With a Master’s in Teaching, you can work for almost any public or private school and may find employment working for a college or vocational school too. Though you might think that you need this type of degree before you can get tenured through your school, most colleges require that professors have terminal degrees in their fields before reaching this point. You need to understand what tenure is, the benefits and how to get tenure in addition to looking at the type of degree that you need.
What is Tenure?
According to the National Education Association, tenure is a process that grants job stability to a professor or teacher. The process provides the professor with a guaranteed job until that educator decides to retire. It typically only goes to teachers who have a lot of experience and strong reviews from their students. The board or dean of the college will check on tenured professors every year or every few years to ensure that those teachers are in good standing. Colleges can revoke tenure from professors who behave in inappropriate or negative ways.
Benefits of Tenure
Job stability is the biggest benefit of tenure. Unless you break major laws on campus or do things that the college does not approve of, you should keep your position. Tenured professors also receive more time off that they use for writing or doing research. A math or science professor might let assistants teach their classes while they conduct new experiments, and other professors may take a semester or more off to write a new non-fiction book or textbook. Another benefit awarded to tenured professors is a higher salary. During your annual reviews, the college may decide to increase your salary even higher.
Getting Tenured
The process of getting tenured is a long one. You may need to work your way up from an adjunct professor to an assistant professor before becoming a full professor. Most colleges also require that you work for the school as a teacher for a period of seven to 10 years before applying for tenure. You will then meet with a board to discuss why you want tenured and why the school should select you. The college will then put you on probation for three years or more before granting you full tenure. You’ll still come up for review often and may risk losing your tenure.
Degree Requirements
A Master’s in Teaching may not qualify you for tenure. While community colleges hire professors with a graduate degree, traditional colleges often require that professors have a terminal degree, which is the highest degree available in that field. An advanced degree in teaching allows to you teach education classes, but you may find yourself passed over in favor of other professors with a PhD in education or an education subject. Not all tenured professors have a Master’s in education because not all professors teach education classes. A Master’s or a PhD in another subject may help you get tenured.
Tenure is a long process that colleges offer to some professors, and getting tenure provides you with the job stability that you need in today’s world. Though you do not need a Master’s in Teaching unless you want tenure as an education professor, tenured instructors must have a higher or terminal degree in their fields.
Related Resource: Top 10 Best Online Masters in Teaching Degree Programs
