J_DT

I don't know if this counts as a grad school question, but I am asking it. How competitive is university teaching? My dream job would be to teach in a college somewhere, but I hear there is a lot of competition and a terrible tenure system and other such horror stories. I would probably try it for math or philosophy.

Professor X

The market for philosophy professors is completely oversaturated.

Math has a much better market, although it is still very competitive.

Tenure systems are not really problematic. Just publish a lot and you should be fine.

However, you must keep in mind that with a career as a university professor, you have very little geographic mobility. In other words, if you get a tenure-track job at Backwater University, Flyover State, you will likely remain there for the rest of your professional life, with few chances of ever moving.

If you are open to community college teaching, your opportunities for employment increase substantially. Just be prepared to teach a lot of developmental (read: remedial) math.

J_DT

What degree requirements are there for getting a Phd? Do you need a BA or MS or can you do it with a BA in an unrelated field?

astrina

i think you may find some answers browsing this:

Graduate school admissions 101