More universities launch online teaching degree programs

More universities launch online teaching degree programs

America's teacher shortage has mainly affected elementary and middle schools. Instructors of English as a second language, science and math are all in high demand.

According to T.H.E. Journal, schools such as Arizona State University are expanding online teaching degree programs for instructors of preschool through 12th grade. Several new programs will be available this fall, including an early childhood certification which meets the state department of education's July 2012 deadline.

The school is also offering its first graduate certificate, which is catered to teachers of grades K-12 who want to develop online and hybrid education programs at their schools.

"We have expanded opportunities for elementary and secondary teachers with our online programs," Mari Koerner, dean of ASU's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, told the news source.

Receiving a degree in education from an online university could have future benefits. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), elementary school teachers who were working in 2008 had an average salary of $52,240 per year.

There were 4.5 million jobs for teachers that year, and as older teachers retire that number is expected to increase, the BLS reports.