List of academic ranks


Academic rank is the hierarchical rank of a teacher, researcher or other employee in a college, high school, university or research establishment. The academic ranks indicate relative importance and power of individuals in academia.
The academic ranks are specific for each country, there is no worldwide-unified ranking system. Among the common ranks are professor, associate professor, assistant professor and lecturer/instructor.
In most cases, the academic rank is automatically attached to a person at the time of employment in a position with the same name, and deprived when a working relationship ends. Thus, the term "academic rank" usually means the same as "position in academia".
In some countries, however, the terms "position" and "academic rank" are not synonymous. So in modern Russia there exist the docent and professor ranks, yet the set of positions in academia is broader. The academic rank is conferred only after the person has been successfully working in the docent or professor position for a certain period, i.e. not at enrollment, and is kept for life.
The list of academic ranks below identifies the hierarchical ranking structure found amongst scholars and personnel in academia. The lists below refer specifically to colleges and universities throughout the world, although other institutions of higher learning may follow a similar schema.

Afghanistan

Ranks in universities of Afghanistan are listed below according to the Ministry of Higher Education of Afghanistan. These ranks are issued stepwise by the MoHE after some procedures, a period of service and conditions.
Honorary degree:
  • Distinguished Professor
Term of address in general: ''ostād or استاد''

Albania

Ranks in universities of Albania are listed below according to the Ministry of Education.
These ranks are issued stepwise by the MoHE after some procedures, a period of service and conditions.
  • Assistant Lecturer
  • Lecturer with Dr. or PhD degree
  • Associate Professor
  • Professor

    Algeria

Academic ranks
  • Professeur / Professeur hospitalo-universitaire, equivalent to Professor
  • Maître de Conférences, classe A / Maître de Conférences hospitalo-universitaire, classe A, equivalent to Associate Professor
  • Maître de Conférences, classe B / Maître de Conférences hospitalo-universitaire, classe B, equivalent to Associate Professor
  • Maître Assistant, classe A / Maître Assistant hospitalo-universitaire, classe A, equivalent to Lecturer or Assistant professor
  • Maître Assistant, classe B, equivalent to Lecturer or Assistant professor
Research only
  • Directeur de recherche
  • Maître de Recherche, classe A
  • Maître de Recherche, classe B
  • Chargé de Recherche
  • Attaché de Recherche
Administrative ranks
  • Rector
  • Vice-Rector
  • Dean
  • Vice-Dean
  • ''Head of department''

    Argentina

Tenured positions:
  • Profesor Titular Ordinario, or Profesor Titular Regular. A tenured, full professor position.
  • Profesor Asociado Ordinario, or Profesor Asociado Regular. A tenured, associate professor position.
  • Profesor Adjunto Ordinario, or Profesor Adjunto Regular. A tenured, adjunct professor position.

    Australia

  • Distinguished Professor, Emeritus Professor, and other professorships with highest honour and contributions to knowledge and society.
  • Level E – Professor, or Professorial or Senior Principal Research Fellow; equivalent to Distinguished/Endowed Professor or Professor.
  • Level D – Associate Professor, or Principal Research Fellow if research intensive; equivalent to Reader/Associate Professor at a UK university.
  • Level C – Senior Lecturer, or Senior Research Fellow if research intensive; equivalent to Senior/Principal Lecturer at a UK university.
  • Level B – Lecturer, or Research Fellow if research intensive; Level B is the first tenured academic rank, normally requires at minimum, completion of a PhD.
  • Level A - Associate Lecturer, or Associate Fellow if research intensive.
There are often multiple bands or steps for each Level. For example, an academic who earns the title of Level D has progressed through 12 bands/steps of previous academic service or the equivalent in accumulated academic achievements. There is only one step for Level E. An academic cannot automatically progress from Level B, Step 6, to Level C, Step 1, without a formal application for promotion, which is typically a peer reviewed process.

Bangladesh

Teachers are categorized in four main classes in Bangladesh at the university level. The ascending ranks of teachers are lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor and professor. University lecturers are normally required to hold a master's degree. After obtaining a PhD, the appointment starts with assistant professor, then gradually associate professor and professor depending on research/teaching experience. Beside these, the title of emeritus is given to extraordinary professors after their retirement.
  • Professor emeritus
  • Professor
  • Associate professor
  • Assistant professor
  • Lecturer
  • Demonstrator

