{{Short description|Academic rank}} {{broader|Professor}} {{Infobox Occupation | name = Associate professor | image = | caption = | official_names = Professor <!------------Details-------------------> | type = Profession | activity_sector = Academics | competencies = Academic knowledge, teaching | formation = Typically a doctoral degree and additional academic qualifications | employment_field = Academics | related_occupation = Researcher }}

'''Associate professor''' is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the Commonwealth system.

==North American system== In the North American system, used in the United States and many other countries, it is a position between assistant professor and a full professorship.<ref>[https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/associate%20professor associate professor], merriam-webster.com</ref><ref>[https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/associate-professor associate professor], collinsdictionary.com</ref><ref>[https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/associate-professor associate professor], dictionary.cambridge.org</ref> In this system, an associate professorship is typically the first promotion obtained after gaining a faculty position, and in the United States it is usually connected to tenure.<ref>[https://onlinedegrees.bradley.edu/blog/whats-the-difference-between-an-associate-professor-vs-professor/ What's The Difference Between an Associate Professor vs. Professor?], Bradley University</ref>

==Commonwealth system== In the Commonwealth system, the title associate professor is traditionally used in place of reader in certain countries.<ref>[https://academiccareermaps.org/positions/5 Reader], academiccareermaps.org</ref><ref name="uk-academic-job-titles-explained">[https://academicpositions.com/career-advice/uk-academic-job-titles-explained UK Academic Job Titles Explained], academicpositions.com</ref> Like the reader title it ranks above senior lecturer – which corresponds to associate professor in the North American system – and is broadly equivalent to a North American full professor, as the full professor title is held by far fewer people in the Commonwealth system.<ref name="changes-to-academic-titles-2021">[https://www.hr.admin.cam.ac.uk/changes-to-academic-titles-2021 Changes to academic titles in 2021/2022 - implementation], Human Resources, Cambridge University</ref> In this system, an associate professorship is typically the second or third promotion obtained after gaining an academic position, and someone promoted to associate professor has usually been a permanent employee already in their two previous ranks as lecturer and senior lecturer.<ref>[http://www.bristol.ac.uk/hr/grading/academic/role-profiles/ Academic staff Role Profiles], University of Bristol</ref> Traditionally, British universities have used the title reader, while associate professor ''in place of reader'' is traditionally used in Australia and New Zealand,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eui.eu/ProgrammesAndFellowships/AcademicCareersObservatory/AcademicCareersbyCountry/Australia.aspx|title=Australia, Academic Career Structure|website=eui.eu|access-date=28 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628005947/http://www.eui.eu/ProgrammesAndFellowships/AcademicCareersObservatory/AcademicCareersbyCountry/Australia.aspx|archive-date=28 June 2017}}</ref> South Africa, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, and Ireland within an otherwise British system of ranks. More recently, the university of Cambridge has adopted the North American system of ranks.<ref name="changes-to-academic-titles-2021" />

==Comparison==

<!-- DO&nbsp;NOT add university-specific material relating to recent adoption of American titles by specific Commonwealth universities to this table. This table is a broad overview of the TRADITIONAL main systems. If a university in the Commonwealth is using the titles assistant prof, associate prof, prof, it is using the North American system, not the Commonwealth system as described to the right in this table -->

The table presents a broad overview of the traditional main systems, but there are universities which use a combination of those systems or other titles. Some universities in Commonwealth countries have also entirely adopted the North American system in place of the Commonwealth system.<ref name="uk-academic-job-titles-explained" /><ref>[https://www.duckofminerva.com/2019/12/the-same-but-different-us-vs-uk-higher-education.html The Same but Different: US vs UK Higher Education], The Duck of Minerva</ref><ref>[https://theprofessorisin.com/2017/05/26/academia-as-identity-a-ukus-comparison/ Academia as Identity – a UK/US Comparison], theprofessorisin.com</ref>

{| class="wikitable" |- ! North American system ! Commonwealth system |- | (Full) Professor (endowed chair) <br />(upper half, including<br />distinguished professor or equivalent) | Professor (chair) |- | (Full) Professor<br />(lower half) | Reader (or principal lecturer)<br />(mainly UK)<br />or '''associate professor'''<br />(traditionally in Australia, Ireland, NZ, South Africa and Southeast Asia) |- | '''Associate professor'''<br />(typically the first permanent position) | Senior lecturer |- | Assistant professor<br />(commonly the entry-level position) | Lecturer<br />(typically the first permanent position) |- | Instructor | Associate lecturer<br />(commonly the entry-level position) |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{Academic ranks overview}} {{Authority control}}

Category:Academic ranks