Most affordable online Masters program? Any universitys offer in-state tuition?

[adamd13]

I am completing my BGS from Fort Hays State University in December and hope to enter a Masters Program that is online or on a campus that does not charge out of state tuiton. I live in Illinois and the universitys even for in-state are very pricey that why I ended up at FHSU. I use websites like geteducated.com to view the best buys but wonder if there are any more. Also which online masters programs have the least requirements for graduation?

I am aware of the Big 3 and all their programs offered and if all goes to hell TESC MSM program looks apealing. I am looking at possibly a management program or a sociology or a history. The reason why there are so many options is because history is my favorite subject but I do not like to write long essays, and sociology is my strongest subject, and I think management would be best for future employment in many fields.

Ideally, I would like to become a adjunct online instructor for a for profit of community college but I cannot seem to get credible information on how difficult it is to get a position at any institution. Would a for profit or community only hire someone from a brick and mortor? Fort Hays State is brick and mortar but they only offer a Master of Liberal Studies that I am intrested in and I dont think that would be very eye catching to online employers even though 18 hours are in a concentration. Any information on how hard and what is needed to become a online instructor? What institution hires the most?

I have found Minot State University to charge $247 for graduate credit and have a MSM online degree but no information is available on course content or instructors so Im sort of leary because most likely only one course option is available.

PLEASE HELP

[cookderosa]

I am completing my BGS from Fort Hays State University in December and hope to enter a Masters Program that is online or on a campus that does not charge out of state tuiton. I live in Illinois and the universitys even for in-state are very pricey that why I ended up at FHSU. I use websites like geteducated.com to view the best buys but wonder if there are any more. Also which online masters programs have the least requirements for graduation?

I am aware of the Big 3 and all their programs offered and if all goes to hell TESC MSM program looks apealing. I am looking at possibly a management program or a sociology or a history. The reason why there are so many options is because history is my favorite subject but I do not like to write long essays, and sociology is my strongest subject, and I think management would be best for future employment in many fields.

Ideally, I would like to become a adjunct online instructor for a for profit of community college but I cannot seem to get credible information on how difficult it is to get a position at any institution. Would a for profit or community only hire someone from a brick and mortor? Fort Hays State is brick and mortar but they only offer a Master of Liberal Studies that I am intrested in and I dont think that would be very eye catching to online employers even though 18 hours are in a concentration. Any information on how hard and what is needed to become a online instructor? What institution hires the most?

I have found Minot State University to charge $247 for graduate credit and have a MSM online degree but no information is available on course content or instructors so Im sort of leary because most likely only one course option is available.

PLEASE HELP

>>

Hi! I'm in Illinois too. There is an awesome master's program through Western New Mexico University, you get instate tuition if you take 6 or fewer credits per semester. The entire degree will be less than $6,000 and you get 2 each 18 credit concentrations, meaning two community college teaching areas.
WNMU Home Page
Also, I have been a community college teacher for 17 years, what do you want to know?

[creationstory]

>>

Hi! I'm in Illinois too. There is an awesome master's program through Western New Mexico University, you get instate tuition if you take 6 or fewer credits per semester. The entire degree will be less than $6,000 and you get 2 each 18 credit concentrations, meaning two community college teaching areas.
WNMU Home Page
Also, I have been a community college teacher for 17 years, what do you want to know?

i looked at this, but what are the masters in?

ok i found it..

Graduate Studies

[cookderosa]

i looked at this, but what are the masters in?

ok i found it..

Graduate Studies

>>

No, don't use that link- those are not the distance degrees. Use this link:

Virtual Campus - Online Programs

Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies - Online

Apply now!
- Delivery is 100% online
- Fully accredited
- 36-hour program
- Requires at least two 18-hour areas of concentration
- Design your own degree
- Select two or three areas of concentration: (Jen's comment- if you want to teach in a community college, choose 2, because 3 areas won't give you 18 and 18 credits in each area
Bilingual Education
Criminal Justice
Education
Elementary Education
English
History
Management Information Systems
Political Science
Psychology
Reading Education
Secondary Education
Special Education
Writing

- Affordable tuition and fees
- Non-resident students pay in-state tuition for up to 6 credit hours per semester.
- Small class size
- Apply now for Fall 2009 or Spring 2010.


