What education do I need to be a faculty member?
Nursing faculty members have different educational requirements depending on the level of the nursing program.

A Master's degree in nursing is preferred in RN programs. Today some faculty in Associates and Diploma programs have a Baccalaureate in nursing with a Master's in a specialized area of study such as education, management, or another related area. In the future a Master's degree in nursing will be required. A doctorate is preferred but not required for instructing many Baccalaureate and Master's programs. Those who choose to teach in doctoral programs must be doctoral prepared nurses. Doctoral prepared nurse faculty members teach and conduct nursing and health-services research to improve patient health and safety in the Commonwealth.

Increasingly, the expectation is that all RN program faculty members will be prepared at the Master's in nursing level as a minimum education requirement.

Changes in the U.S. health care system have increased the demand for nurses with advanced education. Increasingly advanced practice nurses choose to continue in clinical practice and teach part time.

LPN faculty members are prepared with Baccalaureate and Master's in nursing and related fields. In general, a Baccalaureate degree is required to teach in an LPN program in the Commonwealth. A new faculty member may have to agree to work toward a Master's degree as a condition of employment.