While most universities typically require or prefer a Ph.D. when they hire faculty members, a master's degree can suffice for online faculty positions in some cases. Because online faculty positions tend to be more teaching-oriented than research-oriented, some schools will be willing to consider applicants with a master's degree. This is especially true among community colleges where all of the courses offered are general education and lower-level courses within each academic major. Although some schools will require some teaching experience, this will vary among institutions. Schools that stake their academic reputation primarily on online classes will more likely require a doctorate, whereas community colleges and smaller four-year institutions may be more open to master's degree candidates.
Online teaching can involve a variety of teaching methods. Some of these can include directed readings, online chats, discussion forums, quizzes, examinations and research papers. Much of the communication with students is completed via email and posted messages on whatever online platform the school uses. Depending upon the discipline you teach, however, some teaching may need to take place via streaming video or through audio lectures.
It can be important to note that not all online faculty member positions at universities will be in an entirely virtual format. Many colleges and universities utilize full- and part-time faculty members to teach online classes. Therefore, your duties as an online professor might require you to teach a certain number of hours in the classroom as well. For this reason, time management skills are necessary for effective delivery of online teaching content. Online teaching can be very time consuming, and having to prepare for lectures in the classroom setting can take away from time you will have to devote to online class instruction.
The earning potential for online college faculty members can be quite good. Payscale.com notes that average pay for full-time college professors ranged from $57,814 to $104,042, as of September 2010. These figures can be some skewed by the fact that they take into account full-time on-campus faculty members at all colleges and universities nationwide. Because many online faculty positions are part-time, the average pay is likely to be lower. However, it should also be noted that some professionals in the field have made a career of working part-time among several different institutions simultaneously. This can greatly enhance earning potential in this career field.