Hey everyone! I am new here but have been reading here for quite some time. I am finishing up my BA in Human Service and have decided that I really wish to teach at college level. After reading everything on here I am giving WNMU serious consideration for the MAIS. I am also considering a degree from K-state in adult education with a certificate in academic advising as this is also something that interests me. My question is this: Should I get the MAIS if I wish to teach at college level or could I get the MA adult education and do the same? I have seen that all they really want is 18 grad hours in the subject you wish to teach but does it look better to have the MAIS or the adult education? I am racking my brain trying to decide what I should do! Any advice?
Hi, welcome to the board! I think there are others here who know more about this subject than I do, and I hope they will give you more detailed information than I can. I'll tell you what I do know. Both the MAIS, and the MA in adult education are generalist degrees that might have more utility for someone who already has some teaching experience. I don't know what your background is, but you are saying that you would like to teach, so I assume that you don't have much experience, at least yet. A more specific degree might be better. I know those with degrees in math or accounting are still able to find some sort of a job. Science is still fairly open in K-12, at least here in California. The teaching industry in general is not in too good of shape these days at both the K-12 and the higher ed. level. It's very difficult to get a job at all, anywhere. I'm not saying that it can't be done, but I have a number of friends who can't find a job in K-12 or university levels and they have been looking for a long time. It would be especially difficult to find a job if you have no previous experience because you would be competing with those who do. I'm grateful for my teaching job and I'm holding on to it tightly! We are all hoping that the economy will improve and more jobs will open up at all levels. I hope this info helps you. Mike
Mike, Yes this does help! I do not have teaching experience and I am wondering about this aspect as well. Seems you have to have experience to get a job but you cant get experience without a job! Catch 22. Would you suggest getting a more specific degree in one subject then? I was hoping the MAIS would do the same thing but give me more of an edge because I would have 2 concentrations which a lot seem to want. Thanks for the reply! Allie
May I ask what two concentrations your MAIS covers? Don't know that much about the degree. I do know that the subjects I mentioned, especially math, are a little more open. The reason that they are open is that most people, myself included, hate them. But if you happen to be pretty good at math, that would probably be a good way to go. You are right about the Catch 22 situation and it really sucks. I tried to get a friend an interview at my school for the one position we have open and my boss wouldn't talk to him because he had no experience.
Mike, Put me into the hates Math category. If only I could learn to love it.. Honestly I have not decided what two areas for the MAIS because I like most everything they have listed! I am leaning towards psychology with either writing/history/English/political science/reading. I am undecided and wanted to research what option(s) would give me the best edge before making my decision. Other than hating Math I really like all the other subjects. Thanks for the reply! Allie
I tried for awhile to get a math degree for that very reason, but I was miserable and I was not that good at it. One positive thing I can say is that it will be a couple of years before you are finished with your degree, I would assume, and maybe things will have improved by then. I would strongly recommend that you talk to an administrator at a place you would like to teach and see what they would recommend. Also, if your degree will be online, you will find it difficult to teach at a traditional school. Most traditional administrators are prejudiced against online degrees.
I think part of the concern with the MAIS degree is that instead of providing you more options like we might expect, it may end up giving less. I say this as someone who finds that particular degree very appealing myself (ie, I'd take the Management Information Systems and Psychology concentrations) ... the reason is this ... Say a college is hiring an English teacher. They have one job and 100 applicants. Many of those applying have master's degrees in English. Those would likely be preferred (if experience and so on are all equal) over having 18 graduate English credits, even though that would technically qualify you for the job. This is all speculation on my part but it's informed by what I've read on these boards over the past year or so.
Is this so even if it is a traditional B&M school that is offering the degree? I mean how do they know that you got your degree online when its from a "normal" school. As far as I know it is not on your transcript that you took classes online right? Allie
Emmzee, I can certainly see that being the case in some instances. I have also read that having two concentrations can be views as a positive because one person can take 2 subject which is a benefit to them because instead of hiring two people they can hire one. Problem becomes that not all are like that. This is why I am so considered on WHAT to get my Masters in! I want to be able to teach but I also want to have something I can fall back on in the event it takes me years (as it seems to be the case) to get teaching positions. It is such a hard decision to make. Right now is the perfect time for me to work on my Masters because my husband has a great job (and secure) and I do not have to work outside the home. So I am able to concentrate on my education. I am going to have to do some more searching on the site for what Masters are offered online. This is the only way I can complete my Masters because we move around with my husbands job right now and probably will for another 3-4 years minimum. Thanks for the advice! It is much appreciated Allie
Yes, I agree. This correlates exactly with what I was saying, but you gave much better detail. A generalist degree might be a liability, even though it would be enjoyable to attain. The very best idea, as I said before, is to talk to someone where you might like to work and ask them what you should study. Let's all pray that the economy continues to improve, despite what happened in the stock market this week, and that the improvement will open up more teaching jobs on all levels.
I took an MAIS (History) course with WNMU this spring for enrichment. A significant number of my classmates were high school history teachers. No one mentioned anything about expecting to teach in higher ed.
Exactly. They had previous experience in teaching so this master's should work out OK for them, at least in K-12.
Don't teachers sometimes get bonuses based on having a master's degree? If that's the case in a particular schoolboard, the MAIS from WNMU would be a very attractive option (study what you want, lots of education options, 100% online, and cheap!) If a k-12 teacher I know was looking for a master's program for a job raise, I'd certainly suggest WNMU.
Yes, a master's moves you over a column in the pay chart, so it's an automatic pay raise. There is no stipulation as to what the master's is in, at least in California. I move over another one with my doctorate and get another raise. It's not enough to pay for it for many years, (longer than I've got left in my career) but it takes a little of the sting out of the price tag. It's sort of like my employer paying for half my doctorate.
And now I am even more confused! Mike, The only problem with my speaking to someone at a community college is that I have no clue where we are going to end up once we stop moving for my husbands job. I have checked online at sites offering CC jobs and most of them say masters with 18 grad hours in subject or Masters in subject. Hence the confusion on my part. Does anyone on here know of an online Sociology program? And those of you in the teaching area, if you could do it again what subject would you choose to get your Masters in? Part of me thinks I should get it in something basic like English, History etc but I am not so sure. Suggestions?? I really appreciate all the replies thus far
I think it's confusing partly because there are no good answers. With the system in such a mess, I don't know of any disciplines you could study that would guarantee you a good chance at a teaching job. That is, other that the degrees I previously suggested, and you and I both don't want to do those. I would say that the masters that would most likely land you a teaching job would be in accounting (yech!). And even then, you might not do so well if you don't have experience in the field. As far as talking to a HR person at a college, even if you don't plan to work there, you still might get better insight than I can give. Another idea for you would be to start a more specific thread, I think a lot of people pass over yours because of it's general nature. Try posting something like this "Would a degree in accounting get me a university job?" or "Would a MAIS get me a university job" Those might attract the attention of other members who know more than I do. We do have a few members who actually are involved in the hiring of university instructors. Anthony Pina is someone who can really give you some good insight. He's a real nice guy too, but he doesn't post on this board that often. There are others too.
Mike, Thanks! I will start another thread using the MAIS and see if I can get more insight. Thank you so much for all the information you have given thus far Allie
To be more clear, I'm suggesting that those questions above should be the actual title of your thread. And, you are very welcome, Allie.
I think I posted a poll a whiel ago with the same type of question and account and finance were the big areas of need. Of course, you also need real world experience in them also.
