Academic rank

Categories: Academia | Titles | Education, training, and library occupations

Academic organizations typically have a rather rigid set of ranks. Those listed below refer specifically to universities, although colleges and other institutions may follow a similar schema.

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United States

Academic ranks:

Faculty (Professors):
  • Distinguished Professor or University Professor
  • Professor
  • Associate Professor
  • Assistant Professor
Non-faculty and/or temporary:


Administrative ranks:

  • President
  • Chancellor (sometimes outranking President)
  • Vice-Chancellor
  • Provost
  • Vice Presidents (VP Academic, VP Research, VP Finance, etc.)
  • Associate Vice Presidents (Assoc. VP Academic, Assoc. VP Research, Assoc. VP Finance, etc.)
  • Deans (often also Full Professors)
  • Associate Deans (often also Full Professors)
  • Directors of Administrative Departments
  • Associate/Assistant Directors of Administrative Departments
  • Chairs of Academic Departments (usually Full Professors)
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Canada

Academic ranks:

Faculty (Professors):
  • Distinguished Professor or University Professor
  • Professor (or "Full Professor")
  • Associate Professor
  • Assistant Professor
Non-faculty and/or temporary:
  • Adjunct faculty member
  • Sessional lecturer, Instructor, Research Associate, and miscellaneous other ranks holding a Ph.D.
  • Postdoctoral fellow (sometimes including lecturing experience).
  • Research and/or teaching staff not holding a Ph.D. (e.g., research technicians, lab managers, etc.)
  • Graduate student or professional student (law, medicine, music, nursing, accounting, etc.). Graduate students often serve as teaching assistants (TAs) and/or research assistants (RAs). In Canada, graduate students are further ranked by degree, with Ph.D. students outranking Master's students (unlike in the U.S., a Master's degree is commonly completed before beginning a Ph.D. program).
  • Undergraduate student. Undergraduate students are ranked simply as 1st Year ("Frosh"), 2nd Year, 3rd Year, and 4th Year students.


Administrative ranks:

  • Chancellor (honorific)
  • President and Vice-Chancellor (dual title)
  • Provost
  • Vice Presidents (VP Academic, VP Research, VP Finance, etc.)
  • Associate Vice Presidents (Assoc. VP Academic, Assoc. VP Research, Assoc. VP Finance, etc.)
  • Deans (often also Full Professors)
  • Associate Deans (often also Full Professors)
  • Directors of Administrative Departments
  • Associate/Assistant Directors of Administrative Departments
  • Chairs of Academic Departments (usually Full Professors)
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United Kingdom

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Academic ranks

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Administrative ranks

There are two systems of administrative ranks - one for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and one for Scotland.

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England, Wales and Northern Ireland

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Scotland

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See also