Teaching Psychology online with a Masters degree

Discussion in 'Online & DL Teaching' started by rokica, Apr 9, 2012.

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  1. rokica

    rokica New Member

    I want to start teaching online, but I have a "problem" which may be a non-issue, but I really would like some words of advice or pointers.

    I have a Masters degree in Psychology from Cornell University. I also have a post-graduate certificate from a Hungarian university in psychotherapy. I have 10 years of teaching experience, but it's in ESL, not my field. And I have childbirth educator experience, but that's not exactly college teaching...

    I've seen discussions of how a Masters degree is sufficient to start teaching online. However, my Masters degree is in Psychology, and this field seems to be the exception where they want a terminal degree. Am I wrong? Please tell me I'm wrong! ;)

    1. Can I get an online adjunct teaching job in Psychology with only a Masters degree?
    2. My area of specialization is biological psychology; that doesn't seem to be a discipline in very high demand. Are there any online programs in this field?
    3. Am I qualified to teach anything else with this degree?
    4. How should I get started? Where should I start looking for jobs? I've been keeping an eye on higheredjobs and looked at some of the major online universities, but I haven't even found a position I could apply for yet.

    How long does it take to find a job teaching online? Is there some sort of path I need to take? Many jobs seem to be asking for a minimum of teaching experience (and a PhD), which I don't have. Really, I'd be happy with any sort of online teaching job, I'm just looking to supplement my income, not to make a living (though that would be nice).

    Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

    rokica
     
  2. graymatter

    graymatter Member

    I have a Masters in Counseling and have facilitated online undergraduate psychology courses for about 5 years - off and on for 5 different schools.
     
  3. rokica

    rokica New Member

    That's good news! Is there a difference between facilitating a course and teaching it? And how did you find these jobs? Just look through undergraduate psychology distance learning programs and send in your application wherever you found an opening?

    Thanks!
     
  4. graymatter

    graymatter Member

    Most online courses are "facilitated" in that the material is standardized; in few programs do faculty actually create the material (though the some, they may provide supplemental information).

    Yes, I just subscribed to higheredjobs and a few other sites and whenever something was flagged as including counseling or psychology, I applied. Sometimes I received no reply but I found that once I had my foot in the door (UOP) other schools saw me as credible.

    I don't (yet) have a terminal degree so some schools have asked for verification that I am active in the field (licenses, current employer references, etc).
     
  5. rokica

    rokica New Member

    Hmm. Foot in the door. Would a local brick-and-mortar university be considered a foot in the door?

    Failing that, which online schools are easier to get a job at? I checked with University of Phoenix, and they don't seem to have any openings right now except in industrial-organizational psych.

    I'm getting the sense that getting the first job is a matter of painstakingly applying for any and all positions one finds online and eventually someone will "bite." Is that correct?
     

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