i know this sounds stupid, but i've always wanted to be a social worker, and now im recondsidering that and thinking more along the lines of a professor of philosophy. so, how exactly does someone become a professor? i mean, what classes are required (do you have to take classes on education?) and...well, just anything else that might be helpful. Thanks.
How far along in your education are you? To be a professor at any decent university, you need to earn a PhD. In anthropology (the field I know about, the field I plan to be a professor in), that generally takes 7-12 years, depending on the student, the grad program, one's advisor, etc. My best suggestion would be to start surfing around online and find out what you can about graduate programs in philosophy. You might try one of those college-ranking places that also ranks graduate programs by field first, so that you have some idea of whether you're looking at a good program or a crappy one. But, finding someone who focuses on what you want to focus on is more important than rank. From there, look at a few phd program webpages -- most decent ones will describe the program requirements (how many years of classes) at least. While in the PhD program, you should get a chance to work as a TA (teaching assistant) for undergrad classes -- for most that I'm aware of, that serves as your education in teaching!
