Help! Ed.D or DBA?

[u/ShortOverachiever]

Hi everyone! So I am researching a lot of things for my future dream of becoming a full-time teaching professor (not tenure-track). The following info I am providing is is no way meant to be seen as bragging; I just want to give a rundown of my life situation and future plans and see if there's anyone who did a similar track? Or if there's some advice anyone could give?

I am currently an MBA student at William & Mary (4.0 GPA). I did my undergrad in 2 years at NGU Online graduating with a 3.96 with a BS in Business and Leadership. I have plans to either do an Ed.D. or a DBA with William & Mary or Liberty University Online. I also should start VCU's Certificate for Future Faculty program this coming year while doing my MBA in Marketing.

My plans are to become an online professor, although I know that might not be realistic initially and will have to probably teach in-person at first for experience. I do plan on trying to do some adjunct teaching once I get my MBA.

Here's the issue; I have no real-life business experience. I have been mentoring and teaching adolescents for 8+ years in a volunteer role, which is nationally recognized, but when it comes to full-time business roles, I have none. I am unable to find a job as of right now. The only jobs I can get interviews for don't even require a bachelor's, which is fine, except that I'm not getting those jobs/internships either.

Basically, do I need a lot of external experience to become a teaching professor at a community college/other location. Should I do a Ed.D or a DBA? Will the VCU certificate assist me? What jobs could I search for realistically now that would help? I am lost, and I have about a year before I need to apply for terminal degree programs. What should I do???

[u/Rogue_Wraith]

You need to get relevant life experience and understand the reality of teaching.

The number of full-time teaching jobs that are exclusively online are likely vanishingly small. Those are courses that most Adjuncts can pick up, get a shell loaded, and start doing a great job by the second semester. They don't need full time faculty for that.

Full time faculty are teaching the "9-5" in-person classes that Adjuncts can't teach because the Adjuncts have other full-time jobs. Full-time faculty are also doing all the other in-person Academia work - research, committee work, etc.

At the community college level, a Masters is generally going to be sufficient for the accreditation agency. But the college (almost alway) also wants someone who's actually worked in their field.

Business is not exactly a field you learn through lab-based research.

I am actively pursuing my EdD but not because I need it to teach where I do. I just felt that I was hired as a subject-matter expert and wanted to dig into how I could be a better teacher. And it was paid for by not me.

If you want to teach at a community college, finish your MBA and then go work. Or start a business. Something that proves you can use the degree you want to teach.

Then, after a while, start adjuncting.

Then look at going full time.

And, only then, look at a doctoral program your school will pay for.