How To Become A Community College Professor

In this blog post, you will learn the step-by-step guide on how to become a community college professor for those who want to professors, this guide will help put them through.

Community colleges are in many countries but they are very popular in the US, Canada, Australia, Philippines, UK, etc. and they sometimes, their meaning vary but they nevertheless do the same thing. Community colleges are post-secondary institutions that offer workforce education and college transfer academic programs.

If you want to gain a highly-rewarding technical skill set and knowledge then a community college is the place for you. Here, hands-on practical courses are taught that will equip you with skills that will prepare a career for you in the workforce. Very little theory is done in these schools and they have labs and other facilities that are designed to offer you practical skills.

So, if you want to be a plumber, electrician, medical assistant, medical coder and biller, graphic designer, software developer, carpenter, etc. then a community college is the place for you. Aside from equipping you with the adequate skills you will need to excel in any of these careers, you will also be given a qualification to show your expertise.

Community colleges usually offer certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, and associate degrees qualifications. These qualifications usually take few months to two years to obtain, with the associate degree being the longest – two years – and after completing your preferred program, you can decide to enroll into a four-year institution and you can easily do a credit transfer.

It is common knowledge that four-year universities and colleges hold more prestige than two-year community colleges but this is gradually changing. The cost of four-year institutions keeps getting higher, community colleges are expanding their fields of study and adding more courses, and improving the quality of education.

Due to this shift, many students are moving towards earning an associate degree which takes only two years and offers them on-demand, industry skills. This makes it an exciting time to be a community college professor, for students who might not otherwise be eligible for a degree, you have a unique opportunity to provide them with a high-quality, competitive education.

If you want to make a difference, teaching at a community college is a great way to do it. To teach at a community college, you must have completed several years of postsecondary education and training. It is just like acquiring any other kind of academic degree in another field, you will have to go through the required education and training put in place to acquire that degree and kick start a career related to that field of study.

The road to becoming a college professor is a long, rigorous one that you have to be ready for, if you aren’t inspired to teach then it is advisable not to take this route but look for another instead. However, it is a fulfilling career, watching your students climb up the success ladder sure brings some sort of satisfaction to their former teacher.

I know at this rate, you are itching to learn the steps on how to become a college professor and without further ado, let’s get into them. You may want to use the table of contents below for easy navigation of this blog post.

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Who is a Community College Professor?

A community college professor is part of the faculty or academic staff of a two-year junior college or vocational school. Students can achieve an associate’s degree or other related credentials by taking programs taught by a community college professor.

Requirements To Become A Community College Professor

To become a community college professor, the requirement is usually to have a master’s or doctorate in the course you want to teach. You also need to possess some soft skills as a community college professor to help you perform better at your job, such as:

  • Organization
  • Leadership
  • Empathy
  • Essential communication skills
  • Open-mindedness, etc.

Benefits Of Being A Community College Professor

The following are the benefits of being a community college professor:

  1. As a community college professor, you get to enjoy flexibility in where you teach as community colleges are located throughout the country allowing you to choose where you want to work.
  2. You get to be involved with a diverse group of students, from those fresh out of high school to recent immigrants to parents and adults going back to school.
  3. With the rise of students seeking associate degrees, community college professors are on the rise making them on demand. You can quickly and easily gain employment as a community college professor.
  4. Community college professors focus on teaching students than research and publication which is a lot less work and stress.
  5. Another amazing benefit of being a community college professor is that you can get a full-time, tenure-track job, with all the benefits therein, with just a master’s degree.

How To Become A Community College Professor – Step By Step Guide

This guide will set you on the path to be a community college professor, take your time and read carefully.

  • Keep Up Your High School Grades
  • In Your Spare Time, Tutor
  • Earn A Bachelor’s Degree In The Field You Want To Teach
  • Earn A Master’s Degree
  • Get Some Experience or Certification In Your Field Of Interest
  • Start Teaching At A Community College

Step 1: Keep Up Your High School Grades

You might be wondering what high school has to do with the steps on how to become a community college professor. The truth is that it sure has a lot to do with and you will be seeing how.

High school is the bedrock of every education, it is here that you will determine if you will further your studies or go to a community college, vocational institute, four-year university or college, and what course you should study. Since you want to become a community college professor, that means you want to further your studies, then keeping up your high school grades is very important as it is one of the requirements to get into a good college.

