College Professor
Why Is College Instruction a Job of Tomorrow?
Education will always be resistant to volatile trends. No matter if the economy is struggling or booming, or what the latest technological craze is, or which hot button issues have people impassioned, education will remain a steady constant in continuously changing times. The need for education will not diminish, as all children need to learn skills for the future and more and more adults are discovering the value of continuing education. In fact, college enrollment rates rose from 66.7 percent in 2004 to 66 percent in 2006, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. With the growing popularity of higher education, college professors will be more in demand than ever to provide quality education that will help students grow both in practical skill and culture. Employment opportunities for college professors are expected to see a 23 percent increase by 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. College professors earn an average salary of $56,120 annually.
What Does a College Professor Do?
College professors are responsible for providing valuable education to students through lectures, assignments, examinations, and readings. Professors typically specialize in one particular subject and instruct one class every semester, though some instruct multiple sessions of the same class or several related classes each term. Most of the students that the professor instructs are working towards a degree, and therefore rely on the professor for clarity and quality in instruction so that they may successfully learn the material and pass the class. College professors are responsible for planning a comprehensive curriculum that covers the course materials, preparing lectures, assigning and grading assignments, and creating examinations to test student knowledge. All of these tasks must be done on a tight semester schedule. Professors must also maintain a good relationship with their students and identify those who are struggling so that they may assist them. Many professors also take part in research and development for the particular field in which they teach, publishing scholarly papers and articles.
What Kind of Training Do I Need to Become a College Professor?
College professors must have at least a master’s degree in the subject they would like to teach, though most universities prefer applicants who have completed a doctoral degree program. Master’s degree programs typically take two to three years to earn after first earning a four-year bachelor’s degree, and doctoral programs are generally completed in six years after earning a bachelor’s degree. Course topics vary depending on the prospective professor’s desired teaching track. To become an official tenured professor, doctoral graduates must first become an instructor and move up through the ranks to become a professor, a process which typically takes about seven years.
