Which master's should I get?

[Double J]

I'm thinking of getting a master's. I've decided I'd like to teach at the college level someday. I know I'd have to start as an adjunct/part-time professor while doing something else on the side. I've narrowed it down to the following subjects:

 

- English

- History/Geography

- Psychology

- Business

 

I have a bachelor's degree in Marketing, which partly explains my interest in Psychology/Business. However, I'm not interested in getting an MBA.

 

Is there something I can pick that is all-encompassing; in other words, can I get a master's in something that would allow me to teach any of these? Or do I have to get a master's in English to teach English, a master's in History to teach history, etc.?

 

Also, which one has the most demand out there?

 

Thanks.

[LittleLion24]

I would first decide what you'd like to teach at the college-level before you decide what to get your master's in. A master's is a lot of work and you want to make sure you are getting a master's in a field that you LOVE rather than one you LIKE since iit will be double the amount of work and research than what a bachelor's requires. More importantly, a master's means you are on your way to becoming an expert in your field, however, you need to first determine what field ultimately that will be.

 

I would suggest finding work experience in the areas you have listed to help narrow down and define what it is that you want to teach at the college-level. Figuring out what you don't want is just as important as figuring out what you do want.

 

I have a strong interest in HR and I looked into getting a master's in HR. I am a teacher and before I landed a teaching job, I worked for a company, typical office setting, 8am-5pm hours etc. and I absolutely hated the office thing! I did the office thing for a 1 1/2 yrs before I landed a full-time teaching job and it only made me realize how much I really wanted to teach and how I was much better suited for a classroom instead of an office setting. Although I like dealing with people and would have found pleasure in HR work, I knew sitting behind a desk all day and working the typical 8am-5pm just wasn't going to cut it for me. It just didn't offer me the satisfaction that teaching it.

 

I hope this is helpful.

[ResonanceTheory]

To be honest, most colleges won't employ you as a full, tenured professor unless you have a PhD. Similarly, most colleges won't employ you as an assistant professor unless you have your PhD or are currently pursuing it. Teaching college is not like teaching high school. You need to be a respected expert in your field and be able to demonstrate to the university how you will contribute positively to the faculty.

 

This may be different for teaching at the community college level, however I have not yet met a professor at my university who did not have a phD or was not a doctoral candidate. I think you are looking at this all the wrong way. You don't even have a specific field of interest, and you want to be a college professor? Being a professor is not something you "just do". It's something you arrive at after years of research in your field.

 

If you want to teach, I suggest getting a masters in education, or selecting a subject that you enjoy (english, maybe) and then getting a teaching certificate and teaching high school (or maybe even a community college, I don't know if the requirements are more lax there, they may very well be).