Path to becoming an Engineering Lecturer
Hi i am currently re-sitting my 1st year of BEng Mechanical Engineering, (too much partying and not enough working first time through), and i have recently become interested in becoming a lecturer. My only prolem is i can find a straight answer of the process 
so im hoping that someone from TSR will be able to give me a clear(er) idea of what i need to achieve in my next few years. As i said i am re-sitting my 1st year and i'm currently on track for a 2:1 this year ( even though it apparently doesnt count towards my final grade).
Thanks in advance,
Adam
so im hoping that someone from TSR will be able to give me a clear(er) idea of what i need to achieve in my next few years. As i said i am re-sitting my 1st year and i'm currently on track for a 2:1 this year ( even though it apparently doesnt count towards my final grade). Thanks in advance,
Adam
Talk to your lecturers!
hmmmmm maybe i should point out that i am studying at bolton and the lecturers aint exactly the most helpful, one response was along the lines of "you know how to use google don't you?".
Also i would not have posted here without first attempting to find the answer for myself, so please if the comment isn't helpful or constructive then don't post it
Also i would not have posted here without first attempting to find the answer for myself, so please if the comment isn't helpful or constructive then don't post it
I assume it's the same in every subject. PhD, some post-doc research and then apply for whatever openings you can find.
Original post by Gaeilgeoir
I assume it's the same in every subject. PhD, some post-doc research and then apply for whatever openings you can find.
You see thats where i keep finding different answers, one place will say PhD is need but then other sources say that you can start the "process" as it were with just a 2:1 or higher on an honours degree.
Original post by asid101
You see thats where i keep finding different answers, one place will say PhD is need but then other sources say that you can start the "process" as it were with just a 2:1 or higher on an honours degree.
Hmm... well, I don't know much about engineering specifically but in chemistry, the PhD is necessary to the best of my knowledge. As a previous poster said, talk to your own lecturers at uni.
Best of luck.
It may depend on the uni, but generally the PhD is a minimum qualification before going for a post-doc job and working your way up. At my uni at least, "Lecturer" was just a job title to denote their rank (above the various post-doc ones, below Senior Lecturer and Professor) and the lecturing itself was a relatively small part of the job - most of it was spent in research. At universities which are less heavy on the research there may be lecturing posts which are entirely teaching, hence lower academic requirements.
Engineering is different to a lot of academic disciplines though in that on-the-job experience is also relevant. Some of our lecturers (in civ / struct anyway) had gotten real-life work experience before returning to academia (I don't know whether the PhD came before, after or whilst having a proper job) which is obviously particularly useful for those teaching as engineering is all about application, and it allowed them to tell us real-life stories about projects they'd been involved with.
Though having said that I think that one of our lecturers did not have a PhD, and his title was Reader rather than Lecturer. He was a bit of a special case though as he had a lot of pre-academia work experience, and also had a ridiculously wide range of research interests so perhaps he's avoided doing a PhD on the grounds that it'd be too narrow for him.
Just out of interest why do you want to be a lecturer? The money's not great and it's more a thing you do out of love for the subject - which I'm guessing if you spent your first year drinking you might not be that keen on?
Engineering is different to a lot of academic disciplines though in that on-the-job experience is also relevant. Some of our lecturers (in civ / struct anyway) had gotten real-life work experience before returning to academia (I don't know whether the PhD came before, after or whilst having a proper job) which is obviously particularly useful for those teaching as engineering is all about application, and it allowed them to tell us real-life stories about projects they'd been involved with.
Though having said that I think that one of our lecturers did not have a PhD, and his title was Reader rather than Lecturer. He was a bit of a special case though as he had a lot of pre-academia work experience, and also had a ridiculously wide range of research interests so perhaps he's avoided doing a PhD on the grounds that it'd be too narrow for him.
Just out of interest why do you want to be a lecturer? The money's not great and it's more a thing you do out of love for the subject - which I'm guessing if you spent your first year drinking you might not be that keen on?
(edited 13 years ago)
Original post by thefish_uk
Though having said that I think that one of our lecturers did not have a PhD, and his title was Reader rather than Lecturer. He was a bit of a special case though as he had a lot of pre-academia work experience, and also had a ridiculously wide range of research interests so perhaps he's avoided doing a PhD on the grounds that it'd be too narrow for him.
Though having said that I think that one of our lecturers did not have a PhD, and his title was Reader rather than Lecturer. He was a bit of a special case though as he had a lot of pre-academia work experience, and also had a ridiculously wide range of research interests so perhaps he's avoided doing a PhD on the grounds that it'd be too narrow for him.
that almost sounds like my uni, i only know of two of my subject lecturers who have a PhD the rest have as you said a lot of pre-academia experience. So you explanation seems the most likely a this point so thankyou for your response
Original post by thefish_uk
Just out of interest why do you want to be a lecturer? The money's not great and it's more a thing you do out of love for the subject - which I'm guessing if you spent your first year drinking you might not be that keen on?
My first year was also my first time to be away from home so a lot of my lack of work was down to it being a new experience and wanting to enjoy myself, the interest in lecturing is really down to one of my subject lecturers showing an iterest in how his students are actually doing unlike most of the ones iv had so far. It made me think that it was the kind of thing i would like to do, to be able to help someone develop the skills they need for later life. I can see why it would seem an odd career choice after re-sitting.
again many thanks for you response
Original post by asid101
My first year was also my first time to be away from home so a lot of my lack of work was down to it being a new experience and wanting to enjoy myself, the interest in lecturing is really down to one of my subject lecturers showing an iterest in how his students are actually doing unlike most of the ones iv had so far. It made me think that it was the kind of thing i would like to do, to be able to help someone develop the skills they need for later life. I can see why it would seem an odd career choice after re-sitting.
Our lecturers were all pretty distant - they would turn up, give the lecture to the room of sleepy students, then sod off. Things which involved interaction with the students (labs or supervisions) were often led by PhD students or post-docs.
If you are keen on interacting with the people you are teaching and helping them to develop skills you could also look at school teaching?
Depends on the university. It can either be a PhD and onto further research with teaching making up only a small proportion of their time, or at some universities there are dedicated lecturing positions available which do not always require a PhD. The ones at my uni don't - although they do require extensive industry experience (probably more to help with networking and the like than for actually being a good teacher).
Original post by asid101
My first year was also my first time to be away from home so a lot of my lack of work was down to it being a new experience and wanting to enjoy myself, the interest in lecturing is really down to one of my subject lecturers showing an iterest in how his students are actually doing unlike most of the ones iv had so far. It made me think that it was the kind of thing i would like to do, to be able to help someone develop the skills they need for later life. I can see why it would seem an odd career choice after re-sitting.
again many thanks for you response
again many thanks for you response
On average, academic staff at Imperial College spent a meagre 16% of their total working time teaching students last year... which is pathetic considering they spent a similar amount of time doing paperwork!
Obviously the time spent teaching would be higher at less research-focused universities, but I think that illustrates that you probably have the wrong idea about what a "lecturer" actually does. Even in the sciences, academia is actually a very difficult world to get into, and the thing that keeps people going through those hours of intense but woefully-paid post-doctorate work is their love and passion for the subject.I'd look into school teaching if you're interested about people "developing skills". You'd need at least a 2:2 degree and a PCGE in the subject you want to teach. Maths/Physics teachers are very much sought after at the moment.
(edited 13 years ago)
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