Job Functions in Higher Education: Teaching, Research, and Service
Almost every chemist working in higher education performs three main functions:


- Teaching: Including classroom and lab, holding office hours, mentoring, and employing new pedagogies
- Research: Including directing undergraduate and graduate students, publications, and grants
- Service: To their department, their college, the community, and their profession
The difference from one educational setting to the next is the proportion of time devoted to each function. The following table presents a breakdown of the amount of time required to be devoted to job functions according to degree.
Degree Granted | Teaching Requirement | Research Requirement |
Ph.D. | 3 - 6 hours per week (lecture) |
|
M.S. and Baccalaureate | 10 - 15 hours per week (lecture and lab) |
|
Associate's | 20+ hours per week (lecture and lab) |
|
General note - In order to get tenure, grants received in the first 6 years should roughly equal the startup package.