This article describes the notion of professional risk from the viewpoint of sociological approach. The paper considers the specificity of current changes in the sphere of higher education what allows making a conclusion concerning its transformation. On the base of the conducted empirical research the paper defines an influence of transformation processes in higher education on formation of lecturers’ professional risks. Lecturer is a key subject of educational activity the readiness of which to accept changes and assist their formation as a norm, the successfulness belongs to. That is why the special attention is paid to the fact how lecturers of universities assess introducing changes, what positive and negative tendencies and possible consequences of these changes they see. Higher education in the conditions of transformation is a risk environment because some new requirements appear which contradict “classic” ones. Lectures make decisions concerning their professional activity, having no idea what outcome it can lead to. Taking into account all these facts, the transformation of higher education should be considered as an important factor for appearance of university lecturers’ professional risks.