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Higher education lecturer

Alternative titles for this job include HE lecturer, university lecturer

Higher education (HE) lecturers research and teach academic and vocational subjects at universities and higher education colleges.

Average salary (a year)

£33,000 Starter

to

£54,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

36 to 38 a week

You could work

evenings flexibly

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become a higher education lecturer

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship

University

You'll need a good degree pass, for example first class or upper second class, relevant to the subject you want to teach.

You'll also need to have completed a postgraduate master's or PhD qualification, or be working towards one. It's common to have had academic work published.

You'll be expected to do a teaching qualification soon after you start. This is usually offered by your university and is done while working.

You may be able to get experience by taking on teaching duties while you're a postgraduate student. Some universities also offer work as a graduate teaching assistant.

You'll need several years' relevant work experience if you want to teach vocational subjects, for example art or engineering.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

More Information

Apprenticeship

You can get into this role through a postgraduate apprenticeship as an academic professional. You can specialise in teaching or research.

To apply, you'll normally need a minimum of a postgraduate qualification, such as a master's degree.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

More Information

More Information

Further information

You can find out more about working in higher education from Advance HE.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
  • knowledge of English language
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • analytical thinking skills
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • excellent written communication skills
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • the ability to work well with others
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

In this job, you will:

  • develop teaching materials
  • teach students through lectures, seminars, online classes and fieldwork
  • set and mark assignments and exams
  • upload learning resources to a student portal
  • assess students’ work and progress
  • act as personal tutor to students
  • supervise student research
  • carry out your own research
  • contribute to conferences and seminars
  • take part in staff training

Working environment

You could work at a university or at a college.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

You could work for public universities and colleges, law and business schools, or private sector universities and schools.

After 5 to 7 years you could become a senior lecturer. You could then become a principal lecturer, reader or professor. Competition is strong and promotion depends on how well you perform. You may need to move to another university to take up a teaching or research post.

Current opportunities

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Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a higher education lecturer right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

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Jobs In the United Kingdom

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