Academic Teaching Credential Policy

• Last Modified: Jul 27, 2023
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Policy Statement

Instructors (faculty/staff in a teaching role) excluding teaching assistants enrolled in a graduate program and supervised by faculty, must possess an academic degree relevant to what they teach and at least one level above the level at which they teach, except in programs for terminal degrees or when equivalent experience is established. In terminal degree programs, instructors (faculty/staff in a teaching role) must possess the same level of degree. Each academic unit must define a minimum threshold of experience and an evaluation process to be used in the appointment process with approval of the provost, when instructors (faculty/staff in a teaching role) are employed based on equivalent experiences.

Faculty teaching general education courses, or other non‐occupational courses, hold a master’s degree or higher in the discipline or sub-field. If a faculty member holds a master’s degree or higher in a discipline or sub-field other than that in which they teach, that faculty member should have completed a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline or sub-field in which they teach.

Instructors teaching in graduate programs should hold the terminal degree determined by the discipline and have a record of research, scholarship or achievement appropriate for the graduate program.