Want to become a University Professor? Here’s How to Start Your Career in Academia

University professors often have fascinating career paths, combining a passion for research with the joy of sharing their knowledge. From the outside, academic career progression can look daunting, but if you’re willing to put the time and work in, becoming a university professor is a very achievable goal.

So let’s take a closer look at how to become a university professor, what it’s like to be one, what qualifications do you need to be a professor, as well as the pros (and cons) of an academic career path.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Professor?

Let’s be clear about one thing up front – becoming a university professor doesn’t happen overnight. It takes many years and some fairly impressive qualifications.

First of all, you’ll need to go beyond an undergraduate degree. Depending on your subject, the chances are you’ll need a PhD to really progress, before which you’ll have to complete an MA. All told, you’re probably looking at the better part of a decade between leaving school and finishing your PhD.

Of course, during that time, you’ll be able to put your various qualifications to work. It’s fairly standard to spend a couple of years either in industry or as a research assistant, which, aside from financially supporting you, can help to provide some useful real-world experience.

All of this to say that a university professor isn’t just a job – it’s a career path, and one that will mean years spent in and out of various academic institutions.

The Downsides of Being a Professor

Before we talk about the benefits of being a university professor – of which there are many – it’s important to cover some of the negatives. First and foremost, working in academia is a high-commitment job, and while there are some high-income roles in the field, lucrative earnings are not guaranteed.

Put simply, you don’t get into academia for the money. You do it because you’re passionate about pushing the boundaries of your subject.

It’s also important not to romanticise the job too much. From a distance, all the hard work can seem appealing – especially if you really care about your specialist subject. On the day-to-day, it’s a lot, and some people find that academia burns them out a lot faster than they expected. Those who do succeed have to find ways of managing their working time effectively and creating solid boundaries between their work and personal lives.

Of course, to an extent, that’s true in any job. But with academia, this problem is on a whole other level. For many, being a university professor is both a job and a hobby combined, further blurring those boundaries between personal and professional life.

Why Some People Love Being a Professor

They say that if you love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life. This isn’t always the case, but it does make life a lot easier. If you want to succeed in your university professor career path, then it’s passion that will carry you. In turn, that passion provides incredible job satisfaction.

Being a professor also provides excellent opportunities. While it does take a while to reach that level, once you’ve worked in a university for a few years, you’ll have a remarkable portfolio, combining cutting-edge knowledge of the subject with the people skills that can only come through learning how to teach.

When all’s said and done, the road to becoming a professor is a long one, and while it’s certainly not for the faint of heart, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if you ultimately find the job is not for you, there are always options for experts in their field looking to move from academia to industry.