Does it really matter what your doctorate is in?

All you need is 18 graduate-level credits to teach in your field, which is accomplished in a Masters degree ie. if you have a Masters in criminal justice, then you are qualified to teach it.

With the above in mind, does it really matter what your doctoral degree is in? Simply having the doctorate opens doors that would otherwise be closed. Therefore, having a PhD, EdD, DBA or a DM may be immaterial, as long as you have one, no?

 

Depends on where you want to teach. I seriously doubt that anyone who has only 18 credits beyond their bachelor's is going to be taken too terribly seriously if they were to waltz into Cambridge, Massachusetts and hand in a resume which says: "Objective: Department Chairmancy at Harvard and/or MIT." However, it might be possible to get an adjunct position at your friendly neighborhood local community college with only 18 hours. It is, I think, important to draw a distinction between minimum requirements per the accreditation agency regulations and what is actually likely to happen in the real world. I have opined before, and I now opine again, that the most likely scenarios for hiring under the 18 hour rule would be: (a) an already existing professor, say, in history, is asked to teach a freshman government section because he took a few extra outside minor classes in political science along the way, like a 9 hour minor field in history of political theory while working on the MA and another 9 hour minor field in current world affairs while working on the PhD; (b) an individual who has an MA in Humanities with emphasis in History (30 hours total: 20 history, 8 philosophy, 2 literature); or (c) a candidate for the MA degree. But don't expect to waltz into grad school, leave after 6 classes, and waltz into a professorship. With a glut of PhDs on the market, schools (even community colleges) can well afford to be picky about who they will hire even though they are allowed to hire people with only 18 hours.

 

Depends on where you want to teach. I seriously doubt that anyone who has only 18 credits beyond their bachelor's is going to be taken too terribly if they were to waltz into Cambridge, Massachusetts and hand in a resume which says: "Objective: Department Chairmancy at Harvard and/or MIT." However, it might be possible to get an adjunct position at your friendly neighborhood local community college with only 18 hours. It is, I think, important to draw a distinction between minimum requirements per the accreditation agency regulations and what is actually likely to happen in the real world. I have opined before, and I now opine again, that the most likely scenarios for hiring under the 18 hour rule would be: (a) an already existing professor, say, in history, is asked to teach a freshman government section because he took a few extra outside minor classes in political science along the way, like a 9 hour minor field in history of political theory while working on the MA and another 9 hour minor field in current world affairs while working on the PhD; (b) an individual who has an MA in Humanities with emphasis in History (30 hours total: 20 history, 8 philosophy, 2 literature); or (c) a candidate for the MA degree. But don't expect to waltz into grad school, leave after 6 classes, and waltz into a professorship. With a glut of PhDs on the market, schools (even community colleges) can well afford to be picky about who they will hire even though they are allowed to hire people with only 18 hours.

 

No. It matters. Hiring is often based upon one's doctorate. Get away from the 18-credit thing.

 

I've observed (from a student's perspective) some tenure track hiring for science and humanities-type subjects at universities that offer graduate programs.

All of the applicants had doctorates. (There was no '18 unit' thing.)

The positions that the applicants were competing for might have involved the broad ability to teach classes from across the undergraduate syllabus, but they also emphasized specialized competence in a particular sub-discipline or orientation. The employer was looking for the ability to teach advanced courses in that stuff and for the ability to perform significant research in it. The new hire was expected to be the department's man or woman in the area of interest and someone that would enhance the department's reputation.

So the interviewers were very interested in what the applicants' dissertation topic was, in what work they had already done in the area of interest, in who recommended them and in what they had published. Not only was the doctorate looked at closely, there was a lot more involved than that.

I've watched hiring at a Silicon Valley biotech firm and it followed the same pattern, though perhaps less formally. The company was hiring people who could help them overcome specific challenges. The interviews were conducted by scientists and they took place at a high technical level.

I'm inclined to think that the '18 unit' thing is mostly a myth. Perhaps it does hold true at the community college adjunct level in certain high demand subjects where there are lots of class sections to teach each semester and where there's difficulty in finding qualified faculty to teach them. Perhaps business or CJ at an unstylish rural community college or something.

But here in the SF Bay Area, there's heavy competition even for community college spots. There may be a few '18 unit' wonders out there (sometimes people with no graduate school at all), but they are almost always teaching vocational classes and they almost always bring years of relevant work experience to what they are doing. You see that kind of thing at City College of San Francisco's high profile hotel and restaurant program. People who don't have masters degrees teach stuff like industrial strength quantity cookery, the art and science of cooking reasonably high quality meals for thousands of people at a time. (Food is cooked in huge steam vats and prepared on assembly lines.) People typically learn that by working their way up in the hotels and convention centers, and that's where the college goes to find teachers.

