How to Apply to Be an Adjunct Professor

Adjunct professors must have at least a master’s degree in their discipline to teach at the college level.

Living the life of an adjunct professor can be wholly satisfying, as it allows you to teach young adults about a subject you love while still working in your profession. This is precisely why colleges and universities hire adjuncts in the first place: because they bring “real world” experience to the classroom. Becoming an adjunct takes perseverance, as openings can be scant and competition can be stiff. But if you love your craft and you love to teach, the search will be worthwhile.

Instructions

1. Research colleges and universities in your area. You may be familiar with the bigger, “name” schools, but many lesser-known schools hire adjuncts, too. Keep in mind that universities often require adjuncts to have experience, so if you haven’t taught before, you may have to start at the community college level.

2. Look up the schools’ websites and look for adjunct openings under the “employment” or “job openings” tab. Colleges and universities usually announce all of their employment openings, from administrative employees to adjuncts, on the same page. Look under the “adjunct teaching” tab or a department-by-department menu for adjunct openings.

3. Compose an email to the department chairperson expressing your interest in teaching as an adjunct professor. In subsequent paragraphs, mention the courses you have taught and at which learning institutions you have taught them. If you wrote any course syllabi or made any other notable contributions to the departments in which you taught, state them as well.

4. Explain your teaching style and/or philosophy. If you’re also a working professional, describe how your experiences would enhance students’ learning experience. Take your time in crafting this tell-tale paragraph, as it may well set you apart from other applicants who may hold the same college degree as you and share similar career experiences.

5. Send your email at least a month before the beginning of the fall or spring semester, or July and December, since classes usually begin in August and January. Follow up with a phone call to the department chairperson within a week after sending the email.

6. Note when classes start at the college or university you wish to teach at and make an inquiry to the department chairperson one week beforehand. Classes may be scheduled months in advance, but the people assigned to teach them can change up until the very last minute, as full-time teachers and adjuncts are reassigned to create a balanced teaching load. Also, some adjuncts teach at several schools at once and are notorious for changing their schedules, which could create a last-minute but welcome opening for you.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not send a copy of your transcripts, because if you’re hired, the college or university will require an “official” transcript. This must originate from the school at which you received your master’s degree and be unopened upon its receipt.

• Be positive and express pride in your accomplishments, but do not overstate them. Colleges and universities will check your background thoroughly, both for their purposes and to comply with rules established for them by outside accrediting agencies.

References

• “The Little, Brown Handbook”; H. Ramsey Fowler et al; 1992
• “The New St. Martin’s Handbook”; Andrea Lunsford and Robert Connors; 1999