Teaching Requirements

Associate Degree Courses
Faculty teaching courses at the Associate Degree level in each of the following areas - Humanities and Fine Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Natural Science and Mathematics, and Business Administration (not including Bookkeeping, Keyboarding and other courses that are Technical in orientation and purpose) - must have completed at least 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline and hold a master's degree, or hold the minimum of a master's degree with a major in the teaching discipline.

Technical Specialty Courses
Courses in Associate Applied Science Degree programs require both academic preparation and work experience. The typical combination is a bachelor's degree with appropriate work experience. A master's degree preparation is required for faculty teaching courses where college transfer is a goal, or where substantial numbers of students transfer to senior institutions. In all cases, teaching faculty members must have technical competence in the fields in which they teach.

In certain exceptional cases, unique experience and demonstrated competence may substitute for advanced academic preparation. Such exceptions must be justified by the College on an individual basis.

Non-degree Diploma or Certificate Occupational Courses
Non-degree diploma or certificate occupational courses are typically taught by faculty with some college or specialized training, but with an emphasis on competence gained through work experience. Some courses may require faculty with a bachelor's degree or beyond with little or no work experience. Others may require little formal education beyond high school.

While the competency requirements may vary from field to field, in all cases, teaching faculty members must have special competence in the fields in which they teach.

Developmental Courses
Faculty who teach Basic Computation and Communication Skills in non-degree occupational programs must have a bachelor's degree and, ideally, should have work or other experiences which help them to relate these skills to the occupational field.

Faculty who teach Adult Basic Education at the high school level or below must have a bachelor's degree, but also should have attributes or experiences which help them relate to the particular needs of the adults they teach.

Faculty who teach in Developmental Programs must have a bachelor's degree as a minimum, plus other experiences and/or graduate training appropriate to such teaching.