page_title: Academic ranks in the United Kingdom
section_title: Pathways
hierarchical_section_title: Academic ranks in the United Kingdom / Overview / Pathways
caption_attribution_description: English: KCL Graduation Barbican 2010a
context_page_description: Academic ranks in the United Kingdom are the titles, relative importance and power of employees in universities. In general the country has three academic career pathways: one focussed on research one on teaching, and one that combines the two.
context_section_description: Research and teaching career pathway (academic staff whose responsibilities encompass both research and teaching)
  Professor
  Reader (or Principal Lecturer in some post-1992 institutions)
  Senior lecturer  (not all universities have this title)
  Lecturer, clinical lecturer: this is largely equivalent to an 'Assistant Professor' rank at a US university
  Assistant lecturer, demonstrator, seminar leader, associate lecturer, graduate teaching assistant
  However, it is becoming increasingly common for Russell Group universities to use some form of hybrid terminology: LSE has adopted the American terminology entirely, while UCL has retained the role of Lecturer, but replaced Senior lecturer and Reader with Associate Professor.
  Research and teaching career pathway at Oxford 
  Professor (Professors and other title holders (university lecturers, senior research fellows, etc.) with a titular professorship)
  (Reader) (Oxford has abolished this grade with no new appointments to this title)
  Associate Professor (University Lecturers and other title holders with a titular associate professorship)
  Departmental Lecturer (Non-ladder faculty position employed or paid by the University)
  Research career pathway (academic staff whose main focus is research)
  Professor or professorial research fellow/research professor; equivalent of professor
  Reader
  Senior research fellow; equivalent of senior lecturer or slightly higher, sometimes also encompassing the reader level
  Research fellow / Research associate; equivalent of lecturer
  Research assistant; equivalent of associate lecturer
  Teaching career pathway (academic staff whose main focus is essential teaching, educational needs, and for senior grades, often pedagogic research)
  Professorial teaching fellow / Professor
  Principal Teaching Fellow
  Senior teaching fellow / Senior University Teacher / Senior Lecturer
  Teaching fellow / University Teacher / Lecturer
  Teaching associate
  Note that some universities (for example, the University of Glasgow) give the same titles as Research & Teaching track academics to give parity to the roles.
  Emeritus ranks
  Emeritus professor
  Emeritus reader
  Senior fellow
  Fellow
  Visiting ranks (common titles for visiting academics)
  Administrative ranks: England, Wales, and Northern Ireland
  Chancellor (titular)
  Pro-chancellor (titular)
  Vice-chancellor (sometimes provost; increasingly 'vice-chancellor and chief executive officer' )
  Deputy vice-chancellor
  Pro-vice-chancellor
  Deans of faculties
  Heads of departments/schools
  Department/school directors of studies
  Administrative ranks: Scotland
  Chancellor (titular)
  Rector (ancient universities only)
  Principal (who is also vice-chancellor)
  Deputy principal
  Vice-principals
  Deans of faculties
  Heads of departments/schools
  Department/school directors of studies, or personal tutors
caption: Academics of King's College London of University of London, ranging from professors to lecturers, in their academic regalia during a graduation ceremony.
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