Professoring Question

Airtorn is absolutely right, 18 grad hours in a subject will qualify you to teach at the CC/JC level, but remember as a practical matter--the only thing that counts--many positions will require a Master's in a "closely-related field"--the MA in Christian Ministry plus 18 cr hr of some secular subject probably won't bust the door open for you for a teaching position in that subject--you'll likely be competing against quite a field of Masters holders, unless something less common like Mathematics.

My guess is your best bet is to do one of the following:
a) Find a subject matter for which you have an aptitude/interest for which an accredited U.S. DL Masters is offered that you will be able to complete overseas, such as Business Administration, Comp Sci, Engineering, Higher Education, History, etc. With that in hand, which you should be able to finish before you come back to the states, plus you soon-to-be Masters, you should be an attractive secular CC/JC or small college candidate.

b) Take a long hard look at some of the DL Doctorate programs offered through U.S. Universities in Christian-related areas, then come back to the U.S. in a few years with an EdD, PhD, DD, etc well underway in a Christian-related area, and then shoot for a position at one of the hundreds of small sectarian schools that are always looking for faculty.

Here's a great website at US News which lists online programs in many subject matters: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/elearning/tools/elsearch.htm

 

Oh yeah, and accoring to USN, there are a few accredited US universities that offer accredited online Masters in English:

East Carolina
University of New Orleans
Texas Tech
Mercy College

You'll have to check out the schools websites to confirm or deny that these degrees can be obtained solely by distance, but USN at least claims that they can.

 

I really appreciate your input and help. I knew that throwing 18 hours at someone wouldn't be overwhelming, but I was just making the clarification.

Also, thanks for the links. So are there really that many small colleges looking for theology faculty? I sorta figured that English would be a much larger field to choose from.

clint

 

In my view, getting an additional 18 hours in a second area that is related to your masters can be invaluable because it improves your marketability to and utility for potential employers. I often take a look at the ads for political science instructors and see a good percentage that specifically look for individuals with 18 hours in a related field such as history or economics.

Clint - I wish I could give you a good answer on what schools are looking for theological faculty. All I can say is to keep searching the ads on the Chronicle and see what pops up. Also, check with the denominations you are specifically interested in being affiliated with. Assemblies of God has a website of AG schools and a faculty database. http://colleges.ag.org/ Odds are good that many other denominations do something similar.

 

I'm not necessarily claiming there are many schools looking for theology faculty, I honestly haven't looked into the matter. However, there are tons of Christian schools in the U.S., you can't swing a cat without hitting a couple (I'm a cat lover, no offense intended). The standards for hiring faculty are often more along the lines of doctrinal than pure academic--not every PhD is willing to sign a statement that the Bible is the inspired word of God! This consequently narrows the field and could give you a real leg up for many positions--assuming you subscribe to the school's theological bent. If you had the necessary credit hours--or the Master's--in English, that may make you and your second masters in ministry very attractive to such a school if you otherwise see theologically eye-to-eye with them.

About the doctoral route?--a DL PhD from, say, Biola University in Educational Studies or a PhD in Biblical Studies from Baptist Bible College and Seminary or an EdD in Educational Leadership from Pepperdine (this one requires residency) might set you up to teach any number of positions at a Christian college or university, particularly if you also have the requisite credit hours in other subjects--which you might be able to pick up as electives while pursuing the doctorate. Example at a secular college: the Assistant Dean of my department has his EdD from the University of West Virginia. Up until a couple years ago he filled in teaching a variety of subjects: Geography, Philosophy, Journalism, Music. We have the 18 credit hour requirement here, so he must have picked the necessary hours up while pursuing his graduate degrees. Also, the History prof we just hired has his Doctorate from a conservative Presbyterian Seminary in Florida (I think Knox), but one of his Masters is in History. It certainly helps to be versitile at the CC or small college level--they're not looking for focused researchers here, they want people who can wear many hats. Where you want to go--university research or small college versatility--should determine the steps you take over the upcoming months.

