If you are someone who is inspired by the idea of learning, sharing and imparting knowledge, the moulding of young minds and see education as a gift to be enjoyed by all, then teaching is your calling. Especially teaching at the college and university level could be ideal for you as it is here that you will help multitudes of students who would be stepping into the world to fulfill their lives’ ambitions.
The main role of a professor is to transfer knowledge and practical skills, methods and techniques, on a particular subject which is his/her area of expertise. A college/university professor teaches graduate and post-graduate students.
A professor sets and assess students’ project work and conducts examinations and provides feedback based on the results. He/she may also organize field trips, supervise projects and dissertations and if in the role of a departmental head, he/she will also be responsible for deciding syllabi and course content, referencing course study material and validating student admissions.
A visionary and perpetual seeker of knowledge, a professor remains abreast of the developments in his academic field and constantly strives to expand his/her knowledge of the subject, conducts relevant research, prepares research proposals, publishes or disseminates research findings and seeks accreditation for the same. He/she is a thought leader in his field.
Excellent communication skills, people and team management skills to deal with students, colleagues and staff are some of the important attributes of a good professor. He deals with and supports in the goals of his students, who comprise of a variety of people, coming from different social, religious, economic, cultural backgrounds.
The following degrees must be obtained to teach in a college or university. These requirements may vary depending upon the chosen stream as per guidelines set by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Step 1: Complete class 12 in a chosen stream, follow by completing graduation to obtain a B.A. / B.Sc. / B.Com i.e. Bachelors’ degree in Arts, Science, Commerce etc. There are a vast range of subjects for which the Bachelors’ degree can be obtained.
Step 2: Complete post-graduation to obtain a Masters’ degree in the chosen field. Candidates must try to obtain at least a minimum score of 55%.
Step 3: Appear for the NET (National Eligibility Test), the qualifying exam for teaching in a college. The eligibility for this test is a minimum 55% at the PG level (with 5% waiver for SC/ST/Tribal/Differently abled candidates). There are also accredited state level tests like the State Level Eligibility Test (SLET/SET). These tests are the minimum eligibility criteria for the appointment as an Assistant Professor in a college / university / institution.
Aspiring professors can begin to accumulate their teaching experience by teaching at a senior school level while completing their various degrees. Hence many also do their Bachelors’ in Education which is required for teaching in school. If you obtain a degree in Masters or M.Ed. it will be useful as you could possibly fall in a higher pay bracket. Since you will invest many years in obtaining your various qualifications, it is advisable to begin teaching as early as you can in order to start earning.
After gaining some experience in teaching and obtaining at least a Master degree, you can also then, apply to a college or university to begin teaching as a part-time / guest lecturer.
Keep in mind, that the more the degrees you have completed, more the articles/research papers/journals/books you have published, more the teaching experience you have, the closer you are to becoming a professor and subsequently, a professor at a senior level. Additional qualifications also allow you to enter into bands where the pay scale is higher.
Cost of studying in India will vary depending on the subject and the institution. State run colleges generally cost less than private or specialized institutions. Courses involving practical, laboratory and field work may cost more than purely theoretical subjects. Residential courses will involve accommodation and food expenses over and above the fee structure. All institutions provide you with a detailed fee structure with break-up at the time of application.
A person can opt for day, residential or distance learning programmes depending on the programme, the institution and their convenience.
A Bachelors’ degree may be obtained in the local college in your area. All State Governments and major cities have colleges and universities offering various courses. Many specialized institutes also offer courses such as the Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Technology etc. Always look for an accredited and at least State recognized institution. The Bachelors’ is a 3 year degree course. In some subjects like engineering, medicine etc. it is 4 years. There are some common admission tests and qualifying exams to be taken for entry into various institutions. Examples are the Joint Admission Test for M.Sc., Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), All India Post Graduate Medical Institute Entrance Exam etc. Individual institutes also have their own admission tests. Once you have identified your preferred institutes, you need to find out which tests they require, the dates when the tests are being conducted and when is the last date for submission of applications.
Masters programmes are offered in State and city run universities or at various specialized institutions. Admission is based on merit and performance in the entrance test. A Masters generally takes 2 years to complete.
A Ph.D. can be done at any time and there is no age limit. It can be done as Full Time or Part Time research. Some institutions require scores of tests like GATE, NET or Junior Research Fellowship in order to enroll for a Ph.D.
A Ph.D. aspirant selects a topic and seeks the support of a guide (a person with expertise in the related field) to begin work. Time frames for completing a Ph.D. are 3-6 years for Full Time and 4-7 years for Part Time. An exemption of 1 year may be given if for instance, the applicant has an M.Phil. / M.D etc.
It is possible to obtain grants from universities and various government agencies such as the UGC, NCERT and others to conduct research. Some universities hire Ph.D. students as research assistants.
Distance learning programmes are offered by many big universities and agencies like Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), among others.
Pay scales vary according to level of qualification, experience, band and multiple other criteria.
As a broad indication, an Assistant Professor may get anywhere between Rs. 15600 – Rs. 39100 and a Professor may get between Rs. 37400 – Rs. 67000.
A college professor also gets summer, winter and autumn vacations, sabbaticals and grants for research, apart from other employment benefits. In some institutions accommodation within the campus is provided.
As the economy booms and the need for qualified work force is increasing day by day, the need for enhancing the number of quality higher learning institutions is being felt. Recently the government of India announced the setting up of many new IIT’s and IIM’s apart from Central Universities, all this points to the fact that the requirement of quality professors is only going to increase. Hence professorship offers quite a lucrative prospects in terms of future scope.
The Central Board Secondary Education, Delhi, conducts the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher for classes I to VIII and after clearing the test one can get employment in central schools and schools funded by government. In India, the demand for good teachers is definitely high. Introduction of virtual classroom teaching, E-learning and online web teaching by some schools has increased the overall opportunities for teachers. For instance, a retired teacher with 20-25 years of experience has great scope in online teaching.
Professor Amartya Sen: Won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (1999) and the Bharat Ratna (1999). Has taught in many universities in India and abroad, written several books. Presently teaches at the Thomas W. Lamont and Harvard Universities.
Late Professor Historian Ram Sharan Sharma: Published 115 books in 15 languages. Served as Head of Department in Patna and Delhi Universities and visiting lecturer at Toronto University. Founder member of the Indian Council of Historical Research’, Dy. Chairman of the International Association, study of Central Asia (UNESCO). Received the Jawaharlal Nehru Award (1989).
A full-time university professor in India is generally in college for 5-7 hours on a normal day. His day begins at 9 a.m. He takes 3-4 classes through the day. When not in class he is available to his students should they require any guidance on projects, research, syllabus etc. At other times he is in the staff room preparing notes for his next lecture, setting question papers or correcting answers scripts and projects submitted by students or interacting with his colleagues on various matters.
The process of learning is never ending. If you wish to do well in this profession, you need to embrace learning. You have to read academic books on your subjects, keep abreast of ongoing discussion and debates in your chosen field. You can also write academic essays and contribute to educational journals. If you make a good name for yourself, you could get an offer to be a visiting lecturer in a reputed university or maybe get an offer to join their faculty too!
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