Sorry, we can't find that. Please try a different city or state.
Log In
Log In to Save
Sign Up to Save
Sign Up to Dismiss
Sign Up
SIGN UP TO UNLOCK CONTENT
The email and password you specified are invalid. Please, try again.
User already exist with emailId.
Email and password are mandatory
Forgot Password?
Don't have an account? Sign Up
Already have an account? Log In
reset password
Enter your email address and we will send you a link to reset your password.
Log In
Log In to Save
Sign Up to Save
Sign Up to Dismiss
Sign up to save the job and get personalized job recommendations.
Sign up to dismiss the job and get personalized job recommendations.
The email and password you specified are invalid. Please, try again.
Email and password are mandatory
Already have an account? Log in
reset password
Enter your email address and we will send you a link to reset your password.
Company Saved
Answer a few questions and view jobs at that match your preferences.
Where do you want to work?
Job Dismissed
Find better matching jobs in
Where do you want to work?
Deal with People
Make Decisions
$79,000
Average Salary
Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and career and technical subjects beyond the high school level. They also conduct research and publish scholarly papers and books.
DutiesPostsecondary teachers typically do the following:
Postsecondary teachers, often referred to as professors or faculty, specialize in a variety of subjects and fields. Some teach academic subjects, such as English or philosophy. Others focus on career-related subjects, such as law, nursing, or culinary arts.
At colleges and universities, professors are organized into departments that specialize in a subject, such as history, science, business, or music. A professor may teach one or more courses within that department. For example, a mathematics professor may teach calculus, statistics, and a graduate seminar in a very specific area of mathematics.
Postsecondary teachers’ duties vary with their positions in a university or college. In large colleges or universities, they may spend their time teaching, conducting research or experiments, applying for grants to fund their research, or supervising graduate teaching assistants who are teaching classes.
Postsecondary teachers who work in small colleges and universities or in community colleges often spend more time teaching classes and working with students. They may spend some time conducting research, but they do not have as much time to devote to it.
Full-time professors, particularly those who have tenure (a professor who cannot be fired without just cause), often are expected to spend more time on their research. They also may be expected to serve on more college and university committees.
Part-time professors, often known as adjunct professors, spend most of their time teaching students.
Professors may teach large classes of several hundred students (often with the help of graduate teaching assistants), smaller classes of about 40 to 50 students, seminars with just a few students, or laboratories where students practice the subject matter. They work with an increasingly varied student population as more part-time, older, and culturally diverse students are going to postsecondary schools.
Professors need to keep up with developments in their field by reading scholarly articles, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences. A tenured professor must do original research, such as experiments, document analysis, or critical reviews, and publish their findings.
Some postsecondary teachers work for online universities or teach online classes. They use websites to present lessons and information, to assign and accept students’ work, and to participate in course discussions. Online professors communicate with students by email and by phone and might never meet their students in person.
Show More
Show Less
Educational requirements vary with the subject taught and the type of educational institution. Most commonly, postsecondary teachers must have a Ph.D. However, a master's degree may be enough for some postsecondary teachers at community colleges. In career and technical schools, work experience may be important for getting a postsecondary teaching job.
EducationPostsecondary teachers who work for 4-year colleges and universities typically need a doctoral degree in their field. Some schools may hire those with a master’s degree or those who are doctoral degree candidates for some specialties, such as fine arts, or for some part-time positions.
Doctoral programs generally take multiple years after the completion of a bachelor’s degree program. They spend time completing a master’s degree and then writing a doctoral dissertation, which is a paper presenting original research in the student’s field of study. Candidates usually specialize in a subfield, such as organic chemistry or European history.
Community colleges or career and technical schools also may hire those with a master’s degree. However, in some fields, there are more applicants than available positions. In these situations, institutions can be more selective, and they frequently choose applicants who have a Ph.D. over those with a master’s degree.
Postsecondary teachers who teach career and technical education courses, such as culinary arts or cosmetology, may not be required to have graduate-level education. At a minimum they must hold the degree of the program in which they are teaching. For example, the teacher must hold an associate’s degree if they teach a program that is at the associate’s degree level. In addition, work experience or certification may be just as important as education for getting a postsecondary teaching job at a career or technical school.
Other ExperienceSome institutions may prefer to hire those with teaching or other work experience, but this is not a requirement for all fields or for all employers.
In health specialties, art, or education fields, hands-on work experience in the industry can be important. Postsecondary teachers in these fields often gain experience by working in an occupation related to their field of expertise.
