A person must either be employed as a biology teacher at a college where all teachers are designated as professors, or have a Ph.D. in biology and work at least part-time as a teacher to become a biology professor. Professors are typically thought of as teachers with a specific level of education, though a biology professor can certainly conduct research or participate in other academic pursuits. Anyone interested in becoming a biology professor will have to go through years of training, which can begin as early as high school.
Math and science should be a strong focus in high school for anyone planning to go to college and major in the sciences. It is sometimes possible to earn college credits by taking advanced placement courses. While these are recommended for strong students, there’s no shame in deferring these credits until college and taking less challenging classes in high school. Advanced placement has the advantage of allowing students to enter school with a few college credits and immediately begin more advanced studies. Students should primarily ensure that they have studied hard in biology and chemistry, as well as taken calculus or pre-calculus classes.
Declaring a biology major in college is the first step toward becoming a biology professor. Students take general education, required courses, and recommended electives to complete this major. Students should strive for high grades and seek out opportunities to work for professors. Because a person cannot become a biology professor without first completing graduate school, building strong relationships with professors can lead to strong grad school recommendations.
After earning a B.A. or B.S. in biology, a few students choose to pursue an M.A. or M.S. degree. Working at junior or community colleges is usually the only way to become a biology professor with this degree. Unless junior or community colleges use it, someone without a Ph.D. does not get this title, and many of these colleges do not hire teachers without a doctorate. Obtaining admission to a doctoral program is usually the best option, as this can greatly increase employment opportunities.
Earning a doctorate takes time, and aspiring biology professors can expect to devote three to seven years to their studies. People who want to concentrate on teaching may find opportunities to teach while taking classes, and most people also do some or a lot of research, which can lead to results being published. This second section is crucial because many universities want to know that professors can and will publish in order to boost the university’s reputation.
Once they’ve finished, students can start looking for work, which is aided by things like publishing and strong recommendations. New teachers will almost certainly need to put in extra time and effort. They are frequently hired on a tenure track, which means they must publish a certain amount of work early in their careers in order to be considered for full professorship. Only a few schools and the majority of community colleges have such strict requirements.