Education and Career Forum

Hello, I am a post-graduate, with B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees. However, I am keen to pursue a career in Sociology, especially in academia, as a lecturer/professor. Considering this, can I do an M.A. in Sociology by distance education, and then do a PhD as a regular scholar, or would it be better to do the M.A. in the regular stream as well before doing my PhD? Would it make a difference (M.A. regular vs. M.A. distance) when it comes to employment opportunities in teaching? I fully intend to do a PhD either way, and also qualify for NET.