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So you want to teach...

One of the MOST rewarding careers is teaching! One of the most off-base, "ignorant" comments is that of "those who can do and those who can not teach." Ever since graduate school, I have been pursuing a career teaching. I now realize that the world of academia is jam packed with hurdles. I'd like to share some insight on what one needs to consider and do to help ensure a better path into teaching than I have experienced. The below informatin is not LAW nore is it a guarentee to employment or hassel free transition into academia, it is what I learned along the path towards teaching at the college level.

If you want to teach in grade school , middle school, or high school you basically need a BA (usually in education) and possibly some form of state certification.

If you want to teach at the college level, you will NEED a Masters at a minimum. This my suffice for a Jr. College to be full time and even possibly earning tenure. At the four year college level, tenure with a Masters only is not as likely. You will HAVE to earn either an MFA (considered terminal in the arts) or a PhD. As for years of experience in a field or profession, that can play into the equation but from what I've experienced is that ones experience only trumps having the degree if it is "out of this world." What I mean by that is simply having a few years doing this or that will not substitute for the lack of graduate level coursework. If you have risen to some level of national ranking or notoarioty, you might be invited to teach.

Here is one item to consider when taking classes, working on your degree. As I mentioned above at a minimum you'll need a Masters; however, in adation to simply having a Masters, you'll need as many as 18 hours graduate course work in the area you will be teaching. For example...if you earn a MA in History, you'll be set to teach history classes. If you add 18 hours of graduate coursework in say English, you then can teach in either or both History and or English.

Now, there are many individuals teaching full time at universities around the country with only a Masters and even some have earned tenure. The fact of the matter is those are the minority. If you only wish to teach part-time, a Masters in the area you wish to teach is all you shold need. Keeping in mind that the key is having 18 hours in the area you will be teaching. As a part-time lecturer, you may be given some leniency if you have enough work experience but do not bank on all those years in the ranks as being all you need.

To attain tenure, most universities will require you to do research and or regurlar publishing in professional journals in your discipline.

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	So you want to teach...
	One of the MOST rewarding careers is teaching! One of the most off-base, "ignorant" comments is that of "those who can do and those who can not teach." Ever since graduate school, I have been pursuing a career teaching. I now realize that the world of academia is jam packed with hurdles. I'd like to share some insight on what one needs to consider and do to help ensure a better path into teaching than I have experienced. The below informatin is not LAW nore is it a guarentee to employment or hassel free transition into academia, it is what I learned along the path towards teaching at the college level. If you want to teach in grade school , middle school, or high school you basically need a BA (usually in education) and possibly some form of state certification. If you want to teach at the college level, you will NEED a Masters at a minimum. This my suffice for a Jr. College to be full time and even possibly earning tenure. At the four year college level, tenure with a Masters only is not as likely. You will HAVE to earn either an MFA (considered terminal in the arts) or a PhD. As for years of experience in a field or profession, that can play into the equation but from what I've experienced is that ones experience only trumps having the degree if it is "out of this world." What I mean by that is simply having a few years doing this or that will not substitute for the lack of graduate level coursework. If you have risen to some level of national ranking or notoarioty, you might be invited to teach. Here is one item to consider when taking classes, working on your degree. As I mentioned above at a minimum you'll need a Masters; however, in adation to simply having a Masters, you'll need as many as 18 hours graduate course work in the area you will be teaching. For example...if you earn a MA in History, you'll be set to teach history classes. If you add 18 hours of graduate coursework in say English, you then can teach in either or both History and or English. Now, there are many individuals teaching full time at universities around the country with only a Masters and even some have earned tenure. The fact of the matter is those are the minority. If you only wish to teach part-time, a Masters in the area you wish to teach is all you shold need. Keeping in mind that the key is having 18 hours in the area you will be teaching. As a part-time lecturer, you may be given some leniency if you have enough work experience but do not bank on all those years in the ranks as being all you need. To attain tenure, most universities will require you to do research and or regurlar publishing in professional journals in your discipline.


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