Religious education programs prepare people to teach in faith communities. Students learn to make lesson plans and teach them. They learn to supervise activities and develop teaching materials. They also learn to manage programs and facilities.

In the U.S., religion is not taught in public schools. For that reason, a corps of teachers is needed specifically to teach about religious doctrines and traditions. Of course, all kinds of education have a lot in common. To prepare for this job, you learn many of the same concepts and skills that public school teachers learn.

You study how the minds of young people form, and what kinds of learning they are capable of at various stages. You learn how to introduce new concepts and reinforce them. You learn how to plan lessons and manage a classroom environment so that it encourages learning and orderly behavior. You study the use of various media in education, including music and art, plus other resources such as class trips and classroom guests. You learn about how to measure learning by testing and other techniques. And you study how to manage a school and build an educational program.

To teach about religion, you must be well informed about it yourself, so in this program you study the Bible and the history of your faith group. Some of the doctrines and traditions may be complex and of ancient origin, so you study effective ways to introduce them to young people. You learn what sorts of religious involvement children can best handle at various ages. You learn how to involve parents and others of the laity in religious education. You build on your academic skills by getting classroom experience. You teach under the supervision of an experienced professional and perhaps report on your experiences to your fellow students.

A bachelor's degree is good preparation for a career in this field. This normally takes four years of full-time study beyond high school. Many colleges offer such a program.

Over 30 graduate schools and seminaries offer master's degree programs in religious education. These usually take two years beyond the bachelor's degree. They cover most of the same concepts as the bachelor's programs. They include practice teaching. But many of these programs assume that you are preparing for the ministry. This is particularly true of programs offered by seminaries. Such a program usually includes courses on the biblical origins of the ministry, pastoral leadership, and other pastoral functions. It can be good preparation for the ministry, especially if you intend to work mostly in religious education rather than as a pastor.