The profession of a higher education teacher is a multilevel and multidimensional one. Teachers in higher education work as researchers as well as teachers, which means that they are expected to develop professionally on two levels, i.e. research and teaching. Studies have shown that teaching is often neglected compared to research work, which has greater influence on career development. The aim of the paper is to analyse the professional development of higher education teachers, with emphasis on the pedagogical aspect. The first part focuses on the doctoral degree, which represents the very beginning of the professional development of higher education teachers, while the second part presents the factors affecting engagement in continuous professional development training.