Bible colleges that offer bachelor's degrees or higher require students to take courses across a wide variety of disciplines, as at any conventional college. Professors are typically needed in all fields of general education studies, such as psychology, history, math, science, speech and communication, physical education and philosophy. Regardless of their discipline, professors at bible colleges are typically required to adhere to a Christian worldview and are expected to show evidence of that practice.
As with most colleges, bible colleges prefer applicants who have a Ph.D. in the field they intend to teach, though there may be exceptions to the rule, but at least a master's degree is typically required. Professors of biblical studies and theology will need to have the doctorate degree to give legitimacy to the school's religious and biblical studies programs. A specialized Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) degree is sometimes preferred.
Although teaching is at the core of his duties, the bible college professor is generally expected to also be an active scholar working on original research and making contributions to the academic community and Christian faith. Many bible colleges are much smaller than universities and offer the professor opportunities to teach smaller classes and be a part of the campus life where Christian community and identity are key to the teachers' and students' experience. Professors tend to work about nine months out of the year and spend a good portion of their time preparing lectures and completing other necessary administrative duties.
According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), professors of religion and philosophy comprised 19,630 of the 1,699,200 faculty positions in colleges and universities nationwide, as of 2009. College and university professors typically earned between $41,600 and $83,960 in May 2008. Philosophy and religion professors earned a median salary of $61,240 in the following year.