A minimum of 36 hours is required for the degree. Up to three areas of concentration can be chosen, with a minimum of 18 hours in one area and 9 or 18 in the additional area(s).

A formal letter of intent must be submitted at the time of application. In addition, within the first semester an official degree plan must be submitted, signed by advisors and the department chair/Dean of the primary and supplementary disciplines.

All course pre-requisites must be fulfilled.

The type and method of exit examination or thesis will be determined by each discipline.

[alissaroot]

Fort Hays State University
Northwestern State University
California State University Dominguez Hills
Western New Mexico University

[jaer57]

>>

Hi! I'm in Illinois too. There is an awesome master's program through Western New Mexico University, you get instate tuition if you take 6 or fewer credits per semester. The entire degree will be less than $6,000 and you get 2 each 18 credit concentrations, meaning two community college teaching areas.
WNMU Home Page
Also, I have been a community college teacher for 17 years, what do you want to know?

Wow, I didn't realize WNMU's interdisciplinary master's was so affordable! Thanks for the info! Really good to know for potential future adjuncts...

[MissCLEP]

Cookderosa,

Just to make sure I understand, you're saying that one has to have at least 18 credits in a subject area at the graduate level in order to be able to teach as a community college? Do you know if this is the standard policy for all colleges, or is it just for your state? Where could I find out more details?

Thanks for the info on MA programs!

[adamd13]

I just wanted to know some basic information on being an online intructor, for example I heard it was very comptetitve to get your foot in the door if you do not already teach classroom classes. Also, I heard a masters degree in the area you want to teach but some schools will accept 18 credit hours such as the WNMU M.A. program. I have no desire to teach classroom but if I got an M.A. in IDS what would be the chances.

[cookderosa]

Cookderosa,

Just to make sure I understand, you're saying that one has to have at least 18 credits in a subject area at the graduate level in order to be able to teach as a community college? Do you know if this is the standard policy for all colleges, or is it just for your state? Where could I find out more details?

Thanks for the info on MA programs!

>>

18 in the subject you are to teach AND a masters degree, but the 18 can be INSIDE of your degree. So, the master's at WNMU offers 2 each 18 credit concentrations for a 36 credit master's degree, meaning you will meet the minimum education for teaching. NOTE: pick your concentrations carefully, because not everything is taught at community colleges or isn't taught enough that you'd be able to work full time. My (huge) community college offers only 1 section of educational technology, so there is no way we hired someone FOR teaching that. But, we have over 200 sections of English 101/102 per semester between all of our campuses...so that would be a smart concentration. Also, bilingual education, not a good choice because it isn't taught at the 100/200 level. There are good ones- poly sci, govt., psych, etc. These are part of every community college AA degree and thus easy to find sections to teach.

The 18 in field w/master's degree is a regional accredidation rule (the college can't waive it or lower it), RA colleges don't have state teacher licensure like K-12 schools. Also, that rule doesn't apply to AAS/AOS degrees at the community college level, Nationally Accredited colleges of any level, or RA 4 year colleges/universities.

[cookderosa]

I just wanted to know some basic information on being an online intructor, for example I heard it was very comptetitve to get your foot in the door if you do not already teach classroom classes. Also, I heard a masters degree in the area you want to teach but some schools will accept 18 credit hours such as the WNMU M.A. program. I have no desire to teach classroom but if I got an M.A. in IDS what would be the chances.

>>

Community colleges ALL offer online classes now, but you have to get a job at the college. At my college, I have seniority in my dept, so I had first crack. We are offering only 1 online class, and it's mine lol. The online version of my class was developed by me too, and so I'll have first right of refusal for as long as I want. If I give up that section, someone else who already teaches my subject in our dept would take it (jump at it).
We would never just take one of our dept classes and advertise outside the department to fill it. Maybe you'd find such a situation, but I find it hard to imagine. Even though my district is large (12,000 students enrolled this semster alone) we never hire full time faculty. (we have 44 or 45, the rest are adjunct)

If you go with a strictly online college, then all the classes are online, but all of the online schools (except maybe Penn Foster) offer bachelor degrees, so they'd require a PhD.

Teaching face to face is really the way to get into the door that you are looking at, but there are always other doors too.