Journalism Teachers

High School

To prepare for a career as a journalism teacher—or, in fact, most any other kind of teacher—take a wide variety of college-preparatory classes, including science, history, computer science, English, and journalism. Prepare yourself to be comfortable speaking in front of people by taking speech classes or joining your school's speech or debate team

Postsecondary Training

If you want to be a journalism teacher, your college training will depend on the level at which you plan to teach. All 50 states and the District of Columbia require public high school teachers to have a bachelor's degree in either education or in the subject they teach. Prospective teachers must also complete an approved training program, which combines subject and educational classes with work experience in the classroom, called student teaching.

For prospective college or university professors, you will need at least one advanced degree in your chosen field of study. The master's degree is considered the minimum standard, and graduate work beyond the master's is usually desirable. If you hope to advance in academic rank above instructor, most institutions require a doctorate. Your graduate school program will be similar to a life of teaching—in addition to attending seminars, you'll research, prepare articles for publication, and teach some undergraduate courses.

Certification

Many colleges and universities offer certificate programs in journalism, interactive media, broadcast journalism, and pedagogy (the study of teaching methods), as well as in emerging fields (such as advanced artificial intelligence) that will both affect the educational and work practices of journalists and have an affect on the topics journalists cover. Certificate programs typically last six months to a year and are available in online, in-person, and hybrid formats. Contact schools in your area for information about available programs.

Other Education or Training

Continuing education classes, webinars, seminars, and workshops are provided by the American Association of University Professors, Investigative Reporters and Editors, Journalism Education Association, Society of Professional Journalists, and other organizations at the state and national levels. Contact these organizations for more information.