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[mysticat]

I've been a full-time mother for 7 years now.  I received my bachelor's in Biology from UofL in 1998, but have always wanted to pursue my master's degree.  I've found what seems to be a good program at the University of Nebraska--Kearney that I can do online.  Is anyone familiar with that school? 

Also, I am looking into going back to work in about 5 years when all my kids are in school full-time, and I'd like to teach basic biology at a college level if possible.  Is a Master's degree enough?  At least for a community college or other small campus?  Just exploring my options now before I do anything drastic!  Thanks in advance!

[barred_owl]

Also, I am looking into going back to work in about 5 years when all my kids are in school full-time, and I'd like to teach basic biology at a college level if possible.  Is a Master's degree enough?  At least for a community college or other small campus?  Just exploring my options now before I do anything drastic!  Thanks in advance!

Looking ahead five years, a master's may be enough for CC teaching, but there will still be many Ph.D.'s in line ahead of you, probably.  Honestly, it's probably unlikely that an online master's would position you well for a teaching position, even five years from now, because you wouldn't get the requisite live teaching experience that a CC or teaching-focused school will require.  If you could figure out a way to do a master's and get the teaching experience, you'd be in a somewhat more competitive position.  Good luck to you, whatever you decide!

[mysticat]

Would being an online tutor be considered teaching experience?  I just signed up and am on the waiting list to be a paid tutor at Tutor.com.  Hoping I can do that when the school year starts.  When my youngest starts pre-K, I'll also have a couple hours to volunteer at my daughter's elementary.  I may have to consider teaching at a high-school level though.

The online program I am looking into uses the exact same curriculum as the on-campus program.  You see the lectures on DVDs and online.  They are an actual, fully-accredited university, which seems a better choice than some of the online-only colleges.

[kohelet]

Just a couple of thoughts.  The online program you're looking at definitely has the advantage of being offered by a brick-and-mortar university.  This places it in a category above--at least perceptually--the all-online for-profits.  When you get your diploma/transcripts, it's possible that it won't even be distinguishable from a face-to-face program, which could work to your advantage.

... Then again, attending an online master's program and doing the online tutoring thing would provide fantastic fodder for interviews for online teaching positions.  If you go this route, you might want to think of ways to make yourself very competitive for these kinds of positions--you may very well have the edge over Ph.D.-holders without any online teaching experience ... if the idea of teaching online is appealing to you at all.  (You *might* find online teaching more family-friendly schedule-wise than teaching face-to-face, though that's an overly broad generalization.  Come over to the online teaching board if you want to talk about that more or read about others' experiences.)

[mysticat]

Thanks so much for the advice!  I'm excited but a bit terrified at the same time, as it's been 11 years since I got my bachelor's.  I'm going to start out with one course at a time and go from there.  I do like the idea of online teaching. In fact, I just applied for a "facilitator" position through KCTCS, though the online application stated that a master's was required. :)  Doubt I'll be hearing from them any time soon, but if I can finish this master's program in a few years, that may be a possibility. 

[elmolovesyou]

I work at a CC in Nebraska. I can tell you that a UNK degree in Biology, even if it's online, would be enough to get you considered for a position. Others may disagree, but I also don't think you are ethically bound to list your degree as "online", since UNK is a brick-and-mortar school and their online courses are theoretically equal rigorous to on-campus courses.

I can also tell you that even in rural Nebraska, a FT Biology position will get 25-30 qualified applicants.

I've lived and worked in many states, I think Nebraska is sort of "ahead of the curve" in online education. Because things are spread out, we, in general, had to figure out the online education thing, and we do it well. Respectable schools like UNL, UNK, Chadron, and Bellevue (as well as all of the CCs) offer solid, quality online programs.

At my CC, your online teaching experience would be highly valued. Too many science instructors (understandibly) detest the notion of online courses, and the administrators would embrace an instructor who is totally down with online education.

And I certainly think you'd have no trouble getting adjunct work at any CC or even a four-year school.

[mysticat]

Thanks so much!  I feel more positive about it.  One thing I'm really concerned about is financing this endeavor.  The only choice I have at the moment is student loans.  Do you know of anywhere I can look for grants/scholarships?  I can only apply for UNK scholarships in February.  There seem to be a lot of really shady "free grant" websites out there.

[daurousseau]

Stay away from student loans unless you have a secure, well-paying teaching job waiting for you. As for scholarships, do the research.

[mysticat]

I've been looking at the Federal TEACH grant, which requires one to teach for 4 years at a school that serves low-income families, which is pretty much any elementary, middle, or high school here in Kentucky :)  I hadn't thought about teaching  grade school, but it might give me more experience to teach college later on.  What else would I need besides my BS and MS in Biology to be qualified to teach?  I suppose education classes?  But would I need a whole other bachelor's?

[barred_owl]

I've been looking at the Federal TEACH grant, which requires one to teach for 4 years at a school that serves low-income families, which is pretty much any elementary, middle, or high school here in Kentucky :)  I hadn't thought about teaching  grade school, but it might give me more experience to teach college later on.  What else would I need besides my BS and MS in Biology to be qualified to teach?  I suppose education classes?  But would I need a whole other bachelor's?

Hi, mysticat.  Here is the website you should consult to find out about teacher certification in Kentucky: 

http://www.kyepsb.net/certification/index.asp

[mysticat]

I found out today that the TEACH grant does not support the masters in biology degree.  The closest I could get would be masters in science education, which is not taught online, and I'd have to already have a teacher certification.  So, I can either go ahead and enter the bio masters program and get student loans to pay for it, or wait about 4 years until all my children are in school so I can pursue the teaching certification/master education option. 

I wonder though, if I decided to teach high school biology after I get a bio masters, will I still be required to get an education masters?  Or would that be enough, along with state certification?

[profh]

It depends on your state.  Where I live you just need a master's.  For example, if you had a B.A. in history and your license you can either get an M.Ed. or an M.A. in history or something closely related.

I'm not really sure how helpful an online program in any science would be.  I am in the humanities so I could be wrong, but it seems like the lack of in-person lab work and field work in a university setting would be a problem.  True, the diploma doesn't show that it was an online program but I think I would pass on doing any science-related degree online and opt for the in-class program.