As a high school student, you should strive for high grades, but because you are going into the field of education, you will need to pay a little more attention to your grades. In addition to showing your commitment to the field in which you will be working and your future in general, this shows your commitment to education.

Grad school acceptance and higher-paying teaching jobs can be enhanced by attending the right university or college and also make sure you take as many classes as possible in your field of interest.

Step 2: In Your Spare Time, Tutor

On your journey to becoming a community college professor, you can try out tutoring in your spare time, especially while still in high school. Tutoring in your spare time is an easy way to gain teaching experience and be certain that it is a field you can pursue and excel in.

Consider tutoring your peers or other students in lower grades in a subject you are good at, preferably one you would like to teach in the future. As an extracurricular activity, tutoring will not only help you decide if teaching is a viable career path for you, but it will also look great on your college application if you just finished high school and want to apply to a higher institution.

Step 3: Earn A Bachelor’s Degree In The Field You Want To Teach

This is the third step on how to become a community college professor and it is actually the first important step in this list. On your journey to becoming a community college professor, you must earn a bachelor’s degree, although you won’t teach with this degree nor be employed for a teaching job at any community college with just a bachelor’s degree you must obtain it.

You will obtain this degree to gain foundation knowledge of the course you want to teach in the future and to fulfill the prerequisite for pursuing a graduate degree. While the bachelor’s degree can be in a variety of fields, the goal is to help students prepare for their career goal of teaching in a specific subject area.

For instance, to teach college biology in the future, a student might major in biology or at least earn a degree in life science. Typically, a bachelor’s degree takes four years to complete, and to be admitted into your preferred program, you must satisfy the admission requirements and meet other eligibility criteria.

Step 4: Earn A Master’s Degree

After completing and earning a bachelor’s degree, you can now go on to pursue a master’s degree program still in that same course or something closely related. This is the fourth step on how to become a community college professor and as an aspiring community college professor, you must earn a master’s degree in the subject area you wish to teach.

For instance, if you want to become a mathematics professor at a community college you can look into a Master of Arts in Mathematics with an emphasis or focus on community college teaching.

Unlike four-year colleges, the majority of community college professors do not require a doctorate. With a master’s degree, you can be employed at any community college but if the competition is high and you want to stand out then you may want to go for a Ph.D.

Step 5: Get Some Experience or Certification In Your Field Of Interest

This fifth step on how to become a community college professor is not actually needed in some states. While some states require community colleges professors to get a certification or license, others do not but for the sake of expertise, then you may want to get it.

To teach certain subjects, some community college professors may need prior work experience or professional certification. A dental hygienist’s experience, for example, maybe required for those in the health care industry who teach other health professionals. Other schools require professors teaching accounting to become Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) before teaching accountancy or a related program.

Step 6: Start Teaching At A Community College

This is the sixth and final step on our list of how to become a community college professor and this step is pretty clear. You have obtained all of the required qualifications to become a college professor, of course, you don’t sit at home and do nothing, you will proceed to work towards gaining employment at a community college as a professor and start teaching.

You can begin teaching as an adjunct or part-time instructor at a community college and then get promoted after working to a full-time position after working the former position for a while. Lesson plans and assignments, as well as being available to help students, are typically the responsibilities of professors.

As a community college professor, it is also important to keep up with the latest developments in your field even while teaching.

These are the 6 steps on how to become a community college professor or junior college as it is sometimes referred to. While thinking of being a community college professor or any other professor for that matter, ensure to go for a course that comes naturally to you, is easy, and which you also love.

FAQs On How To Become A Community College Professor

How much do community college professors make?

The amount of money a community college professor makes annually actually depends on the state, country, positions, and the program they teach. While law professors are the highest at approximately $113,550 professors who teach criminal justice and law enforcement make an annual salary of $62,860.

However, the average salary for community college professors is $83,340.

Can I become a community college professor without a degree?

Yes, you can become a community college professor without a degree.

Is it hard to become a community college professor?

If you love being a teacher, then it shouldn’t be a hard thing since it is something you are passionate about.

Where else can a community college professor work?

A community college professor can work in a four-year college even with your master’s degree, but four-year colleges prefer professors with Ph.D. and if you do have a doctorate then getting employed to teach at a university should be easy.

This brings an end to the step-by-step guide on how to become a community college professor and I hope the article has been really helpful.

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