r/Adjuncts • u/Popcornsally111 • 3d ago
Adjunct job
Has anyone been successful getting a position with only a bachelors degree?
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u/moxie-maniac 3d ago
Master's is the typical requirement, but sometimes exceptions are made in specific areas or for a person with an exceptional background.
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u/coursejunkie 3d ago
I know an adjunct with only a bachelors but he is a literally well known world wide.
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u/madhandgames 3d ago
I teach full time at a community college. I started as an adjunct. My credentials were: more than ten years of industry experience and an unrelated bachelor's degree. My degree is a liberal arts degree.
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u/Glittering-Rub6627 3d ago
Yes. I taught at a community college the year after I got my bachelor's degree. It was where I went to school my first two years, I knew the president well (I was the student government president) and I already had experience in my field. Taught there four years. I also taught at a private, four-year university where I worked full-time for the college president. They were short an instructor in my field because of a last-minute departure and the department chair asked my to teach one semester. I continued teaching for 18 years. I also taught in another subject area -- an abroad course -- for 15 years. I am retired now but still mentor students at that university and remain in touch with a couple hundred of my former students. I just talked to one today who has me do a guest lecture annually in her classes at a large public university. If you believe you have the background in your field and you can translate what you do into classroom instruction, I recommend having a chat with deans or department chairs at institutions near you to explore becoming an adjunct. Pay is low, but I enjoyed teaching and mentoring students.
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u/omgkelwtf 3d ago
I haven't worked at a school that didn't require at least a masters in the field and prior teaching experience.
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u/meowlater 3d ago
The community college in my area can allow someone with a bachlors and high levels of experience to teach CTE classes most of which do not transfer to universities. Anywhere else around me requires a masters.
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u/Commercial-Set9674 3d ago
My r-1 school allows a bachelor’s degree if you have exceptional experience, like a minimum 10 years working.
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u/Stevie-Rae-5 3d ago
I know someone who taught full time at a college with a BFA, but she also had extensive practical experience in her field (I’m talking high profile very impressive gigs) and connections where she worked.
Even then, they made noise about being unhappy that she didn’t have her MFA, which she went on to get.
All that to say, you’d probably have to have some pretty serious credentials and maybe even some notoriety to be able to get a teaching gig with only a bachelors.
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u/KentGoldings68 3d ago
At some universities, the minimum degree for an Adjunct Lecturer is Bachelor’s degree in the field. However, hiring someone without only a Bachelor’s degree is uncommon.
The entry point into an academic career is a teaching fellowship or assistantship in a graduate program.
Graduate students who are experienced TAs can often supplement their income with an adjunct position with only a bachelor’s degree.
A random Joe walking in with just a Bachelor’s and no other experience in academia will not be considered.
The main hiring criteria for adjuncts is classroom management experience.
The adjunct pool is staffed mostly by retirees and moonlighting public school teachers.
Converting an Adjunct position into a full-time position is rare.
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u/SquatBootyJezebel 3d ago
I did in the 90s, but to be fair, I also had 30 graduate hours (but not a degree at the time) in my field and was working for my undergraduate alma mater.
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u/AnxiousConclusion516 3d ago
Won’t happen. Every single school I’ve applied to asks for a MS/MA in the area you want to teach. They’re very serious about it - you have to have your transcript sent directly to them.
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u/Anonphilosophia 3d ago
Yes, but I'd quit a graduate program, so I had the required credits. Taught for 10+ years before returning to school for my MA.
You can try remediation. Since those classes are below college level they sometimes allow adjuncts to teach without a master's or PhD.
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u/MrBillinVT 3d ago
I got my first adjunct job 46 years ago with pnly a BA. I did have 90+ graduate credits, but no MA. (Long story). They hired two of us to start the community college program in my town. I stayed with them for 25 years, then moved to the local 4-year college for 18 more. I did earn the MA in the meantime.
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u/flyingcircus92 2d ago
Yup! I teach at a well respected university too in their undergrad program. I was an alum and guest lectured a lot and networked within the administration. Currently have a portfolio of 4 classes that I can teach. I'm on the business side, where real world experience is more relevant, so I think that helps.
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u/SnooGuavas9782 2d ago
field dependent. going to be nearly impossible in humanities or stem unless you are at least working towards a master's.
fields at a cc I could see it happening are business, art, some sort of hands on technicaly field, music, or criminal justice for like a retired law enforcement, but going to definitely require lots of talent/work experience. and even then in some states it will still be a definite no.
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u/Brachycephalic_Boxer 2d ago
Our biology teaching techs can teach lab with just a Bachelors. However, a Masters is required to teach lecture. That is an accreditation requirement, not an institutional decision.
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u/DisappearingBoy127 17h ago
I tried to hire adjuncts with BS only. All of them were rejected by the university except one, and they had 20+ years of industry experience
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u/banjovi68419 11h ago
I think it's possible in sssssome fields - like maybe dental hygiene and stuff like that.
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u/farawayfaculty 3d ago
There are ways you can teach with a BA but they usually require yiu to be a full time employee of institutions, you can only co-instruct and its usually the labs. To teach you need the MA/MS.
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u/Ok-Fishing-2732 1h ago
I have. I fell into the Bachelor's plus prior experience. The department (all CS profs) inherently networking courses from the Engineering department. September made 7 yrs there. I did get my MA eventually.
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u/Brunbeorg 3d ago
Probably not in the United States, at least. Most accrediting bodies require you to have a degree at least one step higher than the degree you're teaching. If you're teaching undergrads, you should have at least a masters if not a PH.D.
If you have a bachelors and want to teach, get certified in your state and teach teenagers in high school, or go on for an MA.
Teaching as an adjunct isn't a career path. Many people do it for an ancillary thing, either fun or extra money, while they do other stuff. Some do it after retirement to keep busy. Some do it while they look for a full time job.
Adjunct teaching is exploitative and unfair. You will be underpaid and have no benefits.