33 Academic Ranks and Titles used at Universities

. . . Listed in approximate order from highest to lowest. Not every university has every rank and some may use different terms or titles. Many universities outside the US also use the term docent as a university rank: in some places it is a high rank, in others it is low; in the US it mainly refers to a volunteer museum tour guide who has specialized training in that museum's exhibits.


1. university professor / institute professor / distinguished professor

2. presidents' professor / regents' professor

3. teaching professor

4. professor emerita / professor emeritus

5. dean / department chair / provost

6. professor / full professor

7. professorial fellow

8. associate professor

9. adjunct professor

10. affiliated professor

11. assistant professor

12. visiting professor / nonresident professor

13. visiting assistant professor

14. research professor / research fellow

15. associate research professor

16. assistant research professor

17. collegiate professor

18. post-doctoral fellow

19. senior lecturer

20. lecturer

21. assistant lecturer

22. post-doctoral research assistant

23. research assistant

24. instructor

25. visiting instructor

26. adjunct instructor

27. teaching fellow

28. graduate student

29. graduate teaching assistant (GTA)

30. teaching assistant (TA) / undergraduate teaching assistant (UTA)

31. proctor

32. tutor

33. artist in residence

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