What early childhood, elementary, special education, secondary and ESL concentrations involve, and why your state’s endorsement rules should shape the program you choose.

Every teaching degree leads to a classroom, but not to the same classroom. The concentration you choose inside an education program determines which grades and subjects you are licensed to teach, and each path carries its own coursework, tests and paperwork. This article walks through five common concentrations, what each one involves, and how licensure differs among them.

1. Why Your Concentration Shapes Your License

State licensing agencies do not issue one generic teaching credential. They issue certificates by grade band, by subject and, in some cases, by student population, and a license earned in one state does not automatically transfer to another. National Center for Education Statistics data shows that 90 percent of public school teachers held a regular or standard state teaching certificate, or an advanced professional certificate, in the 2020-21 school year, which is another way of saying that nearly everyone teaching in a public school cleared a state-specific process.

That process starts with your program. An early childhood degree may satisfy one state’s preschool license but not its elementary license, and a special education program may or may not include the particular courses a state requires. Our guide to whether a degree leads to a license explains how to verify that connection before you enroll. Matching a program to a state’s requirements at the start is far easier than adding courses after graduation.

2. Early Childhood Education

Early childhood concentrations focus on the first stretch of schooling, from preschool through the early elementary grades. Coursework centers on child development, early literacy and numeracy, and family engagement, along with supervised teaching at that age level. Many states treat early childhood as its own license category, separate from the elementary license, so a graduate may need a distinct certificate to move into higher elementary grades.

One thing to know about this range: kindergarten teaching sits close enough to elementary teaching that federal wage data groups much of it together. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that kindergarten teachers, not counting those in special education, earned a median of $62,680 a year in May 2025. When weighing early childhood against another path, compare the preparation each requires in your state rather than assuming the licenses are interchangeable.

3. Elementary Education: The Generalist Path

Elementary teachers cover core subjects, including math and reading, with young learners as they get ready for middle school. Because the job spans several subjects, preparation tends to be broad: content coursework across the elementary curriculum plus methods courses in how to teach it. Public school teachers at this level need at least a bachelor’s degree plus a license from their state.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts median pay for elementary teachers outside special education at $63,970 a year in May 2025, and projects about 99,400 openings each year on average across kindergarten and elementary teaching from 2025 to 2035, even though overall employment is expected to show little or no change. Most openings come from replacing workers who leave the occupation or retire. To compare teaching with other fields on pay and demand, our guide to using the Occupational Outlook Handbook shows where those numbers come from and how to read them.

4. Special Education and the Extra Requirements

Special education teachers serve students whose disabilities may be intellectual, emotional, physical or related to learning, from preschool through high school. The job centers on developing and updating Individualized Education Programs, adjusting lessons from the general curriculum, and meeting with families, fellow teachers and counselors about student progress. Like other public school teaching roles, it requires a bachelor’s degree and a license issued by the state.

The extra requirements come from the population. States commonly require dedicated coursework, additional testing and supervised practice in special education settings beyond what a general elementary or secondary license demands. Connecticut, for example, requires 30 semester hours of special education credit for its endorsement covering prekindergarten through grade 12, including coursework in program planning and teaching methods, two or more practica covering different kinds of disabilities, and a passing score on the Praxis II Special Education: Foundational Knowledge exam. Nevada issues special education endorsements in separate areas such as autism, gifted and talented education, hearing impairments, visual impairments and speech and language impairments, and it lets already licensed teachers work in a special education assignment for three years while they finish the required coursework.

Pay reflects some of that added preparation. Special education teachers earned a median of $67,170 a year in May 2025, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 37,100 openings each year on average across the 2025 to 2035 decade. Teachers who already hold a license can also add the specialization through a post-bachelor certificate; one public university’s special education certificate, for instance, uses mostly online courses with a weekly evening class so teachers can keep working. Our overview of degree levels explains where certificates fit relative to full degrees.

5. Secondary Education: Picking a Subject Area

Secondary licenses are issued by subject, which means this concentration is really two choices at once: the age band and the academic field. Preparation pairs advanced coursework in the subject with training in adolescent development and teaching methods, and state tests usually check subject-matter knowledge as well as teaching skill. A candidate planning to teach high school biology completes a science-heavy sequence that looks quite different from the schedule of a future English teacher.

Federal data hints at how credentials differ at this level. In 2020-21, 53 percent of secondary public school teachers held a master’s degree as their highest degree, compared with 49 percent of elementary teachers. Hiring needs also vary by subject. A federally funded research center notes that 44 percent of public schools reported one or more vacant teaching positions in fall 2022, with higher vacancy rates in high-poverty communities, and that states have responded with measures such as salary floors and financial incentives aimed at specific shortage subjects. Check whether your intended subject appears on your state’s shortage list, since that can shape hiring and support where you look for a job.

6. ESL and TESOL Endorsements

Concentrations in English as a Second Language, sometimes labeled TESOL or bilingual education, prepare teachers to work with students who are learning English alongside the regular curriculum. Coursework typically covers language acquisition, assessment of English learners, and teaching methods for multilingual classrooms, often with supervised practice in schools that serve English learners.

Licensure for this path varies more than most. In some states an ESL endorsement is added on top of an existing teaching license rather than earned as a first credential, and the coursework, testing and practicum requirements differ from state to state. Ask any program you are considering exactly which endorsement or add-on it prepares you for, and confirm that description with your state licensing agency before you commit.

7. Checking Your State’s Endorsement Rules First

Because every path ends at a state agency, make that agency your first stop, not an afterthought. A short checklist:

• Find your state licensing agency’s website and look up the endorsement you want, including required coursework, tests and supervised hours.
• Ask each program which specific license or endorsement its graduates qualify for, and in which states.
• If you already hold a license or college credit, ask how it counts, since transfer and reciprocity rules vary by state.
• Get answers in writing. Our list of questions to ask admissions covers what to request and how to document it.

The five concentrations described here lead to the same profession, but they are licensed, tested and staffed differently across the country. Matching the concentration to your state’s requirements before you enroll is the step that keeps the rest of the plan on track.

Readers ask

Can I switch teaching concentrations after I start a program?

Often yes, but switching can add coursework, testing or supervised hours if the new path has different state requirements. Ask the program how your completed courses would count toward the new endorsement before you change.

Do special education teachers need a separate license from other teachers?

In public schools, special education teachers need a bachelor’s degree plus a state license specific to the role. Some states split this into endorsement areas such as autism, visual impairments or a generalist credential.

Is ESL a full teaching license or an add-on?

It depends on the state. In some states an ESL or TESOL endorsement is added on top of an existing teaching license, while others offer routes to earn it as a first credential. Confirm the structure with your state licensing agency.

Does my teaching license from one state work in another?

Not automatically. States set their own endorsement rules and handle out-of-state licenses through reciprocity agreements that vary. Check with the licensing agency in the state where you plan to teach.

Admission rules, accreditation status and licensing requirements change. This guide is general information for students in the U.S.; confirm the details with the school, its accreditor or your state licensing board before you enroll.