 

To me again: The following is not a criticism of you at all but a sincere query on the origins for this "18-hours credit" idea. I have a propensity to sratch my head over this one.

To all:

Anyone know from whence or where did this "18 hours thingy" originate?

I have not seen where any of the six or so legitimate, US-based, USDoE and/or CHEA-recognized accreditors require or endorse any such thing from or by any properly accredited institution of higher learning, whether B&M or DL.

Is it, perhaps, due to certain schools perennially (and inexplicably)advertising courses for students in certain subjects/fields as needing 18 hours or more courses for completion or admission?

Even if the above is the case (I seriously doubt it), where and how does this teaser requirement to pass or have "18 hours or more" graduate credits translate into "you can teach undergraduate or graduate course(s) if you have 18 hours" of such and such?

Listed herewith are a few Google search results of this "18 hours thingy" (not at all exhaustive of the issue):

- "Communication Courses: Prereq: Completion of 18 graduate level credits including SPEECH-701, SPEECH-722,
and SPEECH-785 and a practicum contract in consultation with the faculty ...
www.uww.edu/gradstudies/catalog0406/courses_comm.php"

- "Ph.D. Mathematics Education: Coursework (18 hours): Candidates must complete an additional 18 graduate-level
credits in mathematics beyond the masters (or the equivalent of the MST ...
www.mth.pdx.edu/programs/Mth_Ed_PHD_INFO.asp"

- Florida Institute of Technology Department of Computer Sciences
... TOEFL and TSE scores, maintain office hours, staff the Computer Science Help Desk, and have at least 18 graduate-level credits in computer science. ...
www.cs.fit.edu/wds/guides/gsa/index.php"

- Department of Soil, Water, and Climate
The Ph.D. degree minor requires a minimum of 18 graduate level credits, including two of the Soil or Climate core courses, and one credit hour for Soil 8128 ...
www.soils.umn.edu/education/general_requirements.php"

- š_—§‘äàs‘å›{EŒ€›{Œn
qualifying exams only after they have completed 18 graduate-level credits.
6.MA candidates can graduate with a concentration on dramatic theory, acting, ...
ccms.ntu.edu.tw/~theatre/e-aboutus.htm

- [RTF] Department of Drama and Theatre 1. Introduction The Graduate ...
File Format: Rich Text Format - View as HTML
Students may take the qualifying exams only after they have completed 18
graduate-level credits. MA candidates can graduate with a concentration on dramatic ...
ccms.ntu.edu.tw/~theatre/e-aboutus.doc

- Certificate in Applied Ethnomusicology - Bethel University ...
The Certificate in Applied Ethnomusicology requires 18 graduate-level credits including the following courses, plus 6 elective credits to be chosen from the ...
gs.bethel.edu/certificates/ethnomusiccert.html

- Central Washington University - Office of Continuing Education ...
18 graduate-level credits. Those successfully completing the program in June 2005 will earn 18 graduate-level credits in mathematics, science and middle ...
www.cwuce.org/conted/full-story.asp?storyID=82

- headform
... to continue their studies toward the Specialized Translator Certificate by taking no less than 18 graduate-level credits in an area of specialization. ...
humanidades.uprrp.edu/trad/overview-us.htm

- Course Listings For Summer 2004 SU Classes | University College
Prerequisite: IST 614 and at least 18 graduate-level credits in IST. IST 759
Planning and Designing Digital Library Services (3) For description call Kathy ...
www.suce.syr.edu/students/current/ courses/courselists/currentsemester/summer/ISTdesc.htm

Any information or explication on the origin, trajectory, or even justification of this puzzling, though pervasive and probably urban mythic 18hours-credit-is-all-you-need-to-teach mantra will be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

From what I heard, it is a requirement of the regional accreditors. Perhaps someone could check up on the following weblinks.

Middle States Association www.msache.org
New England Association www.neasc.org
North Central Association www.ncaciche.org
Northwest Association www.cocnasc.org
Southern Association www.sacs.org
Western Association www.wasc.org

 

The Southern Association says under "Faculty teaching general education courses at the undergraduate level" and "Faculty teaching associate degree courses designed for transfer to a baccalaureate degree" and "Faculty teaching baccalaureate courses":

"doctor's or master's degree in the teaching discipline or master's degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline)."

Under faculty teaching baccalaureate courses, it adds that at least 25% of discipline course hours in each undergraduate major are taught by faculty members holding the terminal degree in the discipline.

 

Let's try that weblink again: www.wascweb.org .

 

Part of the reason for the "18 hour myth" is that many job announcements for adjunct faculty at the community college and small lib arts college level do indeed list the requirement of a "masters degree in the content area or a master's degree and 18 hours in the content area."

