What am I Qualified to Teach?
Few things are as confusing and frustrating as understanding what you are qualified to teach in higher education. I have been teaching for over 25 years and been administrator in five different colleges and universities. For over fifteen years I have been a peer reviewer for two of the major higher ed accreditors, where often I had conversations with schools on this very topic.
Unfortunately, the rules are varied and subject to interpretation. The basic rules of thumb are that you should have either a terminal degree or at least one degree-level above the students that you are teaching. You should also have a graduate degree in the field you are teaching or a graduate degree in another field and 18 graduate credits in the field.
The first area of interpretation is what is a terminal degree. In many areas, the terminal degree is a doctorate, whether that is a PhD, EdD, DBA, MD, or other similar degree. In some fields, though, the terminal degree is not a doctorate and it can be ambiguous what the terminal degree is.
A JD is the terminal degree in law, and is technically a doctorate, but some will argue that it is not doctorate because it generally does not include a dissertation or other research project.
For paramedics, the terminal degree is the associate degree. I have not seen anyone offering a bachelor’s degree…
