Are you starting college and considering teaching as a career path? Are you currently unemployed or looking for a new career? Have no fear; this article provides the details you need to make the best degree and certification decisions for the state in which you wish to teach!
Becoming a Teacher: Introduction

Teaching is a valuable career to enter into these days. Education is essential for our future, and is gaining prominence in daily dialogue in the news and online. That said, there are so many different paths into the front of the classroom. What is the number of years of college required for becoming a teacher, and which options are best for you? While this article focuses on elementary education degrees and certifications, the same variety of options exist for secondary educators, special educators, and for early childhood education majors. The references at the end of this article may be of some help if you are still looking for more details. That said, let us first begin with the "traditional path," a fully-accredited teaching degree, where state certification is achieved at the end of either a bachelor's or master's degree.
Undergraduate Options For Teaching Degrees

If you are just getting started at a four-year institution of higher education, it would be best to see if you can major in education. Finding out the requirements for entry into the college of education at your institution may require a specialization in a subject area (like math or English) for the first two years, and admission when you are at junior standing. It would take three to four years to complete a bachelor's degree and you may have to take your Praxis state education test before finishing (or even, entering) the formal education department.

Other colleges and universities have their programs structured a bit differently, based on needs they see within their local communities and state teaching requirements. Since some states require a master's degree for a teacher within a year or two of starting a teaching career, some institutions require education majors complete a bachelor's degree in a subject area and then enter a master's-level program in education. At these schools, there are no bachelor's degree offerings in education and no undergraduate education major option. Some advanced undergraduates could start on education classes, especially if already dual-admitted to both a bachelor's and master's program, whether it be a B.S. in biology/M.Ed in education or some other five year combination.