In fields such as biological science, physics, and chemistry, some postsecondary teachers have postdoctoral research experience. These short-term jobs, sometimes called “post-docs,” usually involve working for 2 to 3 years as a research associate or in a similar position, often at a college or university.
Some postsecondary teachers gain teaching experience by working as graduate teaching assistants—students who are enrolled in a graduate program and teach classes in the institution in which they are enrolled.
Some postsecondary teachers, especially adjunct professors, have another job in addition to teaching.
Licenses, Certifications, and RegistrationsPostsecondary teachers who prepare students for an occupation that requires a license, certification, or registration, may need to have—or they may benefit from having—the same credential. For example, a postsecondary nursing teacher might need a nursing license or a postsecondary education teacher might need a teaching license.
AdvancementA major goal for postsecondary teachers with a doctoral degree is attaining a tenure—a guarantee that a professor cannot be fired without just cause. It can take up to 7 years of moving up the ranks in tenure-track positions. The ranks are assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. Tenure is granted through a review of the candidate’s research, contribution to the institution, and teaching.
Tenure and tenure track positions are declining as institutions are relying more heavily on part-time faculty.
Some tenured professors advance to administrative positions, such as dean or president. For information on deans and other administrative positions, see the profile on postsecondary education administrators. For more information about college and university presidents, see the profile on top executives.
Important QualitiesCritical-thinking skills. To challenge established theories and beliefs, conduct original research, and design experiments, postsecondary teachers need good critical-thinking skills.
Interpersonal skills. Most postsecondary teachers need to be able to work well with others and must have good communication skills to serve on committees and give lectures.
Resourcefulness. Postsecondary teachers need to be able to present information in a way that students will understand. They need to adapt to the different learning styles of their students and teach students who have little or no experience with the subject.
Speaking skills. Postsecondary teachers need good communication skills to give lectures.
Writing skills. Most postsecondary teachers need to be skilled writers to publish original research and analysis.
Show More
Show Less
Do you work as a Biology Department Chairperson?
NO RESULTS
Aw snap, no jobs found.
Help others decide if this is a good career for them
Have you worked as a Biology Department Chairperson? Help other job seekers by rating your experience as a Biology Department Chairperson.
|
|
---|---|
Gender | |
Female 49.1% |
|
Male 36.8% |
|
Unknown 14.0% |
|
Ethnicity | |
White 61.7% |
|
Hispanic or Latino 13.6% |
|
Black or African American 13.5% |
|
Asian 7.8% |
|
Unknown 3.4% |
|
Show More | |
Foreign Languages Spoken | |
Yoruba 100.0% |
|
|
---|---|
Schools | |
University of Pennsylvania 13.0% |
|
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 8.7% |
|
University of Alaska Fairbanks 4.3% |
|
University of Colorado at Boulder 4.3% |
|
New York University 4.3% |
|
California State University - Fullerton 4.3% |
|
University of Florida 4.3% |
|
Texas A&M University 4.3% |
|
Oakland University 4.3% |
|
California College of the Arts 4.3% |
|
Mount Wachusett Community College 4.3% |
|
University of West Georgia 4.3% |
|
University of Texas at Austin 4.3% |
|
Pace University - New York 4.3% |
|
Sam Houston State University 4.3% |
|
City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College 4.3% |
|
University of California - Merced 4.3% |
|
Fairleigh Dickinson University 4.3% |
|
Bowling Green State University 4.3% |
|
South Dakota State University 4.3% |
|
Show More | |
Majors | |
Biology 34.6% |
|
Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology 9.6% |
|
Education 9.6% |
|
Nursing 5.8% |
|
Psychology 3.8% |
|
Mental Health Counseling 3.8% |
|
Health Care Administration 3.8% |
|
Chemistry 3.8% |
|
Special Education 3.8% |
|
Genetics 1.9% |
|
Physiology And Anatomy 1.9% |
|
Public Health 1.9% |
|
Microbiology 1.9% |
|
Writing 1.9% |
|
Literature 1.9% |
|
Business 1.9% |
|
Fine Arts 1.9% |
|
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs 1.9% |
|
Veterinary Science 1.9% |
|
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, And Research 1.9% |
|
Show More | |
Degrees | |
Bachelors 31.1% |
|
Doctorate 23.0% |
|
Masters 19.7% |
|
Other 19.7% |
|
Certificate 3.3% |
|
Associate 3.3% |
|
Show More |
Are you working as a Biology Department Chairperson? Help us rate Biology Department Chairperson as a Career.