How to Become a Professor
Many students set their sights on becoming a teacher as early as the 1st grade. If you have ever met a powerful professor for whom you felt a great deal of respect, you have probably experienced the lure to follow his footsteps into a teaching position as well. If you should choose to follow this course of study, you will need to pursue an advanced degree and prepare a curriculum vitae (a teaching resume).
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Things You'll Need
- A Bachelor's Degree
- An Advanced Degree
- Interest in Student Success
- Ability to Work Well With Colleagues
Instructions
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Begin at the beginning, by receiving your bachelor's degree. Becoming a teacher requires you to receive a great deal of instruction from other teachers. In order to become a professor, you should first focus on receiving your bachelor's degree, and later continue on to pursue your advanced degree. You don't necessarily need to plan your whole career path before ever enrolling in your first college class. On the other hand, try to get the best grades you can and establish your long-term goals early on. This way, you will be able to assemble a very healthy resume, or curriculum vitae, in order to secure a quality teaching position.
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Narrow your focus by attending graduate school. Generally, universities will require you to hold a master's degree before becoming a professor. However, if you already hold an advanced degree in one subject and have only completed 18 hours in a second subject, you may be able to receive a teaching position in the second subject as well. (For example, if you are degreed in history, but also have 18 hours in government, certain schools will let you become a professor in government as well.) Nevertheless, if you narrow your focus and settle on your preferred subject in advance of receiving your master's, you can reflect your coursework in your curriculum vitae during your initial review process.
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Gain experience, as an intern, assistant or adjunct professor. As you pursue your advanced degree, look for programs that will put you in front of a class as part of your study. The best way to work at becoming a teacher is to get firsthand experience. This will look good in your curriculum vitae, and should help you to secure a full-time teaching position.
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Establish your goals and achieve them by publishing. Even when you are finally successful in becoming a teacher, you will have to make a choice. Do you want to move forward as a professor or simply maintain the status quo. If you choose to pursue a PhD, you must research a publish articles in journals. If you decide to simply stick with a no-frills teaching position, then you will not have to work so hard but your position is expendable when the university suffers budget cuts.
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Become a lifelong learner, by securing a tenured professor position. Tenured professors are the experts in their area of study, and they are not easily dismissed from work. They are appointed to long-term positions, and bear influence on department policy at a university. If you seek to add prestige to your teaching position, then you must seek to be tenured professor. Of course, you must become resigned to a lifelong learning process, which will leave you pursuing yet another advanced degree.
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Tips & Warnings
Express your desire to teach to your professors as you pursue your bachelor's degree. While some teachers may not offer much support, others will probably give you advice and may even help to pair you up with the best programs for an advanced degree.
Take one day at a time. Don't get too far ahead of yourself, or you won't end up accomplishing your objective. Take joy in the journey of becoming a teacher, rather than to simply focus on the destination.