God Bless You!

 

Would a combination of MIS\IT credits work in an IT or MIS subject area or would it require 18 credits in IT for IT and 18 in MIS for MIS? Some of the schools I have been looking as a potential student seem to blur these subjects areas.

 

OK, one more clarification...

"Taught" degrees are good. Research degrees are bad. This is true, at least with regard to becoming an instructor/professor, etc in a college. Is this a true statement?

If it is, then what about foreign degrees that are taught? Something like the MA in History (Imperialism and Culture) from Sheffield-Hallam (UK)? (I am just using this as an example).

thanks

clint

 

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"Taught" degrees are good. Research degrees are bad. This is true, at least with regard to becoming an instructor/professor, etc in a college. Is this a true statement?
_______________________

A research master's degree probably won't get you into a teaching job in most CCs or other colleges who have to worry about accreditation committees. Research doctoral degrees, of course, are a different issue. American universities are repleat with UK-type research doctorates. But here we're mixing fruit. Large established American universities have the luxury of calling their own shots, for the most part, and if there is a specialist that they want who happens to have a UK instead of a US doctorate, they hire that person. You're not going to get a full-time job in a core humanities discipline at a major university without a doctorate, however.

At the master's level, you're limited to CCs, small colleges, Christian colleges, and for-profit colleges, for the most part. Most of these will be looking over their shoulders at state and regional accrediting commissions. Better to stay away from the research master's, I think. The research master's may very be a very good springboard to the doctorate, however.

marilynd

 

thanks for that clarification, but what I really want to know (per my last post) is whether or not a UK taught MA is OK. Some of these degrees are accomplished through course work (like the one I mentioned previously) rather than research.

Would a program such as this meet the CC requirements?

thanks

clint

 

__________________________
Would a program such as this meet the CC requirements?
__________________________

I'm beginning to feel a little like Pavlov's dog.

A taught master's degree with identifiable courses can usually be converted--formally or informally--into credit hours. Harvard, and many other schools, does not use the credit-hour system, for instance. Harvard divides its curriculum into full-courses and half-courses, which is similar to the typical UK system. For Harvard, the conversion is easy. A half-course = a 3 semester-hour course (if no lab). It is a paperwork undertaking. You show equivalence of contact hours by documentation from the school's bulletin or prospectus. It is easiest where there is an indentifiable schedule (MWF 9-10), although perhaps more strenuous where DL is concerned. Credit equivalency between the US and UK is common enough that it shouldn't really be a problem.

Nevertheless, there is a competitive disadvantage here, in that you're still in that "exotic" realm, and justifications are necessary.

Now, if you got your degree from Oxbridge or London, my guess is that they would find a way to justify hiring you.

Good luck in your educational pursuits.

marilynd

 

Hey, Seriously, I appreciate it.

I am intrigued by several UK and South African educational possibilities. But I want to know where I stand before I jump into anything.

I apologize if I seemingly ask the same or similar questions, but sometimes repetition is necessary for me to get it through my skull.

Your explanations help alot.

thanks,
clint

 

And you know, there are plenty of very affordable UoL degrees available via distance.

http://www.londonexternal.ac.uk/postgraduate/index.php

 

Yes we are; check the Maricopa job site web page. I know because I am on another hiring committee for a January hire.



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YOWZERS! That's twice what they pay a full-timer at my little CC! I think the handful of PhDs here only make $40s; the people with Masters are around $30 or so--of course, you can buy a five bedroom turn-of-the-century Victorian with half an acre of wooded land for $80K here as well. But if I remember correctly from my days in AZ, the price of living wasn't exactly astronomical there.

Are they hiring there in Phoenix? Where do I sign up? [/B][/QUOTE]

 

cogent:

Thanks for the info.

Best to you!

 

cdhale:

No problem from this end. I didn't mean to appear snippy.

It was just my wry sense of humor kicking in.



marilynd

 

It wasn't snippy, I just wanted to make sure. ha

clint