How can be a professor?

Question

How can be a professor?

Answer 1

To be a professor at a college you need to get your Ph.D. in a specific subject area.

To warn you, it is becoming increasingly difficult to become a tenure track professor. Most university's are simply hiring adjunct faculty because it makes economic sense for them (no benefits, very low pay, ect.). I would recommend that you carefully think about what you like about being a professor and see if any other career can match those wants.

Best of Luck!

Answer 2

Museum girl is correct that you will need a Ph.D. in a subject matter that you want to teach in order to be a professor.  However, she is not correct (at least in the U.S.) in saying that universities are just hiring adjuncts because they are cheaper.  Most of the universities I know of lately have been replacing adjuncts with tenure-track faculty to please accreditors and improve their reputations.  

What IS true, however, is that the life of most professors is not what it used to be.  It used to be that only a few really prestigious schools were publish or perish, while most professors worked at schools where their main job was teaching.  That is no longer the case; most professors today are expected to spend a great deal of their efforts on research, in addition to a teaching load which has become much more complicated (much less simple lecturing; more technology and new methodologies).  If what appeals to you is the idea of getting your summers off (which I find a lot of people believe is the case for professors), I'm sorry to report that you will be knocking yourself out to get as much of your research done as possible during the summer before the students return.

Answer 3

My colleagues spent a lot of time discussing professors without really discussing "how to be one" which is closer to your posted question.  I assume you want to know how "you" can be a professor.  

A college "teacher" can actually be a Masters Degree holder, but normally not above a Junior or Community College offering a two year program.  A professor actually needs a Ph.D or nearly complete with his/her program.  Notice I say program and not studies, as the professor will never be done with their studies.  Research is indeed an expected part of a professor's position description.  To gain tenure at a University, a professor must have a prescribed number of hours/years of teaching experience and research under their belt, which all comes over time.  This requirement may vary slightly from one college to another, depending on their needs and desired prestige.

A professor usually has been mentored by another tenured professor for many years before gaining the status of professor.  

In most English-speaking countries, it refers to a senior academic who holds a departmental chair, especially as head of the department, or a personal chair awarded specifically to that individual. In some countries like in the United States, Hong Kong, Canada and India, individuals often use the term professor as a polite form of address for any lecturer, or researcher employed by a college or university, regardless of rank. In some countries, e.g. Austria, France, Romania, Serbia and Italy, the term also applies to high school teachers. (See differences and main positions below for more information.)

Professors are qualified experts who may do the following:

conduct lectures and seminars in their field of study (i.e., they "profess"), such as the basic fields of science or literature or the applied fields of engineering, music, medicine, law, or business;

perform advanced research in their fields.

provide pro bono community service, including consulting functions (such as advising government and nonprofit organizations);

train young or new academics (graduate students).

A tenured professor has a lifetime appointment until retirement, except for dismissal with "due cause".