Teaching at the College Level
This career path is not as direct as other teaching paths in earlier years. You will need to ask yourself a few questions before you begin to figure out the path you’ll follow. For instance: Are you interested in teaching at a two-year or four-year college? Would you like to teach undergraduates or those in graduate school? Are you wanting to teach a hands-on, skills-based profession like automotive repair, a subject that has multiple levels but are part of a rounded education like English or Ethnic Studies, or a specialty subject that includes research? The level of formal education you will need will depend on the discipline and the level at which you plan to teach.
2 Year College
If you plan to teach at a two-year college, you may need a Master’s degree, a Bachelor’s degree, or an Associates degree. Here are a few general rules to think about as you plan your path. If you teach a trade, you will likely need less formal education from a college but may also need certain professional certifications. If you teach a discipline that is transferrable to a four-year college you will likely need a Master’s degree or sometimes a Bachelor’s degree along with professional certifications and experience.
In California, the community college system has a public document that lists the minimum requirements for all disciplines. Find the Minimum Qualifications here You will notice that some disciplines have a variety of ways to meet minimum qualifications and others have very narrow requirements. When applying to a teaching position, be aware that if your education or experience do not meet the minimum qualifications exactly as listed, you will need to request an “equivalency”. This is a request to review your education and experience as a whole. It will be reviewed by a committee with expertise in your area, and the group will determine if your education and experience are equivalent to what would be expected if meeting the exact minimum qualifications are listed.
In California, the community college system has a public document that lists the minimum requirements for all disciplines. Find the Minimum Qualifications here You will notice that some disciplines have a variety of ways to meet minimum qualifications and others have very narrow requirements. When applying to a teaching position, be aware that if your education or experience do not meet the minimum qualifications exactly as listed, you will need to request an “equivalency”. This is a request to review your education and experience as a whole. It will be reviewed by a committee with expertise in your area, and the group will determine if your education and experience are equivalent to what would be expected if meeting the exact minimum qualifications are listed.
4 Year College
If you plan to teach at a four-year college, you will likely need a finite degree. Usually this is a doctorate degree, but in some disciplines may be a Master’s degree. This will be true whether you plan to teach undergraduates or graduates.
Preferred Qualifications
Regardless of the type of college or the discipline you teach, there are a few things that will be expected and several that will be preferred. The preferred qualifications will give you an advantage over other applicants in the interview process.
There are a couple of exceptions for these general rules and both involve expertise. If you are going into a highly specialized field, especially requiring research, you may be able to go straight from a graduate or post-graduate program of your own into a teaching position. You will have acquired highly specialized knowledge and skill through your own academic experiences that may be sought after by other universities. If you have attained a degree of notoriety and expertise in your field, you may be asked to be a guest lecturer (a limited term as a college instructor) or even be offered a full-time position at a college.
Most often, the path to becoming a college instructor means that you will transition into a position by working in your field, working in your field while also teaching as an adjunct instructor (part-time), and then into a full-time faculty position.
- Expectations: Content knowledge and experience. To be able to teach others, you first need to know the content and how it is used in the world outside of a school environment. Having strong knowledge and experience is essential. In addition, current knowledge, staying at the forefront of your discipline is particularly important for students and employers. As you build your career path, you will obviously want to gain experience working in the field of your chosen discipline. But also look for opportunities to stay current and engaged beyond the basics of the job. This may be through professional development opportunities like conferences, updating certifications, serving on professional organizations or committees, participating in initiatives in your discipline, etc.
- Preferred qualifications: Beyond education and experience, most colleges prefer (and sometimes require) that new instructors have experience in leadership positions and/or facilitating training of others. You may be able to gain these skills through your work experience but there are other opportunities you may be able to take advantage of to develop and hone these transferrable skills. Examples may include: being a teaching assistant to your own professors (sometimes you can become a teaching assistant, gain the experience and also have your tuition paid for the service you are providing to the college), providing mentoring or specific training to coworkers, participating in outside organizations that offer you the opportunity to facilitate large group meetings and to present specific information to groups. These experiences need to build skills so should be a regular part of your career.
There are a couple of exceptions for these general rules and both involve expertise. If you are going into a highly specialized field, especially requiring research, you may be able to go straight from a graduate or post-graduate program of your own into a teaching position. You will have acquired highly specialized knowledge and skill through your own academic experiences that may be sought after by other universities. If you have attained a degree of notoriety and expertise in your field, you may be asked to be a guest lecturer (a limited term as a college instructor) or even be offered a full-time position at a college.
Most often, the path to becoming a college instructor means that you will transition into a position by working in your field, working in your field while also teaching as an adjunct instructor (part-time), and then into a full-time faculty position.
