One of the most prestigious jobs in education is that of a college or university professor. It is also the hardest level of teaching to reach. Four-year universities and colleges require that their professors hold a Doctorate degree. Only two-year colleges will allow a teacher with a master’s degree to become a professor, and even then they prefer a Doctorate.

Responsibilities

Professors must plan the curriculum, any lab work, test, and grade college student papers, assignments, and exams. As college requires a stronger focus on excelling, professors must schedule office hours for all of their students to come in and ask questions or have issues clarified. A professor’s schedule can be shorter on certain days while longer on others. It depends on the varying course schedules and number of students arranging appointments for additional help.

Professors usually must be available for between 12 and 18 hours of classroom instruction per week, plus additional time for staff meetings and student appointments. In smaller colleges, off-shift courses and weekend courses are also held, and may require the professor’s participation on evenings and weekends.

Earning Tenure

In the United States, professors often work on a path of tenure. A file is kept for all professors that includes any works they have had published, student assessments of the professor’s abilities, any awards of merit, community service, service within the university, and any other letters of recommendation.

A tenured professor holds protection against being dismissed for whatever reason. Tenured professors can voice their opinions in strong manners without fear of reprimand by the college or university dean. A tenured professor sits on the top rung of the ladder. Job growth for this position is steady, but placement depends on when a college or university’s professor/ professors are ready to retire. At this point, someone on the lower rung can move up in tenure and take over for retired professors.

Putting Your College Degree to Work

To understand how to become a professor, it is important to understand how college degrees work:

  • Two years of college equates to an Associate Degree.
  • Four years of college equates to a Bachelor’s Degree.
  • Six years of college equates to a Master’s Degree.
  • Eight to ten years of college is the typical length of college necessary to receive a Ph.D. (Doctorate Degree.)
  • Ten to twelve years of college usually equates to a Post-Doctorate degree.

These time frames will vary, as it requires dedication and constant attention to your college courses. Taking a year or two off can drastically extend the length of time it takes to achieve the next degree.

Any college or university teaching position for a four-year program requires a PhD as a minimum. The bottom rung on a career as a teacher in a higher education setting is that of an assistant professor. In rare cases, a Master’s Degree is accepted. An assistant professor earns approximately $56,000 per year and answers to a tenured professor or an associate professor. Assistant professors are usually responsible for teaching two classes per semester without planning the actual curriculum, attending at least one university committee, and ongoing research into the field in which they teach. In general, an assistant professor will be in his or her job for seven years before being promoted.

Types of Professorships

An associate professor is the next step to becoming a tenured professor. The average yearly salary for an associate professor is $65,000. Associate professors plan their own curriculum, research their field, confer with students, sit on committees, and handle a larger number of courses. They still work closely with a tenured professor, but handle a number of job functions independently.

A tenured professor is the highest, position. The average yearly salary for a tenured professor is $98,000 per year. Tenured professors do all the course planning and teaching, but they can hand portions of their jobs to assistant professors. Tenured professors work independently and have the most freedom of any position. Tenured professors cannot be fired without just cause and a college hearing. This helps ensure their job safety.

Finally, a distinguished professor, a professor emeritus, is retired. A professor emeritus can be called back to help teach certain classes if there is a need, or he or she can return to give lectures to incoming students. Professor emeritus wages are based on whatever retirement plan they own. If they do return to teach part time at a college, some find their wage is approximately $30,000 per year in excess of their retirement pay.

One can also find both part-time and non-tenured professor positions available. Typically, these positions involve filling in for professors who need a leave of absence or a lecturer to come in and offer his or her insight on the material being covered. Part time professors and lecturers tend to earn an average of $45,000 per year.

While job growth for any professor is strong, the part-time professors and lecturer fields will find the job growth is rapidly increasing. The demand for this type of professor far exceeds the number of qualified applicants. If you are interested in becoming a professor, going non-tenured or working part-time is an excellent route to take.

If teaching is your dream and you want to earn a large salary doing so, look into becoming a professor. If you can handle the extensive college work required to become a professor, it can be an extremely desirable job for those wanting the best in life while doing the work they love.

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