How to become a higher education lecturer
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
University
You'll usually need a first class or upper second class degree, relevant to the subject you want to teach.
You'll also need to have completed a postgraduate master's or PhD qualification, or be working towards one. It's common to have had academic work published.
You'll be expected to do a teaching qualification soon after you start. This is normally offered by your university and is done while working.
You may be able to get experience by taking on teaching duties while you're a postgraduate student. Some universities also offer posts as a graduate teaching assistant.
You'll need several years' relevant work experience if you want to teach vocational subjects, for example art or engineering.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
- a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
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Apprenticeship
You may be able to do an Academic Professional Level 7 Apprenticeship, which is equivalent to postgraduate study.
You can specialise in teaching or research.
To apply, you'll normally need a minimum of a postgraduate qualification in your subject area, or several years' equivalent work experience, plus the agreement of your employer.
It can take between 18 and 24 months to complete.
Entry requirements
Employers will set their own entry requirements.
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Further information
You can find out more about working in higher education from Advance HE.