At Parkland, we are committed to serving our community’s increasingly diverse population by creating a faculty that reflects our student body. One way we do this is by offering opportunities for underrepresented students to enter the field of college teaching.
Our Professors of the Future (PROF) program selects outstanding Parkland students and assists them in becoming community college teachers by providing financial and mentoring support. Our goal is to help these students complete bachelor’s and master’s degrees and to have them return to Parkland as PROF scholars to teach full-time for up to five semesters. PROF scholars are encouraged to apply for any tenure-track positions that become available in their disciplines at Parkland.
Professors of the Future program
Who can apply?Any current or recent Parkland student who meets the following criteria may apply. The student:
- must be a member of an underrepresented group within the discipline or
program the student aspires to teach in at Parkland College
- must be a United States citizen or a permanent resident
- must not already have a bachelor's degree
What are the academic requirements?To qualify, a student must:
- Complete at least 24 credit hours in the academic program the student hopes to teach in at Parkland with a minimum 3.2 GPA
- Have compelling academic promise
- Set a career goal of teaching in a community college
After acceptance, the scholar must:
- Successfully transfer to a four-year college or university in the calendar year of the award
- Complete bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the discipline declared during the application process
- Teach at Parkland for each semester of PROF scholar grant support (up to five semesters) upon completion of master's degree.
To apply:The application process opens during January of each year. Applicants will need to submit the following materials by April 1:
- Completed PROF Scholar application (Click here to download application.)
- Two letters of recommendation from Parkland faculty
- A 750-1000-word essay sharing personal history, career goals, and experiential knowledge which make the applicant an exceptional candidate for this program
- Official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, including Parkland College
The PROF Scholar program is supported by the Parkland College Foundation. Click to learn how you can help support this and other Parkland programs.