BREAKING INTO TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION

BREAKING INTO TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Teaching in higher education is a goal that many learners and alumni at Capella University share. This document outlines typical requirements in the field and strategies to meet them.

It is critical to research the institutions for which you'd like to teach to understand their requirements and preferences early in your program to allow time to make connections and fill any existing skill gaps. Review job postings, faculty LinkedIn profiles and Curriculum Vitae, and talk with current faculty to learn preferred qualifications for your target institutions to better set yourself up for success.

Qualifications

Instructors in higher education are expected to be subject matter experts. Expertise comes from formal education, work experience, and research.

? Education Colleges and universities typically require at least 27 quarter or 18 semester credit hours (at the graduate level) in the subject area you plan to teach. A master's degree is the minimum requirement for most teaching positions in higher education, and a doctorate in the subject area is often preferred or required.

? Work experience In addition to your education, institutions often require 3 to 5 years of professional experience related to the discipline that you plan to teach. Your related professional experience increases your credibility, provides you with a strong knowledge base for the subject matter, and allows you to integrate real world work experience into the classroom.

? Research Many institutions that grant bachelor or higher level degrees are seeking candidates who have published their work, presented at professional conferences within the field, or conducted research.

Developing Credentials

For those looking for a first teaching opportunity, it is important to demonstrate proven skills or experience in the areas of teaching, training, coaching, or advising in other environments. Applicants without teaching experience should consider ways they might gain teaching experience as well as showcase transferrable professional skills related to instruction. Many of our suggestions involve working for free or for a nominal amount of money. Remember that this is temporary and will better position you for paid opportunities in the future.

The following are some strategies you can use to obtain teaching and training experience and demonstrate your subject matter expertise:

Teach at work. Explore ways to teach or train others in your current position. Offer to train new employees, present information in meetings, or train colleagues on a new initiative. Or, you could volunteer to design and deliver a "lunch and learn session" to meet the professional and personal development needs of your co-

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workers. For example, if you are a native or fluent Spanish speaker, offer Spanish language classes during lunch. Your manager and others will likely notice your initiative and expertise and perhaps offer you more opportunities to present. If you are hoping to teach online, seek out opportunities to conduct virtual presentations or assist with online course facilitation.

Present for a community organization. Seek out teaching or public speaking opportunities with community organizations, or as part of your responsibilities in a leadership role at an organization to which you belong. Offer to present on your area of expertise to your local Rotary Club, Lions Club or other organization. Consider facilitating new member orientation or offering to represent your organization at volunteer fairs, fundraising events or other venues. Explore teaching ESL or citizenship classes at an organization that provides services to recent immigrants. Be creative--the volunteer possibilities are endless, and are an excellent way to practice public speaking and group facilitation skills. and your community education department may have local and online teaching opportunities for your consideration.

Tutor at a local college. Explore opportunities to tutor at a local college or university. You'll gain experience working with college students and be able to network with faculty at an institution where you may want to teach in the future. Many schools offer online courses too, so this networking can be beneficial regardless of your preferred teaching format.

Offer to be a teaching or guest lecturer. Connect with a faculty member at a local college or your undergraduate alma mater to see if you can assist in teaching a class. This may range from presenting as a guest speaker in your area of expertise to facilitating group activities. Take the opportunity to observe the instructor's teaching methods and classroom management style. Offer to help in the class whenever possible. Not only will you gain experience, you'll make a good impression with someone working in the field and give them the opportunity to see you in front of a class, engaging students in content.

Another way to get involved could be as a consultant or guest speaker for a student organization at an institution you are interested in teaching for. While it may offer less faculty exposure as the above, it does give you a chance to hone leadership and speaking skills with students.

Share your knowledge in non-traditional teaching roles. You likely have knowledge of a topic that would be of value to your community. Maybe you have subject matter expertise in managing personal finances, navigating technical tools, or understanding child development. Contact your local community education department and ask about developing and teaching a course. If you hope to teach online, seek out courses that are taught in that format. You'll gain valuable curriculum design and delivery experience while sharing your interest with others.

Present at local, state, or national professional conferences. Conferences are a good way to demonstrate expertise in your discipline or field, as well as a strategy for gaining experience teaching your subject matter to others. Doing so will help you to get more comfortable presenting and leading a discussion.

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Most professional organizations hold annual conferences, and usually publish guidelines for submitting presentation proposals on their Web sites.

Publish in professional and scholarly journals. Conducting research and publishing within your profession are valuable ways to demonstrate knowledge of the research process, as well as leverage your Capella coursework research. Seek out professional and scholarly publications that include research and articles relevant to your subject area and inquire about the journals' review and submittal processes. It is very helpful to partner with someone the first time you submit a publication for review because it is an arduous process! Identify authors, including faculty, in your area of interest and ask if they might want to partner.

Consider writing articles based on your dissertation research.

Resources

Below are links to a selection of additional resources:

Teaching in Higher Education CV section on the Career Center's website

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