A. Instructor Qualifications
Rochester University follows the guidance of the Higher Learning Commission in determining qualifications for full-time and adjunct faculty.
All instructors must possess an academic degree relevant to what they are teaching and at least one level above the level at which they teach, except when equivalent experience is established.
All instructors who teach undergraduate general education and non-occupational courses must hold a master’s degree or higher, and have at least 18 semester hours of graduate credits in the discipline or subfield that they teach. Instructors with a Master of Arts in teaching who have not completed at least 18 semester hours of graduate credits in the discipline or subfield that they teach are not qualified to teach general education and non-occupational courses. These instructors are encouraged to pursue further graduate studies in the academic discipline.
All instructors who teach graduate courses must hold a doctoral degree.
The preferred standards are that all full-time faculty members have a doctoral degree in the content area in which they teach, and that all other undergraduate instructors have a minimum of a master’s degree in the content area in which they teach. However, tested experience may be used to broaden the areas in which doctoral and master prepared instructors can teach. Furthermore, for those without a graduate degree, tested experience can be an appropriate qualification for teaching remedial, technical, or practice-oriented courses. Tested experience implies that some objective measure ensures that the individual’s knowledge and expertise are sufficient for determining what students must learn. (HLC Assumed Practice B.2)
Deans and department chairs are responsible for reviewing the credentials of all instructors teaching in their school or department. If tested experience or graduate credits in an academic subfield are used as qualifications to teach, the appropriate dean must give review and submit evidence of additional qualifications using the instructor qualifications form to be approved by the provost. The provost ensures that these policies are consistently applied and documented throughout Rochester University.
Examples of acceptable tested experience for instructors without a graduate degree:
- Instructors without a graduate degree may be selected to oversee the clinical work of nursing students if they hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and significant nursing experience. These qualifications are not sufficient for providing classroom instruction.
- Instructors without a graduate degree may be selected to teach lower-division technology courses if they hold a bachelor’s degree, industry certifications, and significant experience working in that field.
- Instructors without a graduate degree may be selected to teach lower-division studio art, set building for theatre, or performance-based music courses if they have a bachelor’s degree, significant professional experience, expert ability, and critical acclaim.
Examples of acceptable tested experience for instructors with a master's degree who wish to teach a course outside their direct field of study:
- Instructors with a masters degree who have completed 18 hours of graduate work in a subfield may be selected to teach undergraduate courses in this subfield. (i.e. an instructor with a MEd and 18 graduate credits in math courses--not the education of math, but the discipline itself--may be selected to teach math.)
- Instructors with a master's degree in one field and significant professional experience, industry certifications, or published research in a related field may be selected to teach undergraduate courses in the related field. (i.e., an MBA who is also a Certified Financial Planner can teach a course in personal finance.)
Examples of acceptable tested experience for instructors with terminal degrees who wish to teach a course outside their direct field of study:
- Instructors with a terminal degree who completed original research in a subfield to complete their program of study may be selected to teach undergraduate courses in this subfield. (i.e. An instructor holding a PhD in psychology who completed research using statistical methods to complete their degree may teach courses in statistics.)
- Instructors with a terminal degree who published original research or work in an edited journal or volume in a subfield may be selected to teach undergraduate courses in this subfield. (i.e. An instructor holding a PhD in New Testament studies who has published books on morality in film may teach courses in film related to their research)
Academic Qualifications
|
Additional Qualifications Needed
|
Level Approved to Teach
|
Doctoral Degree in subject area (or closely related field)
|
none |
undergraduate or graduate
|
Doctoral Degree, but not in subject area
|
18 hours of graduate credits in the subject area OR tested experience (use the form to document published research, licensing, industry certifications, or significant professional experience directly in the subject area)
|
undergraduate |
Master's Degree in subject area
|
none |
undergraduate |
Master's Degree, but not in subject area
|
18 hours of graduate credits in the subject area OR tested experience (use the form to document published research, licensing, industry certifications, or significant professional experience directly in the subject area)
|
undergraduate |
Bachelor's Degree
|
Tested experience (use the form to document published research, licensing, industry certifications, or significant professional experience directly in the subject area)
|
select remedial, technical, or practice-oriented undergraduate courses, generally lower-division
|