Education is one of the fastest growing fields in America today. You can become trainers, administrators, teachers, counselors, curriculum designers, librarians, etc. In America, there is a huge shortfall of qualified teachers.

You can train to teach kindergarten, elementary, middle or high school. You can even become a special education teacher. With experience, a teacher can become the principal of a school, or even a part of the school's management and administration. A trained teacher could even join the state boards or state department. You could also become a career counselor or textbook writer.

To get a license to teach in a school in the United States, you need a bachelor's degree, with educational coursework. You would also need to take licensing exams. Earlier, you would have needed to work as a trainee teacher to get a degree. Nowadays the "Alternate Route" program in most states makes it easier for a person to teach, even if they have not completed a year or more of specialized teacher training in normal schools.

In the state of New York, teachers need to have a bachelor's degree, after which it is compulsory to complete a master's degree within five years of gaining employment at a school. To be permanently certified in New York, a teacher needs to pass three state exams of pedagogy, general knowledge and the subject being taught.

The huge demand for teachers has encouraged colleges and universities to offer stand-alone teacher licensure programs. These certifications help teachers with undergraduate degrees in other fields to quickly get the expertise required by the state for licensure. And professionals who want to make a career change to acquire the skills of teaching can get their degrees. The programs ensure hands-on experience. Make sure that the program you choose is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teachers Education.

The Internet has made it easier to get online degrees. Some web sites offer accredited online education degree programs of leading universities and colleges. These degrees are extensive. You could get a Master's of Education or Master's in Teaching with a variety of specializations. These could be in Educational Assessment and Evaluation, Leadership in Educational Organizations and even Distance Education. You could even get a degree in school management, learning and technology, science and mathematics, English and more. Some of these degrees could help a teacher fortify his resume and do better in his career.

Check out WorldWideLearn.com (www. worldwidelearn.com), Grand Canyon University Online (www.directdegree.com) and University of Missouri, Columbia (http://mudirect.missouri.edu). There are also other universities that offer you online teaching degree courses.