College Professor
College Professor
Career Overview
College professors teach and inspire students in academic, technical, vocational, and applied subjects. They share their expertise, develop courses, guide students and may conduct research or work with industry. Modern college teaching can include AI tools, digital learning platforms, simulations and hands-on technology.
Education
Requirements vary by subject and institution. A bachelor's degree, college diploma, or professional expertise may be enough for some teaching positions, while others require a master's or doctorate. Teaching or adult-education training may also be required.
Work Environment
College professors work in colleges, technical institutes, vocational schools and other postsecondary settings. They may teach in classrooms, laboratories, workshops, studios or online. Their work can include teaching, student mentoring, course development, assessment, and collaboration with industry.
Future Outlook
College education is evolving with AI, digital learning, advanced training technologies, and changing workforce needs. Skilled instructors who combine subject expertise with strong teaching and technology skills can help prepare students for the careers of tomorrow.
Recommended High School Courses
- Math
- Computer Science
- Business
- Communication
- English
- Technology
- Courses in your area of interest
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
- Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
- Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
- Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Monitor student performance.
- Evaluate student work.
- Apply multiple teaching methods.
- Administer tests to assess educational needs or progress.
- Tutor students who need extra assistance.
- Maintain student records.
- Plan educational activities.
- Prepare reports detailing student activities or performance.
- Assess educational needs of students.
- Supervise laboratory work.
- Supervise student research or internship work.
- Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.
- Teach vocational courses.
- Select educational materials or equipment.
- Develop instructional objectives.
- Advise students on academic or career matters.
- Attend training sessions or professional meetings to develop or maintain professional knowledge.
- Create technology-based learning materials.
- Perform student enrollment or registration activities.
- Serve on institutional or departmental committees.
- Schedule instructional activities.
Schools
Appalachian State Univers...
Arizona State University
Azusa Pacific University
Ball State University
Bethel University
Boise State University
Bowling Green State Unive...
Cal Poly Pomona
City University Of Seattl...
Drexel University
Duke University
Florida State University
Georgetown University
Harvard University
Johns Hopkins University
New York University
Northwestern University-...
University Of California-...
University Of California-...
University Of Michigan- A...
University Of Pennsylvani...
University Of Texas- Aust...
University Of Virginia
Acadia Divinity Colleg...
Athabasca University
Bishop's University
Lakehead University- O...
Ocad University
Ontario Tech Universit...
Providence College And...
Regent College
Royal Roads University
Simon Fraser Universit...
Simon Fraser Universit...
Thompson Rivers Univer...
University Of Alberta
University Of Winnipeg
York University- Keele...
Approx Salary Expectation
Low End:
$49,000.00 /yr
Avg/Med:
$84,000.00 /yr
High End:
$190,000.00 /yr
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.