What are the requirements for becoming a math Professor at a college or university?

At the community college where I work, you need a master’s degree to adjunct (teach part-time with pitiful benefits and no job security). You can get a full-time position in some departments with a masters (Art/Photography or Nursing, for example), but in most departments, you need a PhD or at least to be ABD (All But Dissertation) to be seriously considered for a full-time tenure-track position. While individual insitutions may vary in their expectations, it’s a given that your options will be much more limited with only a masters.

I don’t think anyone can tell you whether math or bio is a better field. I think that rather than trying to predict the vagaries of a field for the next 30 or 40 years, you’d be better off pursuing the one where your heart really lies. Getting a PhD requires years of deep, narrowly-focused study; you’ve got to publish some articles before you can get a tenure-track position anywhere; then you’ve got to teach and do research in this field for decades. If you don’t love the field, you won’t last long enough to achieve your goals. Follow your heart.

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/au0PA

You’ll need a Ph.D. in the subject that you want to teach. You’ll need good research and good teaching references. Then you’ll need to apply to hundreds of job openings. And hope that you’ve applied to the three or four universities that will see you as a “good fit” for their institution. Unless you are hoping to be an education professor stay far, far away from that major. A major like that would prohibit you from grad school in any other field (it is not an in depth major). A position as a college professor is very, very hard to obtain. Right now in the math world there are only 150 open tenure track positions. There are at least 2500 applicant competing for those positions. The story is much worse in the humanities and arts. As an undergrad you need to do really well in your courses. Get good letters of recommendation. Score very well on the GREs. Then apply to graduate programs. You don’t need to go Ivy League like another poster suggested. But it is important that you pick a program you will be successful in. You need to pick an advisor who will be able to guide you can provide you with the support that you will need. Many graduate programs will give you funding in the way of a teaching assistantship or research assistantship. These are very common in math, science, and engineering. Slightly less prevalent in other fields. You should not accept a grad school offer unless it includes funding if you are in math, science, or engineering. An assistantship generally includes a tuition waiver (the department pays your tuition), health insurance coverage, and a monthly stipend during the school year (that’s to help you pay your bills). There’s no guaranteed route to a professorship. Everyone takes a slightly different path. But focus on your studies, set your eye on a Ph.D. in a field you love, and pray that this is a part of God’s plan for you.

Requirements To Be A Professor

I’m really no expert, but to become a full professor I believe you need a PhD. However, I think assistant professors only need a bachelor’s degree, at least for community colleges, but a PhD is highly recommended, and often the minimum. I recall a high school teacher telling me she would be allowed to teach a dual-enrollment college calculus course in the high school upon getting her masters in mathematics. This is analogous to teaching at a community college.

Where I live all of The community colleges want you to have a masters and 18 graduate ours in what you want to teach (English, math, science, ect…). University colleges around here vary , some say the same as community ones and others say you must have a PhD. Hope this helps.

Chris

You definately want to go for a ph d. By your photo/name, I am assuming you’re female. Going by that assumption, and that you have excellent grades, you will be able to write your own ticket — a woman with a ph d in math or science is awesome. You’ll have colleges competing for you.

Go with whatever field you think you will love the most and be most passionate in. Ph d work is a long, long time — which one can you “put up with” the longest? Science will have a lot of hands-on research — can you work in the lab for hours on end?

You may want to visit each department — find some schools you are going to apply to. Look at their webpages, read up on the professors in each area. Then, make an appointment to visit. Take the time, do the research, and I think with that you will figure out which road you really want to take.

Or just do both! I know it’s a longer road, but it could work out. Depending on what areas you’re interested in, you could also find a ph d program that combines math and science (Public Health comes to my mind).

But if you are interested in teaching at a college/university, then you should go for the ph d right away.

Best of luck in your future!

In most states you cannot teach at any college (community or otherwise) without a Master’s degree–it’s the law in most states. Fulltime employment at a community college is VERY difficult in most instances because those spots are very limited and competitive. To have a decent paying career in higher ed you really need to get a PhD.

A PhD or relevant post graduate qualifications like M.Sc or M.Phil.

In my point of view to become a professor, PhD is the best qualification

Hope this helps!