Professoriate Program Prepares Doctoral Candidates for Careers in Higher Education

Preparing for the Professoriate, a program sponsored by the University of Arkansas Graduate School, is designed to prepare doctoral candidates for careers in higher education. The program, which consists of two core classes and two electives, focuses on providing students with strategies for successfully transitioning from a graduate student to a professor.

A three credit core course – GRSD 5033 The Professoriate: Research and Service – which may be taken with or separately from the certificate program, will be offered this fall. Topics covered in the course include: developing a research statement, strategies for finding and negotiating a job, research ethics and grant proposal writing. Students who take this course will gain a better understanding of the expectations and demands of a job in higher education by exploring the significance of developing a strong research agenda and the importance of strategic service.

"This is definitely aimed at helping you prepare for a faculty position, but it is also an honest look at what the job entails and questions if it is the right fit for you," said program alumna Sandra Prieto.

A companion course in the Preparing for the Professoriate program – GRSD 5003 The Professoriate: Teaching, Learning and Assessment – focuses on teaching in higher education environments and is offered each spring.

Students interested in the course or the Preparing for the Professoriate certificate program should contact program director William McComas at mccomas@uark.edu.