Job Discussion Forums

[hiddenninja]

Hi is it possible to get a university Position in Mexico without a masters?

Also - what's the best time of year for hiring?

[FreddyM]

I know teachers in universities that don't even have any kind of degree whatsoever. They're usually paid by the hour though.

[Enchilada Potosina]

[Tretyakovskii]

Even some full time teachers don't, or didn't, have university degrees; but, due to some changes at higher levels they are now scrambling to get "equivalency" certificates of some kind, based on experience and the results of CENNI exams.

I don't have the full details as it didn't affect me but perhaps some others know what was going on across the country, this past spring and summer, that affected so many teachers at university.

[amaranto]

I just got a job offer from a private university in Mexico City. They require a master's degree, university-level teaching experience, and experience in the field.

I'm sure all of this depends on the university or program, though.

Edit: I forgot to mention that this was an offer to teach at the master's level.

[Isla Guapa]

[amaranto]

[MotherF]

Things are changing, but generally in Mexico people believe that you only need to have passed the level your students are working towards to teach that--yes that means that high schools (which are free to hire anyone) were able to hire people with only a high school education.

But as Tretyakovskii mentioned there has been a big push in recent years to have more and more university teachers with advanced degrees. However, for teaching non-English majors, many universities hire English teachers as "support staff" rather than as profesores. Many Centros de Idiomas enjoy the same standing as the library or copy center.

The university system where I work has a provision for hiring teachers without an MA as long as they have a BA some sort of recognized TEFL training such as a CELTA and two years experience in the field.

[Prof.Gringo]

[championthewonderhorse]

Hi..

I work at ITESM in Guadalajara and to answer your question, it depends on what you are going to teach. From this year, you need an undergraduate degree in TEFL (at least) to work in this uni if you are going to teach EFL. I don't have one (I do have a masters in another subject and a Trinity cert) but I am doing an online course , which TEC are paying for. This is the equivalent of a licenciado en ense�ana ingles. ITESO and UP, the other 2 "big" universities here require teachers to do the same. Well, the universities are being "forced" by SEP to do it.

If you are going to teach a "content course" , say business or economics, you definitely need a masters.

I don't know about other unis elsewhere in MX, but I think things are changing slowly and generally it is much more difficult to get in unless you have the designated qualifications. To be honest this is how it should be. Why should we (foreigners) get jobs over better qualified Mexicans just because we are native speakers.

[Enchilada Potosina]

[MotherF]

Also the pay scale of teachers across the board. I mean if you are a Mexican will very very good English skills you'd only take a teaching job if you were one of those individuals who are truely called into the profession. Cause you would make a heck of a lot more money doing something else.

[hiddenninja]

Thanks championthewonderhorse PM sent