To become a philosophy professor, one needs to acquire an undergraduate degree in philosophy, a master’s degree, and a Ph.D. or Ph.D. in philosophy. Private schools may or may not require a teaching credential, but many of them do. Specialization in critical thinking, ethics, logic, or metaphysics is possible.
The path to becoming a professor of philosophy tends to involve a lot of study in this area. There are not many public elementary and high schools that teach more than a few philosophy classes, but sometimes there are private schools in these grades that take in philosophy or religion specialists to teach things like ethics or give formal religious education. One can unite philosophy and religion, but a person who works strictly as a professor of philosophy had better find universities that offer a course in philosophy.
For those who want to become a philosophy teacher in middle and high school, and that usually means high school or middle school, the best bet would be to acquire an undergraduate degree in the study of philosophy. Most public schools require a teacher to have a credential in order to get work, and credential studies usually take a few years to complete. Private schools may or may not require a teaching credential, but many of them do. To maximize employability in private schools, it is recommended that individuals meet accreditation requirements in their region.
A person who would like to find work as a professor of philosophy at a junior college needs to get additional education. Rather than pursuing a credential after earning an undergraduate degree, the teacher candidate will need to attend college and earn at least a master’s degree in philosophy. This is not always enough. Some community and junior colleges get so many applicants for jobs that they often don’t consider them more than an adjunct job unless those potential employees hold doctorates. It really depends on the area and the demand for jobs in that profession.
For this reason, the person who wants to become a professor of philosophy at any college level may be better served by trying a Ph.D. or Ph.D. in philosophy before looking for employment. This can help increase the level of attraction when it comes to applying for the job. Extra studies add knowledge and provide people with opportunities to publish and become known in their field. Also, most four-year universities do not consider job applicants who do not hold a doctorate.
Within these specific ways of becoming a philosophy professor, there is still plenty of room to specialize and learn the things that are of most interest to you. Some people prefer to teach topics like critical thinking, and others are interested in issues of ethics, logic, or metaphysics. Others have a historical interest in philosophy and enjoy studying how human philosophy has evolved over time. Teaching work in this area could move into teaching work in the humanities, as well as the dual studies of philosophy and religion. Regardless of the primary interest, people will have many options to define a unique and fascinating course of study, especially with the advanced studies required to obtain teaching positions.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
