How to Earn an Online Teaching Degree While Working Full-Time

Pursuing an online teaching degree while working full-time is challenging but not impossible. The important catch is that “online” doesn’t necessarily mean that every part of teacher preparation happens from home.

Online coursework can give you more control over when and where you study. But if your program leads to teacher licensure, you’ll typically need hands-on classroom experience, like student teaching. Those requirements can affect your normal work schedule.

That means success isn’t simply about finding enough hours to study after work. It’s about knowing which parts of your program are flexible, identifying the less-flexible requirements early, and creating a plan that accounts for your job, family, finances, and future classroom experience. Read this guide for actionable tips so you can become the teacher you’ve always wanted to be.

What Parts of an Online Teaching Degree Are Actually Flexible?

When you’re comparing the flexibility of online teaching programs, start by separating online coursework from in-person teacher preparation.

Before enrolling, ask yourself two questions:

• Can I complete my coursework around my work schedule?
• When will I need to be physically available in a school?

That distinction can make your teacher education planning much more realistic. Make sure you fully understand your teaching program’s model and requirements.

At WGU, for example, online education degrees use a competency-based education model. Instead of progressing based solely on time spent in class, you advance by demonstrating that you’ve mastered course material. That model is designed to give adult learners greater control over their pace.

This flexibility can be especially valuable if you work traditional business hours, rotating shifts, or have family responsibilities.

However, even in a competency-based model, there are still in-person requirements for initial licensure. In some licensure programs, for example, students participate in clinical experiences in actual classrooms. WGU currently requires a minimum of 65 hours across early and advanced clinical experiences, followed by full-time student teaching. 

Understand the Timeline Before You Enroll

When you’re working full time, you have to carefully plan your schedule. Map the major milestones of your program before you begin. Depending on your program and state, those milestones may include coursework, exams, background checks, clinical experiences, student teaching, graduation, and state licensure applications.

Your state’s licensure requirements matter here. Teacher certification is regulated at the state level, so requirements can differ based on where you plan to teach and the license you’re pursuing. Check with your state education agency or department of education before choosing a program. 

A simple planning framework might look like this:

If you’re considering an online bachelor’s program in elementary education or special education, for example, don’t only look at how long the online coursework will take. Find out the timing of clinical requirements and what they will demand from your schedule.

This is one of the most important pieces of time management for working professionals: Plan around your least-flexible commitments first.

What Could a Realistic Week Look Like?

There’s no universal study schedule for someone earning a teaching degree while working. Your course load, existing knowledge, work hours, and family responsibilities will determine what is realistic. 

Instead of searching for a “perfect” schedule, build recurring study periods around the time you actually have. For example, a possible plan could look like:

• Monday: 60–90 minutes of coursework after work.
• Tuesday: A rest night for a personal or family evening.
• Wednesday: Two-hour focused study block time after work. 
• Thursday: Preparation for assessments or reading for class.
• Friday: Rest or catch-up time.
• Saturday: A longer (2–4 hour) study block. 
• Sunday: Weekly planning and lighter academic work.  

This isn’t a prescribed schedule. It’s an example of how you can spread academic work across the week rather than expecting yourself to complete everything on Saturday or Sunday.

One useful technique is timeboxing. Instead of writing “work on school” on your calendar, assign a specific task to a specific window—“7:00–8:30 p.m.: Complete reading and notes for current course.”

Another option is the Pomodoro method, where you work in focused intervals—traditionally 25 minutes—separated by short breaks.

Whatever system you use, build in buffer time. A late work meeting, sick child, car problem, or unexpectedly difficult assessment shouldn’t derail an entire week. 

Make Student Teaching Part of Your Work Plan Early

For many working professionals, student teaching is the part of an online teaching program that requires the most advance planning. That’s because student teaching isn’t simply another online course you can complete after work.

Often, student teaching is a full-time, supervised, in-classroom experience lasting a minimum of 60 days. Candidates work alongside a mentor teacher, take on increasing instructional responsibilities, and receive feedback and evaluations throughout the experience. 

If you currently work full-time outside of education, that requirement deserves attention well before you reach the final portion of your degree. 

Consider asking your program mentor or enrollment counselor these general questions about student teaching:

• When does student teaching typically occur in my program?
• What requirements must you complete before applying for placement?
• How does the placement process work? 
• What daytime availability will you need?
• How far in advance will you learn of your placement?
• Are there additional state-specific requirements you should anticipate?

Then think of your employment situation and consider:  

• Could you save PTO? 
• Would an unpaid leave be possible? 
• Could your employer temporarily adjust your responsibilities or schedule?
• What would a change in working hours mean for your household budget? 

The answers will differ from person to person, but having them well before student teaching begins is far better than trying to solve everything at the last minute.

