How To Become a Lecturer: Career Guide, Courses, Types, Steps, Abroad, Jobs, Salary, Scope 2024

Steps to Follow to Become a Lecturer 

There are various steps that a candidate needs to follow to become a lecturer. The step by step process to becoming a lecturer is as follows.

• Decision Making: To become a lecturer one needs to make a decision on which subject to specialise in and be aware of the study path. Competition is tough and numerous candidates sit for the entrance examinations annually. 
• Subject Choices: At the plus 12 level and undergraduate, there is no requirement to pursue any specific stream and specialisation. A PG degree should follow the UG degree specialisation preferably. Whatever subject one chooses to specialise in, candidates must have expertise in and the basic concepts must be clear.
• Entrance Examination Preparation: With a degree earned, the next step is to start preparing for entrance examinations. The most popular examinations are the UGC NET, CSIR NET and SLET. The eligibility criteria and age limits for each examination is different and must be reviewed.
• After Qualifying Exam: Once results are declared for the entrance examination, one needs to secure a high enough rank for the next step. The organizing committee releases a merit list with the roll numbers of all students who have successfully passed.
• Work or Fellowship: Students with a valid UGC NET score can work as Assistant Professors or choose to work as a Junior Research Fellowship. Jobs for both are updated regularly on the UGC portal. Applications can be submitted accordingly. For Junior Fellowship applications, there is no requirement of submitting any additional entrance test scores.
• What subjects to study at school level: For lecturer job positions there is no requirement to pursue a specific subject at the undergraduate or postgraduate level. One can graduate in Humanities, Computer Science, Engineering, Commerce, Science etc. Applicants can choose the subject of choice when applying for the UGC NET examination.

Types of Lecturers

Below given are the various types of lecturers on the basis of different parameters. On the basis of seniority, there are three ranks for lecturers in India. The ranks are

• Assistant Professor: Assistant Professors are entry-level job titles. Applicants are hired on as Assistant Professors after qualifying for an entrance examination with an undergraduate degree.
• Associate Professor: After working as an Assistant Professor for some years, applicants are promoted to Associate Professor. Typically one needs to work for 14 years before they earn this title.
• Professor: The last rank for lecturers is that of Professor. At this stage, applicants have a doctorate degree and are actively engaged in publication work.

How to become a Lecturer in India 

Individuals who wish to become lecturers can start their preparation when they are in school. From the 10+2 level, students can take up specific subjects or apply for certain courses to become teachers and lecturers. The process to do so has been outlined below.

School Level Preparation 

• At the class 12th level, students can take up any specialisation, Science, Arts or Commerce.
• A minimum aggregate score of 55% and above is required for General category students. For SC and ST students, a minimum score of 45% is needed.

How to Become a Lecturer After 12^th

After completing Class 12^th board exam students aspiring students can follow the mentioned step as discussed below in order to become a Lecturer.

UG Preparation 

• At the undergraduate level, enrol in a programme specialisation of choice. One can earn a B.Ed. Degree or depending on the entrance examination, earn a BA, B.Com or B.Sc. degree.
• Integrated degree programmes are also acceptable.
• Apply for entrance examinations like UGC NET that accept undergraduate degree holders.
• There is no upper age limit for Assistant Professorship while the upper age is 30 years for Junior Research Fellow.

PG Preparation 

• The undergraduate degree can be followed by a masters degree in the same specialisation as M.Com, M.Ed, MA or M.Sc.
• Apply for examinations like CSIR NET, SLET, GATE examinations.
• CSIR NET has the maximum applicant age fixed at 28 and for the GATE exam there is no limit.
• Candidates can also pursue a doctorate degree if they wish to.

How to become Lecturer Abroad

Like with other professions, with lectureship and teaching jobs, international jobs are very popular. The pay, eligibility criteria, benefits etc are different from country to country. The best countries to work as a lecturer or professor are the USA, Australia, UK, Germany etc.

Lecturer in USA 

In the USA, applicants with a master’s degree in the field they wish to teach are needed. Some colleges not only want professors who have academic experience, they also want those who have hands-on experience in the relative field.

Admission Process 

• Educational requirements - The minimum eligibility criteria of a master’s degree are accepted when teaching at technical colleges, community colleges and bachelor’s degrees in universities. For master’s degree programmes, a minimum PhD degree is needed.
• Other Requirements- Prior teaching experience as student instructors or teacher’s aide will be helpful and candidates with an active role in research work is preferred. 

Lecturer in Australia 

Unlike the USA, the job title is not Professor but a lecturer in Australia. Only the most highly educated candidates with doctorate degrees are accepted in universities.

• Educational requirements- Candidates who have worked as postdoctoral researchers and have a strong doctoral research record.
• Other Requirements- Prior teaching work experience will also be helpful when applying to work as a lecturer.

Lecturer in UK 

In the UK, a separate education degree is not needed to teach as a lecturer. Candidates can work as a lecturer with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in their chosen field. Candidates start working as a lecturer with a master’s degree and work towards a doctorate degree at the same time.

• Educational requirements-The minimum criterion to work in this field is to have a master’s degree. Some universities do require a PhD.
• Other Requirements- As a PhD holder, the candidate needs to possess an arsenal of published work like published papers, present papers at conferences, attend workshops etc.

Skills Required for Lecturer

To be a successful teacher, one needs to possess certain skills. The table lists the top such skills.

Salary of Lecturer in India 

The salary of lecturers in India ranges between INR 2,48,000 and INR 7,10,000, as per Payscale.com. The final salary will depend on the specialisation of the candidate along with the nature of the college, Government or private. Gender of the applicant also plays a part in the final salary.

Average Annual Salary 

Specialisation Wise 

Experience Wise