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How To Become an English Professor in 6 Steps
English professors have an important role in educating the community and expanding the exploration of literary subjects. Those in this role also help students enrich their understanding of reading and writing the English language. If you have a deep passion for the English language, this can be a fulfilling career, allowing you to pass on your love for the subject to others. In this article, we define what this career entails, explaining how to become an English professor and other essential career-planning information.
What is an English professor?
An English professor is an educator who instructs students in an academic setting, usually in college or university, on subjects surrounding literature, composition and the English language. They are also students of the English language and often specialize in writing or studying literature. There are various fields within English that they can specialize in, including:
- Composition studies
- Creative writing
- Drama
- English linguistics
- Poetry
What does an English professor do?
English professors design the courses that they teach based on specific topics in their field, and they instruct multiple classes at various levels of undergraduate and graduate learning. They also offer guidance and extra study help to students who may need it. They have a certain amount of job flexibility in that their class times can change by the semester. They adhere to the vacation schedule of the institution they work for and can have summers off. Some professors may have access to sabbaticals or extended time off to conduct research in their field.
English professors also conduct their own academic work like writing academic papers, writing books and giving talks or appearances at conferences relevant to their specialization. They also continue to study their subject so they remain up to date on the developments happening in their field.
Read more: How To Become a College Professor
How to become an English Professor
Here are a few steps you can follow to become an English professor.
1. Get a bachelor’s degree in English
Consider going to a four-year college or university that offers a bachelor’s degree in English. These programs are very common at liberal arts universities, but most colleges or universities have programs where you can learn about literature, composition or linguistics in English. It may be helpful to have a strong background in the English language and build relationships with the faculty of the English department at the school you attend.
While studying, you can try distinct classes in the variety of subjects that the English department offers. This can help you decide what specialization you are interested in pursuing and what subjects you could be interested in teaching. Within the English department, you can choose a track from these three common subjects:
- The study of the craft of writing poetry or prose.
- The study of poetry and prose written in the English language and literary criticism.
- The scientific study of language.
2. Earn a master’s degree in English
Once you have completed your undergraduate studies, you can apply for a master’s program in English. This is a one or two-year degree focused on a specialization of your choosing. Here are some examples of focuses you can choose:
- American literature
- Australian literature
- British literature
- Canadian literature
- Indian English literature
- Irish literature
- New Zealand literature
- Scottish literature
- South African literature (excluding works written in other languages)
- Welsh literature
Within these subjects, you can specialize even further into time periods or related themes, like 17th-century literature or Gothic literature. In order to get your Master’s degree, you may need to complete a dissertation on a topic of your choosing, known as your master’s thesis.
3. Work with students
While getting your master’s degree, consider using your time at school to get experience in front of students. Many master’s programs offer teaching assistant opportunities, either as a type of work-study or as a resume builder. Teaching assistants help professors run their classes and can teach lower-level undergraduate classes independently.
This teaching experience can help you feel comfortable in front of students and can familiarize you with the expectations of a teacher at a collegiate level. You can have one-on-one time with students, help design courses and grade papers.
4. Pursue a PHD
Most professors have high degrees in their field, so consider getting a Ph.D in the specialization that you would like to teach. In order to earn a Ph.D., you can submit a written dissertation on a topic of your choice that you can write with the advisory of faculty.
Ph.D. programs can be very competitive and often require up to six years to complete. Programs that are fully funded are especially competitive because it is beneficial to study with a stipend from your university and leave your program without debt. Some Ph.D. candidates have to apply more than once in order to get a spot in a program they are passionate about, so consider applying to multiple programs and trying again the following year.
5. Publish your research
During your time studying, consider publishing articles in well-known journals in order to build a resume of research and a network of connections that can appeal to future employers. Publishing research can also expose you to opportunities to speak at conferences or take part in panels that can raise your profile as an academic. Notoriety can make you a more appealing candidate for professor positions. Many doctorate holders publish their completed dissertations as books for these same reasons.
5. Look for a job
Once you have your doctorate degree, you have all the academic qualifications of an English professor, and you can look for a job at a college or university. There are many levels of instruction at colleges, from adjunct professors to tenured professors. You can work your way up by looking at job postings at colleges and universities near you. You can also reach out to faculty with who you worked closely in the past and use your network to learn about any open positions.
You can update your resume to include:
- Schools you attended
- Teaching experience
- Published papers
- Conferences you attended or organized
- Panels you spoke on
- Faculty references
What types of jobs can an English Professor have?
Once you have a position at a college or university, you can advance through the school’s internal hierarchy. Here is a list of potential roles for English professors:
1. Graduate teaching assistant
National average salary: $25,040 per year
Primary duties: A graduate teaching assistant helps full-time professors instruct classes at a college and university level but is not full-time staff. They help with grading and office hours. They also teach some lower-level classes themselves. Most graduate teaching assistants are still getting their master’s degree or their Ph.D.
2. Visiting professor
National average salary: $39,995 per year
Primary duties: A visiting professor is often a professor that is loaned from a university where they are a full-time employee to another university where they take a temporary position. Universities hire visiting professors to offer their students various viewpoints from all over the world. Professors usually take these positions while on sabbatical or for the opportunity to work at an institution with faculty or resources they want to collaborate with or experience.
3. Adjunct instructor
National average salary: $63,429 per year
Primary duties: An adjunct instructor or professor instructs classes at a college and university level but is not full-time staff. Most have their doctorates but some are still earning their Ph.Ds. Schools hire adjunct instructors per class, so turnover can be faster than a full-time position.
Read more: How To Become an Adjunct Professor
4. Assistant professor
National average salary: $80,894 per year
Primary duties: An assistant professor is typically a full-time or salaried faculty member. An assistant professor position is the first step on a career track to become a tenured professor. Most assistant professors have doctorates, and it is a very competitive position because of the potential for job security.
Read more: How To Become an Assistant Professor
5. Associate professor
National average salary: $109,287 per year
Primary duties: An associate professor is a professor who has worked as an assistant professor for a significant amount of time and has earned tenure through a review process at their university. It can take anywhere from five to seven years to earn tenure, and your university review can include any research, publications or academic awards you’ve earned. Getting a tenure position means that you have indefinite employment, ending only through extreme circumstances or discontinuation of the department.
What skills does an English professor need?
An English professor has many duties in the academic world that require a range of skills. Here are some skills an English professor needs:
- An English professor communicates complex ideas and theories to their students, along with research and plans to their fellow faculty.
- An English professor studies their field throughout their career, and a large part of being successful includes contributing to research through writing and publishing their own findings.
- An English professor’s relevance in their field can relate to how many published works they have, so writing well and frequently is an impressive skill for an English professor to develop.
Job outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the job outlook for postsecondary teachers, meaning teachers beyond the high school level, may grow by 9% between 2019 and 2029, which is faster than the average job growth. Projected growth varies from subject to subject, but this statistic may encourage you if you are interested in becoming an English professor.