Community college instructors who teach academic courses have to have at least a master’s degree in the area they teach. Or, they can have a bachelor’s degree in the area they teach but also have to have a master’s degree related to the subject they teach. Career education instructors, who teach job skills, have to have a bachelor’s degree in any major and two years of experience in the subject they teach. Read more about this on the California Community Colleges Minimum Qualifications page.