Professor
Professor Career Overview
Professors are in charge of teaching post-secondary education. They are usually considered experts in their fields and are tasked with frequently publishing articles and making lecture circuits. Although the term "professor" is often used to refer to any college or university teacher, only a subset of the college faculty actually fall into the category of professor. The individuals who make up this subset are tenured, which means that they have a contractual right not to have their position terminated without a just cause. Individuals aspiring to be professors typically begin their careers as assistant professors, with subsequent promotions to the ranks of associate professor and finally professor.
To advance as professor, an individual needs to constantly research and publish articles on his or her area of expertise in recognized journals, books, and at conferences. Besides teaching, another role of a successful professor is to act as a bridge between academia and the outside world by trying to make accessible his or her area of expertise in order to provide insight into unexplored areas that require thorough investigation and study in real world. Professors are intensely passionate about 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 discussions and presentations.
Professor Training and Education
Almost all full-time, tenured college professors hold doctoral degrees, or Ph.D.s. To obtain a doctorate or Ph.D., an individual usually has to study for a minimum of five years beyond the bachelor's degree, which commonly includes obtaining a master’s degree in the field. Students are strongly encouraged to obtain a master’s degree, engage in additional graduate level programs or take on teaching assistantships. The prerequisites to obtain a doctorate depend on the type of field and institute.
Occasionally, professors will be hired by universities based on experience instead of schooling. This is especially true in subjects such as creative writing, journalism, and law. For the most part though, universities prefer their professors to possess the highest level of academic honor possible: a doctorate.
To successfully complete a doctoral program an individual needs to present a thesis or dissertation to the faculty. An oral examination is conducted to assess his or her knowledge and level of expertise. Maintaining a high grade point average (GPA) while pursuing a bachelor’s and master’s will definitely help an aspiring individual to earn the doctoral degree program of his or her choice.
Finally, after obtaining the necessary degree and being hired by a university, professors need to be prepared to stay updated on their subject. Regular reading of academic journals and constant publishing are required for a person to succeed in this field. Until tenured is reached, this is a very competitive field. Teaching at a university means that you never stop being a student.
Professor Career and Salary Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the salary of a professor depends on the institution, geographic area, and field. A 2006-2007 survey conducted by the American Association of University Professors released these results:
Rank |
Median Salary/Year |
Full Professor |
$98,974 |
Associate Professor |
$69,911 |
Assistant Professor |
$58,622 |
Instructors |
$42,209 |
Lecturers |
$48,289 |
Further, those teaching in a private university generally make about $15,000 more than those working in a public institution and those teaching in a religiously affiliated school make even less. In fields such as medicine, law, and engineering where work outside of an academic setting pays more than work inside, universities try to compensate by paying more.
Job outlook for professors is excellent with the field growing by 37% from 2006-2016. Since many professors of the baby boom generation are likely to retire in the next decade, numerous positions will be opening up. However, it is important to note that competition for tenure is and will be tough at 4-year colleges and universities. This does not mean that positions will not be available. Community colleges, career education programs, and other institutions are expecting an influx of students in the next ten years and professionals possessing a master's will be in high demand.
Ranks of a Professor
The rank of assistant professor is typically bestowed upon an individual who has recently graduated from a doctoral program. Assistant professor positions are generally not tenured, but are typically tenure-track positions, in that an assistant professor can become tenured after a probationary period of three to seven years.
Upon successfully receiving tenure, an assistant professor is then promoted to the rank of associate professor. This position is usually awarded after a substantial amount of scholarly accomplishment (such as the publication of one or more books, numerous research articles, receiving a large external research grant, and successful teaching and service to the department). However, the specific requirements vary considerably based on the institution and departments.
Upon a sustained and distinguished track record of scholarly achievement within one's university and academic discipline, an associate professor may be promoted to professor (sometimes referred to as "full professor"). The rank of professor is the highest of the standard academic ranks in The United States. An advancement as a professor leads to administrative responsibilities and titles such as dean or department chair.
The primary aim of people holding the ranks of instructors, lecturers, or collegiate professors is teaching. These positions are non-tenure tracked which do not involve a publishing requirement, although many of these professors do publish, research, and consult.
