List of academic ranks
Academic organizations typically have a rather rigid set of ranks.
United States
Academic ranks:
- Faculty (Professors):
- Distinguished Professor or University Professor
- 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).
- Undergraduate student. Undergraduate students are ranked by year as Freshmen ("Frosh"), Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.
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 (Administrative Department)
- Chairs of Academic Departments (usually Full Professors)
Canada
Academic ranks:
- Faculty (Professors):
- Distinguished Professor or University Professor
- 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 (Administrative Department)
- Chairs of Academic Departments (usually Full Professors)
United Kingdom
Academic ranks:
- Professor
- Reader
- Principal Lecturer (usually only used in New Universities)
- Senior Lecturer
- Lecturer
- Research Fellow
- Teaching assistant / Research assistant (either Postdoctoral fellows or Postgraduates)
- Postgraduate
- Undergraduate
Administrative ranks:
- Chancellor (honorific)
- Pro-Chancellor (honorific)
- Vice-Chancellor
- Deputy Vice-Chancellor
- Pro-Vice-Chancellor
- Deans of Faculties
- Heads of Departments/Schools
- Department/School Directors of Studies