I know many states offer education as a BA major, but in CA (at least in my area) that's not a choice. Many elementary school teachers I know have majored in Liberal Studies. In your experience, is Liberal Studies considered a "hire able" major? When I was in college, it was treated as a sort of joke degree, is that still the case? What other degrees are common for elementary school teachers?
I'm in VA and my degree is a BS in Human Dev. and Learning (It is basically elem. education) but opens it up a little for social work Oh if I was going to redo my BS I would have minored in social work because around here that is where the jobs are.
Most K-5 teachers in CA major in Liberal Studies. There's not much you can do with a Lib. Studies degree (other than teach, of course). I'd say 90% of the teachers I work with majored in Lib. Studies. I majored in Sociology with a minor in English.
This is the cool part of teaching in California. Major in something that interests you, that you want to learn. Then you can get your teaching credential to teach either multiple subjects or single subject in your major. I majored in Spanish.
I wish I had majored in Sociology! That would have been so much more interesting than Liberal Studies...Of course, then I probably really would have become a social worker (that was my second career choice). I really don't think there's much you can do with Liberal Studies without a Master's in SOMETHING, or a teaching credential.
You're probably right, yellowdaisies, and that's a shame: a Liberal Studies major ought to equip the bearer with breadth of knowledge and the ability to apply the basic principles in a wide range of domains both to solve problems and to build a foundation for further learning. Of course, then it's up to the bearer to make the case that his or her breadth and ability to learn will serve an employer better than someone else's narrower training. The case can in fact be made - for at least one liberal arts college of my acquaintance, there are employers in sciences and business who actively prefer its humanities grads as entry-level hires - but it requires that the bearer have a very sure grip on the skills and habits of mind that the degree should have imparted and more than a little ability to sell their relevance to the employer.
So then, if someone were to major in Lib Studies with a minor in Sociology or Technology, that would be an employable field of study (as a teacher)? My realm has been secondary so I'm not sure what elementary admin look for.
In my experience, I don't think elementary admin really care much about the undergrad major - I think they mainly look at certifications and any Master's degrees.
My degree is B.S. in Elementary Education. I had three 'educational minors' in early childhood education, mathematics, and social studies (most people have a major and a minor).