Talk to Your Employer Before a Scheduling Conflict Happens

You don’t necessarily need to announce your career goals, assignments, or assessments to your employer. But when you know a major in-person requirement is approaching, early communication can help everyone plan.

Before starting the conversation, gather concrete information about your program. Know approximately when your clinical experience will occur, how long it may last, and what your expected availability will be. 

Then you can have a specific conversation rather than making a vague request. For example:

“I’m working toward my teaching degree, and later in the program I’ll need to complete a required in-person teaching experience. I want to plan ahead rather than wait until it affects my schedule. Once my dates are confirmed, could we discuss what leave or scheduling options might be available?”

Don’t assume your employer can change your hours or approve leave. The goal is to understand your options early enough to make a realistic plan.

Use Time Management Strategies That Work for Working Professionals 

Balancing a job and a teacher education program requires more than squeezing school into whatever time remains. Try building a system—here are some actionable ideas:

• Protect recurring study blocks. If Wednesday and Saturday are your most reliable study periods, put them on your calendar before other optional commitments fill the space.
• Batch similar tasks. Complete required readings at the same time, organize notes in one session, or group assessment preparation. Switching constantly between unrelated tasks can eat into limited study time.
• Match tasks to your energy. If you’re mentally drained after work, don’t automatically schedule your hardest academic task for 9 p.m. You may be better off doing lighter reading in the evening and reserving demanding work for a weekend morning. 
• Keep a weekly buffer. Don’t schedule 100% of your available time. Leave room to catch up when life interferes.
• Make deadlines visible. Put assessment dates, clinical milestones, background checks, and exams in the same calendar as your work and family commitments.

These habits matter whether you’re studying elementary education, special education, secondary education, or another teaching field.

Plan With Your Household, Too 

Work isn’t the only commitment that competes with school. If you share responsibilities with a partner, family member, or roommate, then talk about what your academic schedule will mean before busy periods arrive.

You might designate two evenings each week as protected study time. In return, you could take responsibility for other household tasks on different days.

Planning becomes even more important as clinical experiences approach. Your normal routine for transportation, childcare, meals, errands, or household responsibilities may need to change temporarily.

H2: What Should Working Adults Look for in an Online Teaching Program? 

Flexibility matters, but it shouldn’t be the only factor you evaluate. If you’re comparing online teaching degree programs, use a checklist like this:

• Accreditation: Does the university hold recognized institutional accreditation, and what accreditation applies to its educator preparation programs?
• Licensure alignment: Does the program align with the licensure requirements for the state and teaching area you want to work in?
• Course structure: Can you complete coursework around your existing schedule? 
• Clinical experience: How much in-person classroom experience is required?
• Student teaching: When does it occur, and what is the expected time commitment?
• Placement support: What assistance does the program provide in arranging student teaching experiences?
• Mentorship: Will you have access to faculty, mentors, or other support? 
• Pacing: Can you progress more quickly when you demonstrate mastery of material?
• State requirements: Are there additional testing, background checks, or application requirements?

For educator preparation specifically, WGU’s School of Education holds CAEP accreditation for its initial and advanced licensure programs. CAEP, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, is a national accreditor focused on educator preparation.

Program availability and state approval can vary, so always verify that the program you’re considering is approved or otherwise meets the applicable pathway for the state where you intend to seek teacher licensure. 

What If You Already Have a Bachelor’s Degree?

If you already have a bachelor’s degree outside of education, don’t automatically assume you need another bachelor’s degree.

Depending on your state, educational background, and intended teaching field, options may include a master’s program leading toward initial licensure, a post-baccalaureate route, or an alternative teacher certification.

Because those options deserve their own discussion, see WGU’s guide on how career changers can become teachers through online teaching degree programs. That guide covers the broader career-change and certification process. 

What About Specific Education Pathways? 

Online coursework can make it more manageable to pursue specific or specialized programs like elementary education or special education while you’re employed. However, programs leading to initial licensure still include in-person preparation.

If you’re comparing an early childhood education pathway with elementary or special education, check your state’s requirements carefully. Early childhood education credentials and eligible grade or age ranges can differ from those associated with an elementary school teacher license.

The same principle applies regardless of specialization: Understand both the online portion and the classroom portion before deciding whether a program fits your schedule. 

Make Your Plan Before You Make the Leap

Earning an online teaching degree while working full time isn’t simply a question of whether you can fit coursework around a 40-hour week.

A better question is: Can you create a plan for both the flexible and inflexible parts of teacher preparation?

Online learning may give you greater control over when you complete coursework. But clinical experiences, student teaching, testing, and state certification requirements need to be built into your timeline from the beginning. However, with preparation, you can approach your path to the classroom with a much clearer picture of how school, work, and life can fit together. 

Frequently Asked Questions