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communication arts and literature teacher education

A program of study that prepares individuals to teach oral expression, literature, and writing to students at various education levels. Includes instruction in interpersonal communication, intercultural communication, language learning, listening instructional techniques, public speaking, reading instructional techniques, writing instructional techniques, and practical teaching experience.

Types of Degrees communication arts and literature teacher education Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing communication arts and literature teacher education can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	13
Master’s Degree	3

What communication arts and literature teacher education Majors Need to Know

Programs in communication arts and literature teacher education build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that communication arts and literature teacher education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing communication arts and literature teacher education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a communication arts and literature teacher education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to communication arts and literature teacher education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, communication arts and literature teacher education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by communication arts and literature teacher education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Padlet	Computer based training software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Geogebra	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for communication arts and literature teacher education graduates include:

• Educator
• Educational Administration Teacher
• Education Professor
• Science Education Professor
• Education Adjunct Professor
• Instructor
• Faculty Member
• Educational Leadership Professor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Educational Instructor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Special Education Professor
• Educational Teaching Instructor
• Lecturer
• Continuing Education Instructor

What Can You Do With a communication arts and literature teacher education Degree?

Graduates with a degree in communication arts and literature teacher education commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Education Teachers, Postsecondary	2.4%	$98,329	$80,157–$116,500

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to communication arts and literature teacher education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	45.9%
Bachelor’s degree	35.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	7.0%
Master’s degree	6.7%
Less than a high school diploma	2.4%
Post-master’s certificate	1.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.8%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in communication arts and literature teacher education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 81.3% of communication arts and literature teacher education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	13	81.2%
Men	3	18.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of communication arts and literature teacher education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	13	81.2%
Two or More Races	3	18.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do communication arts and literature teacher education Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of communication arts and literature teacher education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$49,919
4 years	$50,204
5 years	$56,331

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $56,331 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in communication arts and literature teacher education Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, communication arts and literature teacher education graduates earn a median of $50,204 four years after completion — roughly 32% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	39,881
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels	8,732
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching	6,964
Reading Teacher Education	5,986
Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor	5,071
Music Teacher Education	4,544
English/Language Arts Teacher Education	3,018
Mathematics Teacher Education	2,993
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching	2,976
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other	2,352
Social Studies Teacher Education	1,963
Art Teacher Education	1,860

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.