[Anonymous]

Is anyone an adjunct professor for an online program? I am looking into applying to be an adjunct professor for a program or university online, and was wondering if there are any go-to websites out there that would list any openings, or if there is anything I should know ahead of time before applying.

I have taught accounting foundation classes in college and at my job and have very much enjoyed it. For now I think I would like to do it as a part-time gig while still working full-time, but in the future I might consider making it a full-time profession. I do have my Masters in Accounting and I believe a masters degree is usually all that is needed for this.

[Anonymous]

higheredjobs.com would be a good starting point. I don't know if it specifically lists lots of adjunct positions, but in general is the central location for college and university job listings.

flexjobs.com is subscription-based, but I've seen adjunct professor jobs posted on it, I think several were from Western Governor's University (IIRC). It focuses on flexible jobs (telecommute/remote/online, part-time, etc.), so adjunct positions fit within those criteria, but it's not focused on higher ed specifically.

Beyond that, I'd suggest checking college websites directly. It might take awhile, but from what I've seen, many colleges will post these positions on their website but not advertise extensively elsewhere. While I was a student, I worked in the online classes department at my college and one of my tasks at that college was to print and sort the applications received from prospective adjuncts. I'm pretty sure that the job postings at that specific school were only on the school's website, though I can't say for sure how typical that is. However, it's definitely something that happens sometimes. If you are part of a specific denomination or religion, I would start with checking schools that are part of that denomination or religion, as those sometimes have rules about only employing faculty within that belief system, and as such you'll have fewer people you're competing against.

Your Masters should be at least the primary requirement, and some prior experience teaching will definitely help. Many positions will say something like “doctorate preferred”, but for adjuncts, just a Master's should still be enough to get some classes, at least in time. Many colleges and universities are having to tighten their belt right now (the community college system in my state just announced it had eliminated 506 positions a week or two ago), so you may be competing with former full-time faculty who have doctorates and such, but if you're patient something will probably open up.

I've considered working as an adjunct or full-time online faculty at some point in the future myself. At present I don't have a Master's, so I wouldn't get far, but I'd like to at some point…

[Anonymous]

@Lilla THANK YOU for all of this information, it is very helpful! Not really sure if I will have a shot because my experience is limited, but hopefully if I passed my last exam I am thinking I might have some free time on my hands and this could be a good filler.

[Anonymous]

@boatinginthebay It definitely doesn't hurt to try! If you're willing to teach face-to-face, you could check your local community college(s) too, as they often have a large adjunct staff, are likely to have more nights and weekend classes, and a Master's would be plenty of qualifications there (I think my CC allows you to teach with just a Bachelor's if paird with demonstration of competence or experience in the field, so CPA or a few years in accounting, so a Masters would put you above their requirements). Getting more teaching experience would definitely help. However, I don't think it's necessary. It might take awhile to find someone who will give you a chance, but every professor had a first professor job, and had a few years that they didn't have a few years' experience yet, so there's a way to start somehow! I think, too, that the Master's plus CPA combo will push you farther than the CPA alone, since it's seen almost as 2 qualifications to teach (I've heard rumors you can teach with just the CPA, but have yet to see a posting for an adjunct that didn't say it required a Master's; however, the CPA is definitely a bonus for teaching).

I'm definitely interested in trying teaching (though I prefer the online option myself) once I have my Master's – you'll have to report back if you try to find an adjunct position and let us know how it goes! 🙂

[Author]

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