Chemistry Professor

The Long Road to the Other Side of the Desk

By Alexandra Tamerius

Fresh Out of High School?

• SAT/ACT• Résumé • Scholarships • Choose A School• Apply• Entrance Exams• Register• Tuition 38,454

What are My Classes?Freshman Year

Fall • Principles of Chem. I 4hrs• Rhetoric

4hrs• Mathematics 22M 4hrs• GE or Foreign Language 6hrs

Spring• Principles of Chem. II 4hrs• Rhetoric or Literature 4hrs• Calc I 22M 4hrs• GE or Foreign Language 3hrs

Sophomore YearFall

• Organic for Majors I 3hrs• Basic Measurements 3hrs• Calc II 4hrs• Physics I 4hrs• GE or Foreign Language 3hrs

Spring• Organic for Major II 3hrs• Organic Lab for Majors 3hrs• Inorganic Chemistry 2hrs• Physics II 4hrs• GE or Foreign Language 3hrs

More Classes?Junior Year Fall

• Analytical Chem. I 3hrs• Physical Chem. II 3hrs• Inorganic Chem. Lab 3hrs• Foreign Language 4hrs• GE or electives 3hrs

Spring • Analytical Chem. II 3hrs• Physical Chem. II 3hrs• Analytical Measurements3hrs• Foreign Language 4hrs• GE or electives 3hrs

Senior YearFall

• Physical Measurements 3hrs• Advanced Inorganic Chem

3hrs• Undergraduate Research 2hrs• GE Electives Foreign Lang6hrs

Spring

• Undergraduate Research 2hrs• GE electives Foreign Lang

12hrs

What about Graduate School?

• GRE• Find a school• Résumé– previous experience– Recommendations

PhD Program?

• No Masters Degree Required• Find a good Professor• Thesis – A research project that explores an original idea

How About a Job?

Small Schools

• More classes• Less Pay • Less Research• More intimate classes• Fewer hours out of

Class

Large Schools

• Fewer Classes• More Pay • More Research • Large Classes• More Responsibilities• More Time Grading

When Do I Become a Full Professor?

• lecturers 52,436• instructors

45,977

• assistants 63,827• associates 76,147• tenured 108,749

I Have Tenure, What Now?

Class• Lesson Plan• Presentation

and Lectures• Lab Design • Devise and

Grade assignments and Tests

Research• Oversee Grad Students• Research projects• Publish Findings

More Responsibilities?

• Latest developments in Field• Latest Software• Committees• Evaluations • Grants

So What are the Rewards?

• Flexible hours• Summer Months• Few Overseers

• Job Stability• Intellectually

stimulating

Bibliography• “Estimated Costs of Attendance 2011-12” University of Iowa. 2005. Web.

5/3/11

• “Graduate Fall and Spring Terms 2011-2012” MIT. Web. 5/4/11 • “Graduate Program” MIT Chemistry. Web. 5/4/11 • “Teachers-Postsecondary” Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2009-2010.

Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dec 17, 2009. Web. 5/2/11. • “Typical Schedule of Courses for the Chemistry Major” Department of

Chemistry. University of Iowa. 2003. Web. 5/3/11.

• Comics. PhDcomics. Web. 5/12/11.