Before joining the MVSU, he had taught at Alcorn State University from 1994 to 2004. He had also taught and served as the Chairman of the Department of Political Science and International Relations of the Addis Ababa University from 1989 to 1993. Prior to embarking in the teaching profession, Dr. Terfa had the unique opportunity of serving his country of birth, Ethiopia, as a Second Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Relations 1979 to 1981 and as a Senior Expert in the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations from 1987 to 1989. During his services in these two governmental institutions, he had represented his country as a member of the Ethiopian delegation to various bilateral and multilateral meetings that included the 1979 UN General Assembly and the Coordinating Bureau of the Non Aligned Movement in New York and Colombo, Sri Lanka respectively.