To become a mathematics professor, you must have a formal and extensive mathematics education as well as a specialized field of interest in a particular aspect of mathematics, such as algebra, calculus, or geometry. To be a professor and teach at the college level, you will most likely need a master’s or doctorate in mathematics or a specialized area of mathematics. Publication of essays in peer-reviewed journals is frequently a requirement for continued employment. Similarly, you could invent an equation or mathematical principle that revolutionizes math, or you could achieve a similar feat to gain prestige and become a mathematics professor.
Though teaching at the public school level, such as in primary or secondary education, usually only requires a four-year degree and the necessary certification, working as a mathematics professor usually necessitates a higher level of education. While a master’s degree may be sufficient for employment, many colleges and universities require a PhD to become a professor. Although additional education is a significant time and financial investment, if you want to be a professor, your additional time spent in academia may provide you with better opportunities.
After obtaining the necessary degrees to become a mathematics professor, you must seek employment at a college or university. The phrase “publish or perish” is frequently heard in colleges when it comes to being a professor. This is meant to indicate that in order to become a professor and keep that position while working toward tenure, a person must publish in journals and periodicals in his or her field. Being able to contribute something new or fundamentally different to your field can be critical to your success as a professor.
Your success is frequently used as a watermark by the college or university where you teach to demonstrate the level of quality expected of their professors. To become a mathematics professor, you will not only need to know a lot about your field of study, but you will also be expected to improve on what others have done before you. All of this is on top of teaching classes and collaborating with teacher assistants to provide instruction to students.