Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching..

What can this type of certificate do for me? Would it be enough to allow me to teach online course at the college level? I just finished up my BA for Governors State University and I have almost 15 years of IT experience. I am in the process of reviewing my options for grad school, and along the way many post here, along with chats with a professor of an online course that I just finished have piqued my interest in potentially teaching online course. Initially, I was pretty set on doing a MBA, but lately I've started to have a change of heart. I am currently in corporate America, however I don't see myself there for the long haul. To that end, I really want a degree that will cover a few disciplines, so I've been looking at programs that offer a Masters in Liberal Arts, or something to that effect. I currently like Amberton's Master of Arts in Professional Studies. It only requires 2 specific courses, and the remaining 10 can be chosen over many different disciplines, and they allow me to transfer 12 hours into the program. Through my undergrad school, I can take 12hrs in Online Teaching and earn a certificate along the way and then transfer those credits to Amberton and for the remaining hours I would take courses related to Entrepreneurial studies, and Organizational management. I'm looking for input to if these type of credentials would be enough to teach online courses in a computer related field.

 

Lots of questions.

Taking your questions bit by bit.

An online teaching certificate won't work as a qualifier to enable you to get a teaching job, but if you have the other credentials it will make it more likely that you will get hired.

In order to teach undergrad, generally, you need a Masters Degree with 18 GRADUATE credit hours in the discipline that you want to teach. This is dictated by accrediting standards. So if you want to teach IT, you need to have a Masters with 18 IT hours. You could have a Masters in, say English, plus 18 grad hours in IT and you could then teach IT in addition to English.

However, some community colleges allow instructors with relevant experience and only a B.S. or B.A. degree to teach. Do a google search for "California community college instructor qualifications" and look at the pdf document that comes up. Many states and community colleges have similar regulations. In fact there was someone on this board who finished his B.S. and started teaching at a CC right away, based on his experience.

I don't know enough about Amberton to tell you if that degree will work for you but the above info might give you a place to start.

 

Thanks for the info

mbaonline, thanks for the info on that document, that was very helpful. Looking at the fact that I would want to teach is IT/computer technology related courses, it appears that I wouldn't need a Masters/18 hours in that particular area, assuming that Illinois has the same regulations, or if I was able to find an online position in a state whose requirements are the same as California's. In the end I may end up doing a MBA with an IT concentration so it may be a mute point anyway, but it's good to know which options I have should I decide to chose a different path for my Masters.

Thanks.

 

Just a little more food for thought...

Actually I did just that.

I finished my MBA with emphasis in IT management and as a result was hired to teach at a local college here in Baltimore. I taught both economics and IT courses.

If teaching is your thing, you should be fine to start with an a tech MBA.

You will eventually want to move into a PhD to make tenure with a larger college chain but, I did very well for myself while teaching. Because of my business experience, I was a very useful asset in developing curriculum.

I think that if you follow that path, you should be able to do what you are looking to do.

Jacob

 

Actaully I'm not sure if the teaching thing will end up being full time or not. My ultimate goal is to launch my own IT consulting business. The biggest problem is that I make a really good salary and in order for me to walk away I need some possible indication that I can make close to the same money that I currently make, including my benefits package. In the current model of my business plan, It seems possible but not necessarily likely for this to happen. That's where the idea for teaching came into play. If I could potentially gain positions teaching online it courses to the tune 0f 15K-30K per year, it would help me with meeting my goal of matching/exceeding where I currently at salary wise. Even more if the math is correct in regards to what some here have said they could potentially make in online adjunct positions, I would be willing to take on even more and have the potential to make 50K or more while only working 20 hours a week or so doing so.

 

Good choice...

In fact, that's just what I'm doing now.

After I finished teaching a couple of semesters, I heard the call of the business world again (really the call of the money a previous employer was trying to throw my way, but you know how it is?). I'm currently an adjunct professor at a B&M school earning between little more than nothing and $2k per semester while I work at a "real" job in IT business consulting.

I'll give you a suggestion if you don't mind.

If you're considering the MBA, give WGU a try.

They are my alma matre and I really enjoyed the program and the pace.

I worked with Dr. Linda Gunn, a Union graduate, as my masters mentor.

If you're not considering the MBA don't worry there are 2.4 million of us out there and an MS degree is more of a "real" degree anyway. (Of course, I'm just joking.)

Jacob