The thing is, the master's degree is required for the job -- the content of the master's degree is what is in question.

Very often, those who take advantage of the "18 hours" situation are those with a very nearly related MA/MSc. Sometimes though, it's a point of additional specialization.

http://www.nationjob.com/job/hogt537 is an example of a community college teaching announcement using the "or 18 hours" requirement.

Many say that the "18 hour rule" is a myth -- but tell us, in the example linked above, what is the factual minimum requirement for say anatomy?

Now look at the requirement to teach Music Appreciation. A Master's in Music Appreciation??? 18 graduate hours in Music Appreciation??? Music Apprec. is a freshman level survey course - nobody has an MA in "music appreciation" and I've never seen it offered as a course at the graduate level. Sometimes HR just gets a little confused.

Some of those appointments only require an associate's degree. The one in digital photography will likely go to an artist based on his work and not his degrees....

There is one posting online at another school for a teacher of jazz that requires "Master’s degree and ten years of professional performance experience." AND "an active professional performance career." [Actually, that posting really looks like it was written with a specific applicant in mind...]

So, the job announcements is where "the myth" comes from. And job announcements is a pretty reliable place to get information about minimum requirements AND which types of job are in demand.

To the point of the original question: Many teaching appointment announcements require a doctorate in the announcement. I just watched the hiring of a Choir Director that specifically required a DMA -- nobody else had a chance. Not a PhD, not and EdD, not a DME --- DMA only. That's not unusual. At higher levels, they sometimes even specify the area of research expertise they expect.

Take a look through the Chronicle and see what is the minimum requirement for appointment. http://chronicle.com/jobs/100/

Then surf to a few of those posting institutions and find their faculty lists and see what degrees the faculty actually have. Some research universities really do have MA and MFA holders with tenure track gigs. Some business schools really do have MBA's teaching some courses. Seems to me though, that the majority have an earned doctorate and it's in the specialty that they teach.

 

Thanks, CoachTurner!

Excellent, well-researched response. This minimizes some of the confusion surrounding the myth - or is it a "myth?"

 

When I was in graduate school, a professor said the regional accreditor for our area (SACS) requires an instructor to have a minimum of 18 graduate-level credits in the discipline that he wants to teach, if the class leads to either an AA or a Bachelors degree. However, one only needs an Associates degree if one wants to teach a class that leads to an AS degree.

I looked at the SACS website to corroborate his statement, but was unable to find anything. However, to be frank, I still believe him. The only thing I could find on the internet were colleges and universities that require 18 graduate-level credits in the discipline that one wants to teach.

 

This thread took an interesting route... and my question has been answered by a couple of people... but to get more opinions, I'll rephrase the question:

• Rephrased Question:
  
  All you need is a Masters degree in the discipline that you want to teach ie. if you have a Masters in criminal justice, then you are qualified to teach it. If your MA is in your discipline, then what does it matter what your doctorate is in? Simply having the doctorate opens doors that would otherwise be closed. Therefore, having a PhD, EdD, DBA or a DM may be immaterial, as long as you have a doctorate in any field, no?

 

I spoke to someone at a community college and I was told if you have an masters, 18 credits in humanaites would be OK since the school is in need of humanities instructors.

The 18 credit rule seems to be true not a myth...at least at the CC I spoke to.

 

I spoke to someone at a community college and I was told if you have a masters, 18 credits in humanaites would be OK since the school is in need of humanities instructors.

The 18 credit rule seems to be true not a myth...at least at the CC I spoke to.

 

Okay, here. On the 18 hour thing, it means that an MBA CJ or an MPA CJ (with at least 18 hrs CJ) can get you a professorship in CJ as well as an MA in CJ or MCJ or MS in CJ (with 30 hrs CJ).

Okay, the next question seems to be: now that you have your professorship, does your PhD need to be in CJ? My best answer would be: ask your department chair whether a non-rlevant doctorate would move you up to the doctoral salary scale.

 

Assuming the PhD (or equivalent) in any old degree doesn't have a job or wants to change schools, a PhD in field would make that person a much stronger candidate, wouldn't it?

Now, I did meet a ThD this last weekend who is adjunct and can't find a full time job -- his field is very narrow and overcrowded, so his is hurting him.

AND on the 18 hours -- I was told in grad school to get 18 hours in my field so I could teach at at CCs or small colleges. I don't know about small colleges, but the local CCs, are always advertising for a masters with 18 hours.

 

And which community college is this?

 

What was this ThD teaching? Perhaps History and Greek classes? Something else?

 

Ted, this guy's field is Church History. My son took a class with him at seminary -- actually a field experience in Tunisia and said he was wonderful. Wonderful enough to make a point to introduce him to Mr. mcdirector and myself anyway