Physics Chance of getting a teaching gig with just an MS?

[elkend]

I am looking for my first medical physics job, a field I consider a MS to be a terminal degree in. I love teaching, and feel in a couple decades I would like to transition to a teaching job. Are these very common with a MS at community colleges? Would it typically involve moving, like looking for a university teaching position would? I have only attended a community college for one class, so do not know much about them compared to a university.

 

[Mark44]

I am looking for my first medical physics job, a field I consider a MS to be a terminal degree in. I love teaching, and feel in a couple decades I would like to transition to a teaching job. Are these very common with a MS at community colleges? Would it typically involve moving, like looking for a university teaching position would? I have only attended a community college for one class, so do not know much about them compared to a university.

I think you have a good chance at getting a teaching job at a CC. When I first started teaching at a CC in '79, all of my colleagues (and myself) had Masters' degrees. The situation has changed somewhat since then, with more CC instructors having PhD degrees, but that usually isn't a requirement.

It's fairly easy to get a part-time teaching job at a CC, but a lot harder to land a full-time position in a tenure track. The latter positions are very competitive, making them much harder to attain. BTW, I held a tenured position at a CC for 18 years, then took a completely different job at a large software firm. I've retired from that job, and am once again teaching at a different CC. My primary reason is that I enjoy doing it -- and certainly not for the money.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

Chance of getting a teaching job are good if your salary requirements are very low.

Feeding a family? Not so much.

 

[ZapperZ]

I am looking for my first medical physics job, a field I consider a MS to be a terminal degree in. I love teaching, and feel in a couple decades I would like to transition to a teaching job. Are these very common with a MS at community colleges? Would it typically involve moving, like looking for a university teaching position would? I have only attended a community college for one class, so do not know much about them compared to a university.

The problem here is that you need to also consider your "competition". Chances are, you won't be the only one applying for such jobs, and it is realistic to consider that you will be competing with candidates with PhD's.

Unless they are looking for someone to teach a specific course in which you have a unique expertise on, most of these places will be looking for someone who will teach a General Physics course, AND, often someone with already-established teaching expertise and experience, including knowledge of a Learning Management System like Blackboard. You may be competing against candidates that already have all of those credentials.

Zz.

 

[Choppy]

I am looking for my first medical physics job, a field I consider a MS to be a terminal degree in. I love teaching, and feel in a couple decades I would like to transition to a teaching job. Are these very common with a MS at community colleges? Would it typically involve moving, like looking for a university teaching position would? I have only attended a community college for one class, so do not know much about them compared to a university.

It's quite possible to teach from a medical physics point of view, even with an MSc. You could teach residents, medical physics graduate students, mentor undergraduate students, radiation oncology residents, medical students, radiation therapy students, dosimetry students, etc. It's usually the PhDs who end up with the in-classroom teaching, but not always. And there's always a need for good clinical mentors. On top of that a lot of the major vendors have professional educators who teach clinical staff how to use their latest and greatest projects.

Going back to teaching something like first year physics is more of a stretch if you don't have the PhD.

 

[vela]

Going back to teaching something like first year physics is more of a stretch if you don't have the PhD.

I don't think this is accurate. As @Mark44 said, it's relatively easy to get a part-time position. The place the Ph.D. might matter is trying to get a full-time job. But then again, we are all talking about the current situation. Who knows what it will be like decades from now.

 

[FactChecker]

My impression is that teachers at community colleges do not need the higher degrees (above Masters) so much as they need to be excellent teachers. Some of the finest teachers I have ever seen were at community colleges. IMHO, if your goal is teaching in a community college, you should look into education classes.