Most Important Skills for a Professor at University of San Diego
Two distinct paths lead to a professorship: a traditional route emphasizing research and PhDs, requiring "publication of articles relevant to your practice," or a "professor of practice" route leveraging real-world experience to bring "hands-on training" into the classroom. The latter approach, Tito's chosen path, highlights the value of professional experience and its contribution to teaching and communication skills.
Higher Education, Doctoral Degree, Teaching Experience, Research Skills, Publication
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Tito Zamalloa
Professor
University of San Diego
Cal Poly Pomona
UCLA MBA
Marketing
Education
Education
HSI Grad, Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Immigrant, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. A PhD or doctorate is typically required for a professorship, but a professional with significant experience can also transition into academia as a professor of practice.
2. The ability to teach effectively is crucial, as is the capacity to communicate knowledge clearly and engage students.
3. For traditional professorships, research and publication are essential, with a focus on constantly developing new knowledge and publishing findings in relevant publications or journals
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
It depends on the route you want to take. The typical path to a professorship is to obtain a PhD or doctorate in your field and also have the credentials to teach.
Not only is knowledge important, but so is teaching. Most PhDs focus on research and do not teach, so they aren't typically in front of a classroom. My own capacity is more aligned with a professor of practice or clinical professorship.
These roles emphasize workplace experience, or "real life." I've gained a lot of hands-on training and learning that I can now bring to education. You can either become a professional and pivot into academia, which can be very rewarding part-time or full-time. Teaching improves communication skills, helps you connect, and allows you to make an impact.
Alternatively, you can pursue the research-focused route, becoming a PhD graduate within a few years of school. This often requires a master's degree and then a PhD. You can then practice as a full-time, traditional professor.
This traditional path also requires publications relevant to your practice and research. The expectation for a tenured professor is to constantly develop new marketing strategies or specialized topics. Ideally, one or two of these developments or discoveries would be published in a trade publication.