First one must have a passionate interest in an area that is of academic interest. In the earliest stages, that can be something as simple as just 'Theatre'. As one completes a first degree, certainly a specialism is likely to arise. Some people develop side interests. For instance, someone with a first degree in English but a passion for Drama, may begin to study 'Early English Drama' or a Drama Student may develop an interest in Shakespeare that is best studied within an English Literature department.
This is the stage at which a Masters degree (sometimes called a graduate degree) is taken. There are two types of Masters degree. The first is taught and the second is research. The research degree is far more common for someone who wishes to become an academic, taught courses tend to be for practitioners at a higher level. The research usually involves picking a particular topic, for instance a person with an interest in Shakespeare might study to answer an original question on The Distinction between Performance of Shakespeare in Shakespearean England and Contemporary England.
The final stage of an academic's education is the Ph.D, sometimes called a doctorate or doctoral degree. This is a three year study in which the student specialises on an even greater precision. This student might examine the specifics of the performance of Shakespeare in even greater detail.
During this stage, Ph.D students usually give papers at conferences. Academics are given promotion based upon conference, published papers and books. An academic will spend much of their time teaching, but will only gain advancement based upon their academic output (papers, books etc).
This is the stage at which a Masters degree (sometimes called a graduate degree) is taken. There are two types of Masters degree. The first is taught and the second is research. The research degree is far more common for someone who wishes to become an academic, taught courses tend to be for practitioners at a higher level. The research usually involves picking a particular topic, for instance a person with an interest in Shakespeare might study to answer an original question on The Distinction between Performance of Shakespeare in Shakespearean England and Contemporary England.
The final stage of an academic's education is the Ph.D, sometimes called a doctorate or doctoral degree. This is a three year study in which the student specialises on an even greater precision. This student might examine the specifics of the performance of Shakespeare in even greater detail.
During this stage, Ph.D students usually give papers at conferences. Academics are given promotion based upon conference, published papers and books. An academic will spend much of their time teaching, but will only gain advancement based upon their academic output (papers, books etc).