    Belarus

Academic ranks
  • Prafiesar / Прафесар
  • Dacent / Дацэнт
  • Starejšy vykladčyk / Старэйшы выкладчык
  • Asistent / Vykladčyk / Асістэнт / Выкладчык
Researchers by seniority levels
  • Haloŭny navukovy supracoŭnik / Галоўны навуковы супрацоўнік
  • Viadučy navukovy supracoŭnik / Вядучы навуковы супрацоўнік
  • Starejšy navukovy supracoŭnik / Старэйшы навуковы супрацоўнік
  • Navukovy supracoŭnik / Навуковы супрацоўнік
  • Malodšy navukovy supracoŭnik / Малодшы навуковы супрацоўнік
Administrative ranks
  • Rektar / Рэктар, rector
  • Prarektar / Прарэктар, vice-rector
  • Dekan fakultetа / Дэкан факультэта, dean of the faculty
  • Namiesnik dekana / Намеснік дэкана, vice-dean
  • Zahadčyk kafiedry / Загадчык кафедры, head of department

    Belgium

; Dutch speaking community
  • Gewoon hoogleraar
  • Deeltijds gewoon hoogleraar - buitengewoon hoogleraar
  • Hoogleraar
  • Hoofddocent II
  • Hoofddocent I
  • Docent
  • Doctor-assistent
  • Assistent
  • Aspirant
Administrative ranks:
  • Rector
  • Vice-Rector
  • Decaan
; French speaking community
  • Professeur ordinaire
  • Professeur extraordinaire
  • Professeur
  • Chargé de cours définitif
  • Chargé de cours temporaire
  • Chargé de cours invité
  • Directeur de recherche
  • Chef de travaux agrégé
  • Maître de recherche
  • Chef de travaux
  • Chercheur qualifié
  • Premier assistant
  • Maître d'enseignement
  • Maître de conférences
  • Chargé de recherche
  • Assistant
  • Aspirant
Administrative ranks:
  • Recteur
  • Vice-Recteur
  • Doyen
  • Président d'institut
  • Vice-Doyen
  • ''Président de département''

    Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • Profesor – full professor
  • Vanredni profesor – associate professor
  • Docent – assistant professor
  • Viši Asistent – senior teaching assistant '
  • Asistent – teaching assistant '
Administrative ranks
  • Rektor – rector / chancellor / president / head of university
  • Prorektor – prorector / vice-chancellor / vice president / assistant head of university
  • Dekan – dean / head of faculty or school at the university
  • Prodekan – vice-dean / assistant head of faculty or school at the university
  • Šef katedre – head of department
Honorary ranks
There is no official academic ranking in Brazilian private universities. However, most of the public Federal Universities apply the following :
  • Professor Emérito
  • Professor Titular – PhD required
  • Professor Associado – PhD required
  • Professor Adjunto – PhD required
  • Professor Assistente – only a master's degree is required
  • Professor Auxiliar – no post-graduation degree is required
  • ''Professor Substituto ou Temporário''

    Bulgaria

  • Professor/Full Professor – Професор
  • Docent/Associate Professor – Доцент
  • Chief/Senior Assistant Professor – Главен Асистент
  • Assistant Professor – Асистент
; University:
  • Assistant Professor – Асистент
  • Chief/Senior Assistant Professor – Главен Асистент
  • Docent/Associate Professor – Доцент
  • Professor/Full Professor – Професор
; Academy of Sciences
  • Scientist III: after Master thesis or Diploma, equal to Assistant
  • Scientist II: after Doctoral thesis/PhD/Dissertation, after Dr. Grade, equal Chef Assistant, *Associate or Post Doc
  • Scientist I: After second Post Doc, equal Senior Assistant or Senior Associate.
  • Senior Scientist I: after PhD or Doctoral dissertation/thesis and some years of *Post-Doc, equal of Assoc. Prof.
  • Senior Scientist II: after Habilitation, equal to Professor
  • Full Professor
; Higher administration of the academy of sciences:
; Administrative ranks
  • Rector
  • Vice-rectors
  • Assistant rector
  • Secretary general
  • Academic ombudsman

    Canada

Faculty
  • Professor emeritus or university professor emeritus, a retired professor still active in research; Fr professeur émérite
  • Endowed chair professor, a distinguished full professor with endowment
  • Professor or full professor
  • Associate professor
  • Senior Lecturer
  • Assistant professor
  • Lecturer or instructor
Clinical Faculty
  • Clinical professor
  • Clinical associate professor
  • Clinical assistant professor
  • Clinical instructor
Clinical instructor is the entry-level rank for clinical members of faculty.
Non-faculty teaching and research personnel
Administrative ranks
  • Dean
  • Associate dean
  • Directors of administrative departments
  • Associate/assistant directors of administrative departments
  • Chairmen of academic departments
  • Graduate Coordinators
  • Undergraduate Coordinators