Phd for teaching community college...thoughts?

I have a BA in psychology with 27 undergrad credits in English. I also have an M.Ed in Education. I believe you need 18 grad hours to teach the subject in community college. I am thinking of getting a degree in psych for teaching not practicing but I have also wondered if there are any really flexible programs that would allow me to pick up hours in more than one subject for purpose of getting the 18 I need to teach.

 

It's too bad that SA doctorates are dissertation only... because that would be the cheapest way to get a PhD for sure!! Do you want a PhD in Psych to teach psych, or to teach education?

 

I would think that you could start a multi-disciplinary degree and study two subjects at once. Many liberal arts schools offer such degrees.

One problem though, with the heavy competition in getting university jobs, most schools are going to favor those who have experience in the field they will be teaching. You may have to find some sort of counselor job and work at it for a few years before you are successful in landing a CC teaching gig. That, of course, depends on your area because some rural CC's have difficulty finding teachers and you could do better there.

 

Sounds like you want to do what I did. I earned an MSEd from Walden, and then the high school where I work asked me to pick up 18 hours in history and 18 hours in political science. Fortunately for me, WNMU allowed me to do just that! I finished up with my MA at WNMU in May. It was a GREAT program, and inexpensive to boot! If you're interested in English and Psych, they offer those fields. While I can't speak about any of the profs in those disciplines, the history & political science staff was excellent!

WESTERN NEW MEXICO UNIVERSITY

-Matt

 

I've been teaching in community colleges for 10 years. Initially I taught without any degree, just EMS certifications and experience. Then when I moved into a different subject area I again taught with only experience and certifications but on the Con Ed side of the school. I now teach on the curriculum side with an AS, and two BS degrees. I'm working on my MHA which will entitle me to be program head / coordinator. Now for traditional subjects you do need to have 18 grad hours in the subject area or experience. Most RA schools are allowed to sub in experience for the 18 grad hours. If you already have a master's I would recommend looking into a Grad Certificate in the field of studies that interest you. I would also recommend that you try getting your foot in the door at a community college on the Con Ed side or as an adjunct. Adjuncts for some schools are not held to the same 18 grad hours as full-time faculty, especially in hard to fill subjects. I love teaching at the community college level and while the tenure and salary of a university appeal to me, I don't think I would like the huge classes. I love getting to know my students and feeling like I truly make an impact in their lives. Think outside your degree area for special skills you have. I created an entire new program of study and sold the local community college Con Ed Dean on my ability to fill classes. After a year I was hired full time. I even created a Buy and Sell on Ebay class for them and taught that class and trained the teacher who took over teaching it. Think about your skills and what you are passionate about then start marketing to the local schools. If it is something that will bring in students they will most likely happily jump at the idea. You can also contact the small business center at the schools to offer your expertise to them. It is a great way to get your foot in the door at a school. Good luck!

 

Sounds like WNMU's program (as Matt mentioned) would be a good fit ... they offer psychology as one of the concentrations. You can choose two concentrations, earn 18 credits in each, and a second master's degree at the same time.

Direct program link: WNMU Virtual Campus - Online Programs MA in Interdisciplinary Studies