If you are interested in teaching at any level and want to find work in a permanent teaching job at a university that aligns with your training or qualification then you will find this article to be of use.
Perhaps you have been entirely captivated by the subject that you study at university and are looking at different avenues that you could explore in order to become a qualified lecturer at a third level institution.
You might have entered university with the aspirations of entering a corporate environment or even setting up your own business once you graduated with the degree. Many students change their initial plan of action that they might have had when they first started studying at university.
You might find that you love the course that you decided on in your CAO application, but rather than having aspirations to enter the workplace once you graduate you would rather remain within academia.
Many students find themselves growing more fond of the theoretical aspect of their respective study rather than its application within business.
You might be wondering if lecturing at a university is for you. Most students who stumble into teaching at a third level institution tend to have a fondness for the research aspect of their university course.
Bear in mind that you will your course will likely have credits allocated to completing either an independent or group research project in your final year.
If you seek support in where to take the next step in your teaching career or in becoming a teacher to students at any level then searching ‘career change Ireland’, ‘garda vetting for teachers and teacher garda vetting’ can be a good place to start.
In order to become a lecturer in your given field, you will need to complete your Phd. This is a long and gruelling task, that however challenging, will be even more if you don’t have a genuine interest in your topic or research question.
Secondary school teaching offers great careers in teaching, many schools need a teacher with skills at the moment in Ireland!
Studying a Masters Degree
Before you get around to doing a PhD and setting your sights on becoming a lecturer, you will first need to complete some sort of postgraduate education in your field.
Your masters course will have a significant amount of research and theory incorporated into the module.
As part of your masters program you will have the option to conduct some research of your own. You will have some degree of freedom in both what you decide to conduct your research on and how exactly you go about it.
It is likely that your research module will be worth 20 credits. This indicates that it is equivalent to four of your five credit modules. You may actually earn great grades on your course overall if you put in the effort and focus on the research module.
After all, the number of credits in the module means that receiving a first-class hons mark will count for a lot.
It's possible that you've already finished writing a dissertation for your undergraduate degree. This usually has a lower word requirement, somewhere around 8,000 words.
In fact, most master's programs provide students with the choice of finishing an applied research project instead of a dissertation or thesis that is in the neighbourhood of 20,000 words.
The "practicum" module includes applied research. This enables students to collaborate with an organization in their industry and use their studies to resolve a practical issue. This is a fantastic chance to enhance your resume and work with a company before receiving your degree.
Your masters is a great opportunity to see if you have a real knack or interest in the academic side of your university education without closing any doors on yourself to attain work with a company after you graduate.
If by the end of your masters and all of the assignments, portfolio work, exams and attached any other workload that comes with it you still find yourself engaged with the material then perhaps a Phd might be for you.
Not to mention that studying for and subsequently completing a masters level education will dramatically improve your employability. You will likely walk into most jobs after you graduate form the course!
Get a job as a lecturer on a third level course at university and begin teaching students across multiple courses. Check out this guide to becoming an educator in Ireland.
Completing your PhD to Become a Lecturer
Depending on how you decide to navigate your independent research and compose your Phd, you can finish your research in one or two years.
By the end of your Phd you will know the material inside and out and will be somewhat of an expert in the field.
It sounds quite nice to say, right? Having the credentials dr next to your name!
You will experience the rewarding feeling of having your research contribute to your field of interest. Other academics studying your topic of interest or similar research questions will be able to see and draw on your findings.
Perhaps the greatest burden that comes with completing a Phd is the attached workload and financial strain that it imposes on students throughout their research.
For this reason, quite a big part of being able to complete the project and propelling yourself to a level 9 education is in securing funding. Universities often provide grats or funding to support students who are completing their phds at the college.
The college will embers you for your living expenses while you complete you Phd. The amount of funding will vary depending on the university and the level of funding that you manage to secure.
This is why it is important for students to explore and make the most of their networking opportunities while they are completing both their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
Before you go about looking for work as a teacher or any role in education then you might want to look at a few different avenues into education that exist in Ireland.
You might want to get into teaching and explore routes into primary school teaching. If this is the case then after you take a look at the teaching council garda vetting requirements by searching ‘ teaching council vetting’
Having a mentor or an established connection within the university can help you to improve your application for funding and often the chances of your success too!
At the highest level you could also teach as a lecturer at a third level institution. Being a university lecturer is one of the top careers that you can have in teaching and education if you are interested in making money with your job. For this position, you will need to complete your undergraduate, masters and phd courses at university first.
Take the next step in your teaching education and become a primary school teacher.
Becoming a Lecturer in Ireland
Secondary school teaching offers great careers in teaching, many schools need a teacher with skills at the moment in Ireland, but let’s focus on teaching assistants for now!
Depending on the subjects that you decide to specialise in and the connections that you have in your preferred university, you will likely need to do quite a bit more than simply completing a phd if you have aspirations of becoming a lecturer.
Many students that have an interest in teaching at university will first have to gain some valuable experience working as a teaching assistant. The teaching assistant position is a great opportunity for graduates to see if a career in teaching is for them.
This will be time well spent in the grand scope of your career and professional development. Not only will you improve your skills as a teacher and familiarise yourself with the course content in your chosen field, but you will leave your contract knowing whether or not you wish to pursue your career in education.
You will be presented with the opportunity to conduct your own tutorial classes for college as you wish and really step into your role as an educator.
If by the end of your contract, you find that you get a great sense of enjoyment and fulfilment from your work, you might choose to pursue the next step and apply to become an assistant professor.
This role will afford you greater responsibilities and opportunities in your role as an educator at a third level institution. You will have the opportunity to lecture your own classes. While you typically won’t be teaching exam year students, you will be lecturing bigger class sizes than you might have in your role as a teaching assistant.
As an assistant professor, you will also have the opportunity to conduct some research while you work. It is always a good idea to find a mentor in the university and work alongside them on a research project throughout your time teaching.
Again, having conducted some research in the field that you have an interest in and having established connections or mentors within your university are all things that you will be able to leverage when applying for Phd programs. Anything that will help your prospects of securing funding down the line is certainly a worthwhile investment of your time.
The road to becoming a teaching assistant
On the other hand, the role of an assistant lecturer is one that will help you to develop many of the teaching skills that are needed to teach on a university course while you work.
Take the next step in your teaching education and become a primary school teacher.
Get a job as a lecturer on a third level course at university and begin teaching students across multiple courses. Secondary school teaching offers great careers in teaching, many schools need a teacher with skills at the moment in Ireland!
You will also need some experience teaching university level students and will likely need to spend some time training your teaching skills at a lower level in college, even if you do not need to in the job description. After you have finished all your training you will be a high level lecturer and will provide your students with a great education.
Consider finding work as a teaching assistant at a university and propel your career in education.
The role of an assistant lecturer is one that will help you to develop many of the teaching skills that are needed to teach on a university course while you work.
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