How to Become a College Professor

College professors enjoy the luxury of not only specializing in a field they love, but also embarking on a long-term learning journey that begins with a classroom full of students and expands through research and continual academic growth. If you are interested in pursuing a career as a college professor, read on to learn the necessary requirements.
- Many a wise man has said that teachers shape the future, and nowhere is this truer than for those who teach at the college level. Whether they teach mathematics, science, English, business or another subject, most college professors are intensely passionate for their particular field of study. Not only do they need a solid background in their field, but they are also required to do continual writing and research for classroom discussion and presentation.
The educational requirements for college professors include a master's degree at the very least, but in most cases aspiring college professors must obtain their doctorate and then spend two to three years in a graduate teaching assistantship program. And once you've found employment at a college or university, the next step is to secure your position at the school by gaining tenure.

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Step 1: High School
- Your years in high school may be a long way from your becoming a college professor, but it's still important to take your high school career seriously. Even if you are not sure which career you would like to explore, you still want to make the most of your high school education to ensure that you get into a good college. If you already know what subject you would like to specialize in:
1. Take extra classes in your field as electives whenever they are offered
2. Try to get into as many advanced placement classes as possible
3. Take classes at a local college
4. Talk to your guidance counselor for help with:
  1. Choosing the best courses
  2. Getting you into a career shadowing or internship program
5. Participate in extracurricular and student body activitieseHow: How to Get Into a Top College or University
- Keep your grade point average up so you have a better chance of getting into the college of your choice. Prepare well in advance for the PSATs, SATs and ACT tests, as those scores will also have a profound impact on which colleges accept you.eHow: How to Get Into a Top College or University
Step 2: Secondary Education Requirements
- Most students will make the bulk of their career choices while obtaining their bachelor's degree. The first two years of college are spent on general education requirements.World Wide Learn: Getting Your Bachelor's Degree While you are not required to declare your major within those first years on campus, you will definitely want to start focusing your coursework early.
1. Declare your major
2. Get to know your faculty adviser
  1. Listen closely to their advice when planning your schedule
  2. Talk to them about getting into a graduate/doctoral programeHow: How to Become a College Professor
3. Work hard and maintain a high GPA
4. Be sure to take writing courses so you will be able to efficiently grade student essays
5. Get involved in extracurricular activities
6. Prepare for and take the GREs
7. Look into master's or doctoral programs and find out necessary requirements
Taking the GREs
- Not all graduate programs require that you take the Graduate Record Examinations (GREs), but it is still a good idea if you are planning to further your education. Your scores allow educators to assess your current abilities and knowledge in your area before accepting you into their graduate program. The GREs test students in eight specific fields of study:
1. Biochemistry, cell biology and molecular biology
2. Biology
3. Chemistry
4. Computer science
5. Literature in English
6. Mathematics
7. Physics
8. PsychologyETS: GRE Information
- The individualized tests focus on:ETS: GRE Information
1. Verbal reasoning
2. Quantitative reasoning
3. Critical thinking
4. Analytical writing skillsETS: GRE Information
- The GREs are offered worldwide three times a year, in April, October and November.ETS: GRE Information
Step 3: Postsecondary Education Requirements
- Different colleges will have different educational requirements, as will different fields. Before you apply to a graduate program, take some time to study the different schools and what they have to offer.
1. Two-year colleges and vocational or technical programs require a master's degreeBureau of Labor Statistics: Postsecondary Teachers
2. Four-year colleges and universities expect applicants to have terminal or doctoral degreesWikiHow: How to Become a College Professor
3. If you want a permanent faculty position at a four-year university, you will be expected to have completed one postdoctoral fellowship after obtaining your Ph.D.
  1. Postdoctoral fellowships last from 2-3 years
  2. You must publish a number of papers in your field
  3. You will be expected to create an independent research plan that must be:
    The leading edge in your discipline
    Fundable by federal agencies
    Attractive to graduate students in your fieldWikiHow: How to Become a College Professor
Step 4: Entering the Workforce
- College professors enjoy a unique lifestyle and in many cases a great salary. The average salary for a college professor is around $81,000 per year.CNN: Best Jobs in America Lifestyle and salary make the university professor job market very competitive. For some candidates, it can take years to get a tenure track job. After a long, frustrating search, some candidates wind up working as high school teachers instead.How to Do Things: How to Become a College Professor
Graduate Teaching Assistantships
- Graduate TAs, as they are called, are students who work with the faculty in their department to gain hands-on experience while completing their Ph.D. requirements. TAs usually work with one faculty member, but from time to time they may be a part of a team of assistants.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Postsecondary Teachers TA responsibilities generally include:
1. Teaching introductory classes in their field
2. Teacher-related duties like:
  1. Grading papers
  2. Giving exams or quizzes
  3. Holding office hours
  4. Conducting help sessions for students
3. Sitting in on classesBureau of Labor Statistics: Postsecondary Teachers
- One of the benefits of becoming a graduate TA is that you can start paying back your student loans with the money you earn while preparing to enter the workforce.How to Do Things: How to Become a College Professor
Tenure
- Tenure is job security that can only be revoked in extreme cases of misconduct.Wikipedia: Tenure Many universities have a tenure track that their candidates must move through in a process that could take up to seven years. The positions within the tenure track include:
1. Instructor
2. Assistant professor
3. Associate professor
4. ProfessorBureau of Labor Statistics: Postsecondary Teachers
- Most new hires are brought into the university at the instructor or assistant professor level. When their contracted period comes up for review, applicants may be granted tenure, but only after an evaluation focusing on the following criteria:
1. Teaching record
2. Research
3. Overall contribution to the institutionBureau of Labor Statistics: Postsecondary Teachers
- If a candidate is granted tenure, they earn academic freedom and a promise not to be fired from their job without just cause and due process. Many universities prefer tenured professors, as it grants the institution a sense of stability and security. If after evaluation a candidate is not granted tenure, most institutes consider the denial a termination of their teaching contract. Some may offer you up to a year to find another job.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Postsecondary Teachers
Conclusion
- Becoming a college professor is a huge responsibility, as it falls to you to inspire and shape the future of the students who pass through your classroom. Even though your high school education will have little influence over your college experience, high school is a stepping stone to higher education. As you enter into a secondary education program, you will begin to narrow your focus down. Doing well on the GREs will ensure that you get into a top notch postsecondary education program. After graduation, you will be required to spend anywhere from two to three years as a graduate teaching assistant, gaining the experience needed to enter the workforce. University politics will determine your suitability for a long-term position, so be sure that you continue researching and publishing regularly within your field. Do everything in your power to make yourself a valuable asset to the university you work for to ensure that you earn tenure.
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