program. The degree leaves more career directions open, while also leaving teacher preparation as a separate decision if you later choose a classroom career.
GetEducated's Picks
- Grand Canyon University Bachelor of Arts in English for Secondary Education
- Liberty University Bachelor of Education in English Education (6-12)
- King University Bachelor of Arts in English
Cost can also separate the options, especially if an English graduate later pays for teacher preparation. It lists Eastern Oregon University’s Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Science in English/Writing at $30,590. The American Public University System Bachelor of Arts in English has a total program cost of $34,500 (In-State/Out-of-State) or $30,100 (Military). Those figures describe different paths, so the lower initial degree cost may not remain lower if additional preparation is required afterward. Compare the full credential plan, including the point at which licensure preparation is included or added, rather than just the first degree bill.
- Licensed public school teaching: Favor a state-approved secondary education program with documented field work, then verify that its licensure pathway matches the state where you expect to teach.
- English study with several career options: Favor the English bachelor’s, then research teacher preparation separately if teaching remains a goal. This preserves flexibility, but it also means comparing another educational step before assuming you are ready for licensure.
- Uncertain teaching location: Check state eligibility before committing to a licensure-track program based elsewhere. A program can be designed for secondary teaching and still require closer review if your intended state has different approval or testing requirements.
What to Verify Before You Apply
Admission standards alone will not tell you which route is easier to finish. One official online English program page lists no prerequisites for admission and requires 120 credits. A licensure-track English education program lists no standardized test for admission and permits transfer credit for up to 75% of the undergraduate degree. Those policies affect how you enter the program, not whether the completed degree qualifies you for a license. Generous entry rules do not remove later field work, student teaching, or licensure tests, and those requirements can shape your schedule more than the application process does.
Transfer students should request a course-by-course review before making a deposit. General education and English courses may transfer differently from teaching methods or field experience, so a transcript that appears nearly complete may still leave required education courses outstanding. The questions to ask about bachelor’s transfer credit can help you examine residency rules, accepted credits, and the courses you must complete at the new school. Ask how each transferred course will apply to the degree rather than relying on a total-credit estimate alone.
Ask the program for written answers to these points:
- Is the degree a state-approved teacher preparation program?
- Which grades and subject areas does it cover?
- Who arranges local field experience and student-teaching placements?
- Does the program meet requirements in the state where you plan to work?
- Which exams, background checks, or applications are required before placement?
The placement question deserves particular attention in an online program. Coursework may be delivered remotely, while field experience and student teaching still depend on an approved local setting, a school-based schedule, and the program’s placement process. A program that leaves those arrangements to you may require more coordination than one that identifies the process in advance.
If the school cannot answer those questions clearly, an English bachelor’s may still be a sound academic choice, but it should not be treated as a guaranteed route to a teaching license. The degree can support interests beyond classroom teaching, while the education degree concentrates more directly on preparation for licensure. Students considering work beyond schools can also review career options for liberal arts majors before deciding how much specialization they want.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What degree do you need to be a teacher?
Public high school teachers typically need a bachelor’s degree plus state certification or licensure. The exact approved degree, teacher preparation, testing, and field-work rules depend on the state. Those requirements determine whether an English degree can lead directly to a classroom or whether you must complete additional preparation before you can be licensed.
Can you be a teacher without a teaching degree?
Possibly. Some states offer alternative certification for people with a bachelor’s in a subject such as English. That route still may require teaching courses, supervised practice, exams, or other state requirements. It can make an English degree workable for teaching, but it does not remove the state’s preparation and licensing steps.
Can you be a teacher without an english degree?
Yes, if your degree and teacher preparation meet the state’s rules for the subject and grade level. An English major is not the only academic route into English teaching. A secondary education program may include the required preparation within the degree, while an English degree may leave those requirements for a separate certification pathway.
Can you get a teaching degree online?
Academic courses may be online, but licensure programs can require in-person practicums and student teaching. Confirm whether the school will approve and support placements near your home. A program can be convenient for coursework and still create a substantial scheduling obligation during the classroom-based portions.
Does an online english degree lead to teacher licensure?
Not automatically. A standard English degree may provide subject knowledge without the approved teaching courses and classroom practice required for a license. That difference matters because knowing the material and meeting the requirements to teach it are separate parts of the process. Review the state’s approved pathway before treating the degree as a complete licensure program.
Do you need a master’s degree to be a teacher?
A master’s is not the usual entry requirement for public high school teaching. State rules and employer policies can differ, so check the requirements where you plan to work. The more immediate question is whether your bachelor’s degree and teacher preparation satisfy the applicable certification rules.
How fast can you get a teaching degree online?
Completion time depends on transfer credit, course load, placement schedules, and state requirements. Student teaching can limit acceleration because it follows a school calendar and requires supervised classroom work. This is one reason two programs with similar coursework can lead to different completion timelines, particularly when one includes licensure placements and the other does not.
Is an english or secondary education degree better for teaching?
Secondary education is usually the direct route to public school licensure. English may be better if you want deeper subject study and more career flexibility, provided you understand the separate steps needed to become licensed. The practical tradeoff is built into the programs: one centers the preparation required for teaching, while the other can require you to add that preparation afterward.