Academic rank (also scientific rank) is the hierarchical"The conventional hierarchal structure of institutions of higher learning consists of President, Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs (other Vice Presidents), Deans of the various divisions, Chairpersons, and then professors." Cassell, Macgorine A. "Bullying in Academe: Prevalent, Significant, and Incessant." Contemporary Issues in Education Research 4.5 (2011): 33-44. 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 (docent), 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 (and later underwent a centralized control procedure), 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 (MoHE) of Afghanistan. These ranks are issued stepwise by the MoHE after some procedures, a period of service and conditions.
Teaching assistant (in Pashto پوهنیار) Senior teaching assistant (in Pashto پوهنمل) Assistant professor (in Pashto پوهندوی) Associate professor (in Pashto پوهنوال) Professor (in Pashto پوهاند)
Honorary degree: Distinguished Professor (in Pashto لوی پوهاند)
Term of address in general: ostād or استاد
Albania Ranks in universities of Albania are listed below according to the Ministry of Education (Albania). 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 (أستاذ / أستاذ إستشفائي-جامعي ), equivalent to professor Maître de Conférences, classe A / Maître de Conférences hospitalo-universitaire, classe A (أستاذ محاضر قسم أ/أستاذ محاضر إستشفائي-جامعي قسم أ), equivalent to Associate Professor(Level A) Maître de Conférences, classe B / Maître de Conférences hospitalo-universitaire, classe B (أستاذ محاضر قسم أ/أستاذ محاضر إستشفائي-جامعي قسم ب), equivalent to Associate Professor (Level B) Maître Assistant, classe A / Maître Assistant hospitalo-universitaire, classe A (أستاذ مساعد قسم أ/أستاذ مساعد إستشفائي-جامعي قسم أ), equivalent to Lecturer or Assistant professor (Level A) Maître Assistant, classe B (أستاذ مساعد قسم ب), equivalent to Lecturer or Assistant professor (Level B)
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 (US) or Professor (UK). 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 (e.g. Level B - 6 steps, Level C - 6 steps, Level D - 4 steps). 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 (Full professor) Dacent / Дацэнт (Associate professor) Starejšy vykladčyk / Старэйшы выкладчык (Senior lecturer) Asistent / Vykladčyk / Асістэнт / Выкладчык (Assistant professor / Lecturer)
Researchers by seniority levels Haloŭny navukovy supracoŭnik / Галоўны навуковы супрацоўнік (Chief Researcher) Viadučy navukovy supracoŭnik / Вядучы навуковы супрацоўнік (Leading Researcher) Starejšy navukovy supracoŭnik / Старэйшы навуковы супрацоўнік (Senior Researcher) Navukovy supracoŭnik / Навуковы супрацоўнік (Researcher) Malodšy navukovy supracoŭnik / Малодшы навуковы супрацоўнік (Junior Researcher)
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 (full professor, full-time) (professor ordinarius) - (full professor, part-time) (previously: professor extraordinarius) (professor, reader) II (associate professor, principal lecturer) I (associate professor, senior lecturer) (assistant professor, lecturer) (researcher, must have a PhD) (research assistant, can be enrolled in a PhD or be in the postdoc phase) (research fellow, enrolled in a PhD degree, appointed by the Fund for Scientific Research FWO)
Administrative ranks: Rector Vice-Rector Decaan (dean, i.e. head of a faculty)
French speaking community (full professor, with Ph.D.) (visiting professor in Switzerland, part-time professor in Belgium) (professor, with Ph.D. and Habilitation, tenured) (adjunct professor, non-tenured) (visiting associate professor, non-tenured) (research director / senior research associate, appointed by National Fund for Scientific Research F.R.S.-FNRS, tenured) (senior researcher, with Ph.D. and previously with teaching aggregation) (senior researcher / senior research associate, with Ph.D., appointed by National Fund for Scientific Research F.R.S.-FNRS, tenured) (senior researcher, with Ph.D.) (senior researcher / research associate, with Ph.D., appointed by federal research council FNRS, tenured) (assistant professor) (volunteer lecturer, with Ph.D., unpaid, non-tenured) (lecturer/associate professor, with Ph.D., tenured) (senior associate professor, with Ph.D. and Habilitation, tenured) (appointed by National Fund for Scientific Research F.R.S.-FNRS, tenured) (research assistant) (research fellow, enrolled in a Ph.D. degree, appointed by National Fund for Scientific Research F.R.S.-FNRS)
Administrative ranks: Recteur (president of university) Vice-Recteur Doyen (dean, i.e. head of a faculty, elected) Président d'institut (director of research institute, elected) Vice-Doyen (vice-dean, i.e. head of studies in a faculty) Président de département (department head, elected)
Bosnia and Herzegovina – full professor (Must hold PhD or Doctorate and have experience of minimum of six years as a Vanredni profesor) – associate professor (Must hold PhD or Doctorate and have experience of minimum of five years as a Docent) – assistant professor (Must hold PhD or Doctorate Degree. Relevant working experience could be required as well) – senior teaching assistant (Must hold at least Masters Degree with excellent grades. Relevant working experience could be required as well) – teaching assistant (Must hold Undergraduate Degree with excellent grades. Relevant working experience could be required as well)
Administrative ranks – rector / chancellor / president / head of university – prorector / vice-chancellor / vice president / assistant head of university – dean / head of faculty or school at the university – vice-dean / assistant head of faculty or school at the university – head of department
Honorary ranks – professor emeritus
Brazil
There is no official academic ranking in Brazilian private universities. However, most of the public Federal Universities apply the following (from the highest position to the lowest one): Professor Emérito (professor emeritus) Professor Titular (full professor) – PhD required Professor Associado (associate professor) – PhD required Professor Adjunto (assistant professor) – PhD required Professor Assistente (lecturer) – only a master's degree is required Professor Auxiliar (assistant lecturer) – no post-graduation degree is required Professor Substituto ou Temporário (temporary lecturer)
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 (3–5 or 7 years work after Master), equal Chef Assistant, *Associate or Post Doc Scientist I: After second Post Doc (1 or 2 years work after PhD/Dr), equal Senior Assistant or Senior Associate. Senior Scientist I: after PhD (US, UK....) or Doctoral dissertation/thesis (France, Germany, Russia...) 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
Member of correspondence for the Academy of Science (after professor/habilitation), very rare Academic: after member of correspondence (for the entire of Bulgaria)
Administrative ranks
Rector Vice-rectors Assistant rector Secretary general Academic ombudsman
Canada
Faculty (teaching staff) Professor emeritus or university professor emeritus, a retired professor still active in research; Fr professeur émérite Endowed chair professor (e.g. Canada Research Chair professor – Tier 1), a distinguished full professor with endowment