Competition for jobs should be strong as there are many more qualified applicants than there are jobs. Prospects will be better in certain fields. Business, engineering, and computer science may have more job opportunities. Health science, math, and physical science also may need more faculty members than other fields. Preparation Most faculty members have a Ph.D. Doctoral programs usually take four to seven years of full-time study beyond the bachelor's degree.
Candidates usually specialize but they take courses covering the entire discipline.
During graduate school, students take specialized courses and seminars. They also take comprehensive exams on all major areas of the field. Students must write a dissertation on original research. Students in the natural sciences and engineering programs usually do lab work. In the humanities, students study original documents.