Requirements vary among academic departments and among colleges and universities, but there are several qualifications and experiences that will help a person find a job as a lecturer. Among common lecturer qualifications are an outstanding academic career as a student along with the appropriate degrees, professional experience and notable achievements in the field. Teaching experience also is beneficial.
One of the lecturer qualifications that people who want to secure a position at a college or university should have is a stellar academic record. Their university grades, especially in their area of academic expertise, should be outstanding. They also should have the appropriate degree required for the desired lecturer position, which for colleges and universities would either be a master’s degree or a terminal degree such as a doctor of philosophy degree. Degree requirements are usually posted in vacancy announcements for university lecturer positions, which people sometimes obtain as a temporary or part-time position until they can become a full-time associate or assistant professor at a university.
Among the most important lecturer qualifications a person can have is extensive professional experience in the subject about which he or she wants to lecture. A person who wants to teach freshman composition courses — a position often filled by part-time lecturers — in a university setting might have experience writing and publishing books along with his or her master’s degree or doctorate, for example. A person who wants to be a university lecturer in the business department will have a better chance of being hired if he or she has successfully managed and improved sales in a business. Having an outstanding portfolio and excellent references can help people obtain a position as a lecturer, which some people do as a part-time job in addition to a full-time job in their field.
Teaching experience also is among the top lecturer qualifications. People who want to teach an academic subject to students at the university level are well-advised to have previous experience as an educator, preferably at the university or secondary level. Although this is not always absolutely essential or required, having experience teaching students can greatly improve a person’s chances of becoming a lecturer. Knowing how to teach and communicate with students, create syllabi, make and assess assignments, and simplify complicated academic material for students is a great asset when trying to become a university lecturer. These skills might not come easily to someone who has never tried them before.
