Online Education Degrees

Education degrees are offered at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, from teaching degrees such as the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) to master’s programs in library science and the Doctor of Education (EdD). Many students study online: NCES data show that in fall 2024, 23.7% of undergraduates and 40.5% of postbaccalaureate students, across all fields of study, were enrolled exclusively in distance education. Whether a particular education degree is offered online, and whether it leads to a teaching license, depends on the program and on the state where you plan to teach. If you already work in schools, the choice is more about advancing in your role.

Some teacher education programs are available after the completion of a bachelor’s degree. Others are offered by schools of education and are incorporated into the undergraduate program, where students prepare to become teachers as they pursue their bachelor’s degree. California’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing, for example, lists four pathways to a Preliminary credential: Residency, Traditional, Integrated Undergraduate, and Intern. Residency programs are for college graduates, Traditional programs offer post-baccalaureate coursework, and Integrated Undergraduate programs are completed during a student’s undergraduate education. Whether a program qualifies you for a license is decided by the state that issues it. The scope of accreditation of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), last verified October 22, 2026, covers providers that offer bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees and post-baccalaureate programs that lead to certification, licensure, or endorsement.

This page is about earning a degree online. If you want to work as an online teacher instead, see our guide to teaching online.

Can you get a teaching degree online?

Often, for the coursework. Many programs deliver coursework online, though availability varies by program and state. California’s commission, for example, says that depending on the program, the format may be in-person, virtual, or hybrid. Clinical practice, such as student teaching, is a separate question. CAEP’s 2022 initial-level standards, last verified October 22, 2026, say that high-quality clinical practice offers candidates experiences in different settings and modalities, and that providers work with partners to design and implement clinical experiences. Those are accreditation standards for the providers CAEP accredits, not a state licensing rule, so confirm how a program and your state handle placements. If licensing is new to you, start with our overview of how to get a teaching credential.

Before you enroll, ask each program:

Does it lead to a teaching license in the state where I plan to teach? Confirm the answer with that state’s education agency. Our guide to teaching credential requirements by state is a place to start.
How does it arrange student teaching, and can I complete it near where I live? Online coursework does not tell you how or where clinical placement is arranged, so ask the program and your state’s education agency.
Which licensing exams will I need to pass? Our guide to teaching certification tests covers the exams used for teacher certification.
Will my license carry over if I move? Ask the education agency in each state you might move to whether it accepts a license from another state.
Is the school or its education unit accredited, and by whom? The section on accreditation and licensure below explains how to check.

Choose a degree by your goal

Start with the situation closest to yours. Each guide at the end of this page goes deeper.

You are starting college and want to teach. Look for a bachelor’s degree that includes teacher preparation, and confirm that it leads to a license in your state. In California, for example, the commission describes Integrated Undergraduate programs as an accelerated pathway completed during undergraduate education, and it says programs culminating in only a degree do not authorize teaching in California public K–12 schools.
You have a bachelor’s degree in another subject and want your first teaching license. Look for a master’s program that includes approved credential preparation, because the degree title alone does not establish that you can be licensed. In California, only programs approved by the commission lead to a California teaching credential. Indiana’s education department describes the MAT as generally a pre-service degree that usually requires a minimum of 30 semester hours beyond a bachelor’s degree and centers on practical classroom skills. Our Master of Science in Teaching (MST) and MAT-TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) guides below cover those options; ask each program whether it leads to a license or a specialty authorization in your state. Our guide to transitioning to a teaching career walks through the steps for career changers.
You are a licensed teacher who wants to advance in the classroom. Adding a grade level or subject area is a licensing step, not an automatic result of earning a degree. In California, for example, credential holders can add teaching areas when they meet requirements such as subject-matter coursework or an exam plus a methodology course. Programs in curriculum and instruction are one place to look; the federal classification of instructional programs describes the field as a program that focuses on the curriculum and related instructional processes and tools.
You want a role in education outside the classroom. Some programs prepare graduates for specialist roles. The same federal classification says curriculum and instruction programs may prepare individuals to serve as professional curriculum specialists. Ask each program which roles it prepares you for, and whether those roles require a state license.
You are weighing a doctorate in education. The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED), a consortium of more than 180 colleges and schools of education, offers EdD selection guidance saying an EdD program should prepare you to become a “Scholarly Practitioner” and suggesting you ask whether a program offers a “dissertation in practice” experience. Our guide to EdD and PhD degrees compares the two.
You want to work in libraries. The American Library Association says a master’s in library science (MLS) is necessary for most librarian positions in most public, academic, and special libraries. For school libraries, it says school librarians “may not need an MLS but must meet state teaching requirements,” so check your state’s requirements first.

How accreditation and licensure fit together

As of October 22, 2026, CAEP describes accreditation as quality assurance through external peer review. It reviews the educator preparation provider, meaning the school, college, or department that prepares teachers.

CAEP was formed from two earlier accreditors, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). According to CAEP’s history, it became fully operational on July 1, 2013, and the legacy NCATE and TEAC standards stopped being used for accreditation once CAEP’s standards were fully implemented in 2016. If a school still describes a program as NCATE-accredited, ask which accreditor reviewed it and whether that accreditation is current. CAEP’s provider search is a search tool for accredited providers and recognized programs.

Accreditation and licensure are separate. CAEP notes that after completing a program, teachers seek licensure or certification from the state in which they wish to teach. Accreditation reviews the school, but whether a program qualifies you for a license depends on the state that issues it, so confirm that with the state agency before you enroll. For graduate programs, our guide to master’s program accreditation explains the types of accreditation and where to look.

Explore the degree guides

For more information about online education degrees, click on any of the pages below: