Higher Education Teacher Certification

Post-secondary or higher education teachers work with adult students in a variety of educational settings above the high school level; mostly at colleges, universities, and professional schools. They may teach academic subjects or vocation-specific skills. Some post-secondary teachers conduct research and publish scholarly papers or even books. Higher education teachers have flexible work schedules according to the classes they teach and the research they conduct. Some may also spend part of their time conducting administrative duties and advising and mentoring students.

Education & Credentials

Educational requirements for post-secondary teachers vary according to the subject matter being taught and the institution it is being taught at. However, in a university setting, almost all professors have a doctoral degree. A select few fields, such as fine arts, may count work or career experience in favor of a doctoral degree. Doctoral or Ph.D. programs can take up to seven years to complete following completion of a bachelor’s degree and including a master’s degree and a doctoral dissertation. Doctoral students are required to specify in a subject of their choice, for instance linear algebra or European literature. However, in many fields there are more qualified applicants than there are positions available. In order to work teach at a community college, a master’s degree is sometimes sufficient. Other schools, such as trade and technical schools, may require a significant amount of work experience. For instance, a culinary arts course may be taught by a teacher with sufficient experience in the field and a degree in the program that they are teaching.

Career Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of higher education teachers will grow 19% in the upcoming decade, adding 236,400 jobs to the existing 1,267,700. That rate is faster than the average for all occupations and is expected as a result of increasing post-secondary enrollment. Many of the projected jobs may be for adjunct or part-time faculty members. However, increases in employment of post-secondary teachers will depend on funding from government and corporate sources. The number of positions available will also vary by field.

Salary

In 2012, the median pay for post-secondary teachers was $68,970 per year, which means that half of all post-secondary teachers earned more than that figure and half earned less. Pay varies significantly according to the subject taught. In 2012, median wages were highest for teachers who taught law, engineering, economics, and physical sciences. The top ten percent of earners made more than $142,270 annually.

How to Become a Higher Education Teacher

Becoming a higher education teacher is a long process. You must be passionate about the subject that you pursue, as you will be required to work, conduct research, and write books and scholarly articles in that field. The first step is obtaining a bachelor’s degree in a related field. Applicants are required to have a higher GPA in order to be accepted to graduate school following completion of a bachelor’s degree. Graduate school involves a master’s degree, which is the minimum amount of education required to become a higher education teacher. In most cases, it is recommended to obtain a Ph.D. In most cases, graduate students must conduct research and are encouraged to publish papers in their field.