Would I be able to teach low level poli sci courses with this degree?

I'm currently pursuing an M.A. from a top 100 national university in the US. The degree is interdisciplinary in nature and I've tried to create a degree plan that would allow me to possibly be an adjunct online.

Here is the course work I've taken/will be taking:


Post-Capitalist Society
Troubled Relationship: US and Latin America
Local and State government
Immigration experience in lit
American Democracy: Critic/Defender
US History since the Civil War-SB/LS
Public Policy and Labor Markets
Immigration Today and Yesterday
US History to the Civil War
M.A. Thesis
Uses/Abuses of Technology

Will this most likely meet qualifications to teach low level humanities/poli sci courses as an adjunct? Thanks in advance.

 

Even online schools/programs are probably going to want you to have some teaching experience. I'm not sure what a top 100 national university is, but is it B&M or online? If you're in a traditional MA program, try to get a teaching assistant position to give you that experience in the classroom. Graduate degrees don't automatically make you a teacher, experience is important.

 

What are the courses listed under? If they are listed as Political Science courses they would count toward the 18 graduate hours requirement. Do you have any professional experience in polysci?

 

I echo what agschmidt has said. There are a large number of individuals who are attempting to get jobs as adjuncts and there is considerable competition. Almost every day, I answer a question from someone who wants to get a degree and then teach online. While it worked years ago, an individual can no longer just get a degree and automatically teach college. Experience in the field and teaching experience are critical to landing even a lowly adjunct job. Moreover, there are many schools that are now requiring a doctorate degree just to be an adjunct. This is because the number of doctorate holders is increasing rapidly and they are beating out those who hold a master's degree. I'm not saying your plans are impossible, but it may not go as smoothly as you might think. Sorry to give you such negative news, but it's better to know what you are getting into.

 

My 2 cents but sometimes work related experience in that particular area is what would help. Depending on the school you wish to teach at some prefer applicable experience in that field. For example, if you were to teach criminology courses and you have a graduate degree and years of LE experience that might help. I don't know your personal situation but if you got the work related experience that may trump the teaching experience.

 

It's a real university, unlike these for-profit, phony-baloney "universities" that many on this forum have attended.

 

For someone interested in political science, you certainly have failed to grasp the concept of diplomatic discourse.

 

Sorry, I didn't realize I was dealing with international leaders of the UN on this forum. How grandiose of you to think of yourself as a diplomat! Is that you Charlie Sheen?

 

I hope you feel better about yourself by getting on here to insult others on a discussion board for distance education.

I would explain the alternate usages of the term "diplomatic," but I'd rather not give you additional cannon fodder. Just because you are not in an international context doesn't mean you should be disrespectful to everyone in your presence. Basic decorum is something valuable even outside of formal diplomacy.

 

Please be careful about negative over-generalization. Some online schools really are, as you say, "phony-baloney", however many are legitimate and have the same accreditation as any traditional school. The course work at those schools is quite rigorous and the standards are quite high. You should exercise special care and consideration of others because you are on a discussion board that specializes in the degrees that you are ignorantly referring to as phony.

 

Wow. That devolved rather quickly... However, teaching undergrads can be more challenging than dealing with anyone on an internet forum...best of luck.

 

This is your fair warning. This is an intellectual discussion board that is dedicated to discourse about online instruction. We do not tolerate belligerence.

 

A quick Google search turns up very few online undergraduate programs (only three via B&M; Oregon State, Arizona State and Ashford) in political science (e.g., program supply in relationship to low demand). And for the most part these few baccalaureate level POLS degree programs are offered by those non-B&M universities you refer to as “…for-profit, phony-baloney "universities”.” Somewhat ironic isn’t it. Moreover, it would appear that opportunities as an undergrad political science adjunct will be extremely limited in general; and add along a résumé of zero teaching and/or practical POLS experience, and even with a “…M.A. from a top 100 national university in the US” (?) … your adjunct aspiration in this teaching field in all likelihood just wouldn’t materialize.

 

It depends on what the actual course prefixes are. With my degree from WNMU, I have interdisciplinary coursework in history and political science, however, the community college I work for specifically wants to see that the prefixes match the discipline. In other words, the courses must be listed as POLS to count as political science courses and HIST to count as history courses. Public Policy or Public Administration do not count as political science. The community college is only following the rules set forth by SACS. It sounds silly, I know, but I have a course on Constitutional Topics from WNMU, which definitely has a political science leaning, but because I took it with the HIST prefix, it has to count as a political science course.

-Matt

 

The academic job market for PhDs in political science was poor in 2009, and has only become worse since then. There are PhDs from highly ranked schools (i.e., higher than "top 100") that are struggling to find academic positions. Given the number of recent PhDs who are prepared to accept part-time, poorly-paid adjunct positions, it is unlikely that an MA would be competitive.

 

No kidding. Top 100 schools are all academically solid, and their programs are quite reputable. This doesn't mean that they are elite, however. If we are talking Top 10-20, maybe, but Top 100 isn't justification to be an elitist.

 

Unless it's Auburn. You know what they say, Harvard is the Auburn of Massachusetts.
In all seriousness, Stefan's statement is spot on. I think the OP was simply a troll looking to get his jollies stirring up crap here.

 

Thank you - I thought I was the only one who thought that, based on everyone else's responses to the posts.