My name is Stephen, and I am a college student thinking about becoming a college professor; I have a couple of questions to ask you. My first question is what is the minimum requirements for an entry level to become a college professor. As a follow-up, I would like to know what type of college I could go to in order to become a college professor in criminal justice. That is what I am going to school for; I would greatly appreciate any help you could give me. My other question would be what would be a good job that I could have in order to enhance my chances of looking for a job as an associate or assistant professor in a college?
The Career Doctor responds:
A career as a college professor is a good choice as experts predict there is going to be a major shortage of professors as many Baby Boom (and older) professors retire over the next decade or so.
Why do you want to be a college professor? I hope you have been positively influenced by one or more of your current professors, and thus you want to continue the tradition of educating future generations. My greatest satisfaction as a professor comes from seeing a student empowered by his or her new knowledge — and sometimes that happens in the classroom, but sometimes it happens years later as the learning finally sinks in.
You are correct in assuming you need at least a minimum of a master’s degree to teach at the college level. You could teach at many smaller schools and community colleges with a master’s degree — and you might also be able to find part-time work at larger colleges. However, the better jobs with the better colleges require a doctorate. When you earn a doctorate, you also learn how to conduct research in your field, and one of your obligations as a professor — besides teaching, of course — is to expand the knowledge base of your field by publishing articles in academic journals.
You can best prepare for your future career by being the best student you can and by gaining teaching experience, perhaps starting with tutoring and moving up from there. I would also recommend talking with some of your current professors in the criminal justice field and ask them about the best choices for gaining an advanced degree in your field.
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