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Professors are qualified and skilled professionals who conduct research, publish papers, prepare lesson plans for students, assign projects, and grade papers. Being a professor is one of the most respected professions in India and has been acknowledged globally. Most of the candidates aspiring to become a Professor choose to pursue a doctorate. As per a report by the IBEF, the employment of professors is expected to grow by 15% between 2016 and 2026 which is higher than the average for all professions.
To become a Professor, aspiring candidates must pursue undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in relevant disciplines followed by clearing the UGC NET exam. Though it is not mandatory, but candidates who have cleared NET / SET as well as pursued a PhD in subjects that they want to take up as their teaching specialization, are given a preference over their peers. The average salary of a Professor usually comes to around INR 5.11 LPA - 7.03 LPA. However, with gradual experience, the salary of a Professor can go up to as much as INR 35 LPA. Discussed below are some of the crucial qualifications that must be pursued by candidates aspiring to become a Professor.
Table of Content
Professor Eligibility
Candidates aspiring to become a Professor must be aware of all the eligibility criteria which include their educational qualifications, age limits, nationality and other parameters.
Discussed below are the essential prerequisites that must be met to become a Professor.
- Candidates must first be a citizen of the country. Specially to apply for government colleges and universities, candidates must show proof of their nationality.
- Candidates aspiring to become a Professor must be a minimum of 23 years, however, there is no upper age limit
- They must pursue graduation and postgraduation in relevant subjects followed by clearing UGC NET / SET exams.
- After clearing NET / SET, candidates can then choose to pursue PhD courses in subjects that they want to teach.
Professor Qualifications
Several degrees can be pursued to become a Professor. Candidates from various disciplines such as Arts, Commerce, Science, Law and Management can choose to take up their profession as a Professor.
Discussed below are a few of the subjects that can be taken up to become a Professor along with the relevant degrees.
- Arts: There are several subjects to choose from for candidates opting to pursue PhD in Arts such as History, Political Science, Geography, Fine Arts, Statistics, and Economics. It would be advisable if candidates opt to pursue a master’s in their chosen area of specialization followed by researching a topic relevant to their subject of teaching.
- Commerce: Commerce is also one of the most chosen areas in which candidates can opt to pursue a career as a professor. Commerce is a very wide field which includes courses such as Business Management, Accounting, Financial Management, Human Resources, Marketing, and Sales. Some of the courses include B.Com (Hons.), BBA in Financial Management, BBA in Taxation and Accounting, and MBA
- Science / Engineering: To teach in an Engineering college, candidates will be required to have specialized knowledge of the subject or the domain in which they want to teach. Several specializations can be taken up by candidates who choose to become Professors such as electrical, civil, computer, and software engineering.
- Law: To become a Professor in the field of law, candidates first need to get into law schools and complete their graduation along with a postgraduate degree in Law. After this, they will be eligible to become a professor in Law. Candidates should be aware of all the laws that are applicable in India. There are several courses available in law for the candidates to pursue such as LLB, BA LLB, BBA LLB, LLM, B.Com LLB, and B.Sc LL B. Candidates can also go for specialized courses such as a post-graduate diploma in Intellectual Property Rights, Cyber Law, and Corporate Law. This will help the candidates to have specialized knowledge about the program.
Top Colleges
Several top PhD colleges enrol students for various disciplines from Arts, Commerce, Science and Law after they clear the PhD entrance exams. Tabulated below are a few of them along with their average fees for your reference.
| Name of the Colleges | Duration | Average Fees (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Jai Hind College | 3 - 6 years | 23,377 |
| Bishop Heber College | 3- 6 years | 45,600 |
| Ahmedabad University | 3 - 6 years | 48,000 |
| Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research | 3 - 6 years | 3470 |
| Sri Ramchandra Institute of Higher Education and Research | 3- 6 years | 25,000 |
| Jawaharlal NeProfessoru University | 3 - 6 years | 4975 |
| Dr DY Patil Vidyapeeth | 3 - 6 years | 80,000 |
Professor Salary
As already discussed above the average salary of a Professor in India ranges from INR 5.11 LPA - 7.03 LPA. The salary structure however changes once the candidate gathers relevant experience and expertise in the field.
Tabulated below is the average salary of a Professor based on the designations that they are assigned.
| Designation | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
|---|---|
| Assistant Professor | 5.20 L |
| Associate Professor | 8.96 L |
| HOD | 13.24 L |
| Professor | 12.20 L |
| Senior Professor | 22.67 L |
Professor Qualifications: FAQs
Ques. Who is a Professor?
Ans. A Professor is a skilled professional who prepared the lesson plan for the candidates, guide, mentor students related to course or for future prospects etc.
Ques. What are the options after completing a course to become a Professor?
Ans. The career options after completing a course to become a Professor are:
- Professor
- Counselor
- Researcher
- Assistant professor
Ques. What is the salary of a Professor after completing a Master's?
Ans. After completion of master’s course, The salary of a Professor after completing post-graduation is around INR 7.8 LPA provided they need to clear the UGC NET Exam.
Ques. What are the skills required to be a Professor?
Ans. To become a Professor, the candidate must possess following skills:
- Passion for teaching
- Communication skills
- Time Management
- Problem solving skills
Ques. What are the certificate courses required to be a Professor?
Ans. The certificate courses required to be a Professor are:
- An Introduction to New Thinking for your classroom
- Diploma in Teaching skills for Educators
- Diploma in Outcome - based Education and Academic Quality Assurance
- Effective Communication Techniques for teachers
Ques. What is the highest salary of a Professor?
Ans. According to Glassdoor, The highest salary of a Professor can go up to INR 25 LPA.
Ques. What entrance should a Professor take?
Ans. A Professor needs to take the UGC NET etc. entrance exams to be a Professor in India .
Ques. Is Professor a good job?
Ans. Yes, an Professor is a great career. It's one of the most powerful positions and a high paying job as well. Apart from that candidates are given several other monetary benefits such as PF, medical insurance, travel claim etc.
Ques. Does Professor have a scope in the Government sector?
Ans. Yes, Professor has a scope in the government sector. Lot of vacancies are released every year for the candidate to pursue a career as professor in Government college.
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