Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
Under the title Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary, workers teach courses pertaining to the application of physical laws and principles of engineering for the development of machines, materials, instruments, processes, and services. The job can ask you to conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media. On the six-type interest model it reads SIR, meaning helping, teaching or caring for people comes first, followed by research, analysis and working through hard problems. Plan on graduate school and often five years or more of related experience; O*NET labels this extensive preparation. Strength in speaking, learning strategies, and instructing helps most here. It tends to suit people who want helping, teaching or caring for people, and it offers little for anyone seeking leading, persuading and making business decisions.
What they do
Teach courses pertaining to the application of physical laws and principles of engineering for the development of machines, materials, instruments, processes, and services. Includes teachers of subjects such as chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, mineral, and petroleum engineering. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Main tasks
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
- Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
- Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
Skills
- Speaking
- Learning Strategies
- Instructing
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You get energy from helping other people move forward.
- You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
- You are prepared for graduate-level study and a long training path.
- You are comfortable relying on speaking and learning strategies.
May not suit you if
- You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
- You want to lead people or run the business side. Enterprising rates 2.0 out of 7 here.
- You want to be working in the field within the next few years.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SIR takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.
Preparation
Extensive preparation. Many jobs here need graduate study, and people often spend five years or more building specialist experience.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Master's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- Assistant Professor
- Associate Professor
- Chemical Engineering Professor
- Electrical Engineering Professor
- Engineering Instructor
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.