Qualifications to teach online
Posted by virtualprof on January 3, 2008
The two questions people usually ask are: What do I need to do to be able to teach online? Do I need a doctorate in something and if so, what?
The answers depend on what you want to teach. The simple fact is that teaching online is no different from teaching in a public school or on a college campus. Whatever is required to teach in a physical location will also be required to teach online. Some schools are totally online and have no campus at all but the secondary or higher ed teaching requirements are the same as for schools that have physical campuses.
For example if you want to teach K12 online, then you need the same credentials that you would need to teach in the public school system (and that varies from state to state so be sure to check State Education Department websites).
If you want to teach undergraduate level courses in any subject, you need a masters degree that includes (or you need to add on so that you have taken) 18 graduate semester credits in the subject you want to teach. This can get tricky sometimes, depending on accrediting agencies. For example, I found out a couple of years ago that I can teach Literature in some schools but not in others and I can teach Public Speaking in some schools, but not in others. Qualification requirements are dependent upon accreditation.
In regards to the doctorate, no you don’t have to have one to teach college classes. I’ve about finished the coursework for one but the going is slow because I’ve found that it’s more cost effective to get 6 grad courses in a subject area, thus opening up more teaching opportunities. So I keep getting sidetracked and putting it on hold to earn graduate credits in different subject areas.
Best advice (assuming you already have a masters degree) —
1. Figure out what you want to teach.
2. Research some job openings at various schools to determine the qualifications and then figure out what courses you need to take.
3. Start taking classes to get where you want to be. Double up and take 2-3 courses at a time and finish 18 grad credits in less than 6 months.
If you don’t already have a masters degree, get one and make sure at least 18 hours are in the subject you want to teach.
