YC Teaching Requirements

For questions contact the Office of Instructional Support / email

Yavapai College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association (NCA). In accordance with the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, Core Component 3.C, Yavapai College has established the following faculty credential criteria to maintain effective, high-quality programs and student services.

Determining Qualified Faculty through HLC's Criteria for Accreditation and Assumed Practices

Credentialing Requirements for Yavapai College Faculty

All Yavapai College faculty teaching transfer courses are expected to hold a graduate degree from an accredited college or university. A transfer course is defined as a course in subject areas where work toward the associate transfer degrees carries transfer credit toward baccalaureate degrees.

General Education (Transfer)

Faculty teaching general education courses, or other non-occupational courses that transfer, typically hold a Master’s degree or higher in the discipline or subfield. If a faculty member holds a Master’s degree or higher in a discipline or subfield other than that in which he or she is teaching, that faculty member should have completed a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline or subfield in which they teach. (HLC Policy Adopted June 2015).

  • Master’s degree in the field to be taught; OR
  • Master’s degree in any field with 18 graduate credit hours in the field to be taught.

For some disciplines, additional qualifications and requirements must be met. Those requirements are identified when there is a job posting.

Occupational/Terminal Degree Programs

  • Degree in discipline (Associate’s degree or higher) AND 5 years or 5,000 hours of documented experience recent with the discipline; AND/OR
  • Professional Licensure/Specialized certificate(s) AND/OR 5 years or 5,000 hours of documented and recent work experience.

For some disciplines, additional qualifications and requirements must be met. Those requirements are identified when there is a job posting.

Developmental Education

  • Same qualifications are preferred for faculty teaching transferable coursework; OR
  • Bachelor’s degree in any field with 24 upper-division and/or graduate semester credit hours in the teaching field and five (5) years of teaching experience.

Transcript Evaluation Accrediting Agencies

These accrediting agencies are recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education, the Council for Higher Education or by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation Commission as reliable authorities concerning the quality of education or training offered by institutions of higher education they accredit.

Institutions must be accredited by one of the below regional accrediting agencies in order for Yavapai College to document credentials for teaching.

  • Middles States Commission on Higher Education
  • The New England Commission of Higher Education
  • Higher Learning Commission
  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
  • Western Association of Schools and Colleges

If the class(es) or degree that is being used for credentialing purposes was earned by an institution outside of the US, your transcripts must be evaluated by a Foreign Credential Evaluation Service that has been approved by Yavapai College. The cost associated with this evaluation is the responsibility of the applicant.

All full-time faculty need to complete the First Year Faculty @YC orientation program. Scheduled monthly meetings are required during the first year of hire.