A Periodic Table of Faculty Job Titles at US Universities

You can download the illustration below as a PDF in landscape orientation (for reading onscreen) or in portrait orientation (slightly easier to print).

a periodic table-like illustration of faculty job titles

Questions and Answers

Is this illustration correct for my university?

I didn't aim for the to illustration to be precise for any one university's policies, though it might. It broadly reflects norms at large universities in the US where lots of faculty are engaged in research, called "R1" universities. Other kinds of universities may have fewer faculty types, reflecting a greater focus on teaching.

The tenure-line faculty titles exist at nearly all US universities, although in a few places tenure isn't granted.

I thought all professors (or all faculty) teach. Some don't?

Teaching loads vary widely: by faculty type, by department, and by university. Some faculty almost exclusively teach, some balance teaching with other duties, and some don't teach at all. As the illustration shows, faculty at a large university can have many different responsibilities.

I want to talk with a faculty member about research. Whom do I contact?

Any faculty member might be involved in research, although as the illustration shows, some are more likely than others. You can search for a faculty member's publications to see what topics they can speak with you about. Within computing and information sciences, many faculty also have independent websites (i.e., not just the simple pages created for them by their department), and you should check those too.

Do people ever move between these lines?

Yes. In particular, research faculty often must change lines after a few years or leave academia, because it's difficult to continuously win grants as often as they need to. However, a few have special arrangements to manage university centers or programs, giving them a reliable salary source.

Faculty sometimes transfer into tenure-line positions, for the stability possible through tenure and the balance of responsibilities. However, tenure-line faculty positions are especially difficult to get. (You can read my guide for getting a tenure-line position or about my long road to a tenure-line position.) Also, nearly anyone who seeks a tenure-line position must start at assistant professor and spend time in that rank to earn promotion and tenure.

What impact does promotion have?

Senior faculty receive greater pay, and they are expected to take on greater responsibilities, especially involving leadership. Within the university, they become eligible for activities like running research centers or chairing certain committees. Some become administrators, who manage faculty or help to chart the direction of the university. In their professional organizations, senior faculty often take on bigger leadership roles.

I know someone aspiring to be faculty. Why don't they just work at a nearby university?

Faculty jobs openings tend to be highly competitive. (I submitted 198 faculty applications over four years before I received my first offer.) It's also possible that the person wants to work at a different type of university than the nearby ones. Working at a small liberal arts college, for example, is very different from working at an R1. Moving across the country for a faculty position isn't uncommon, and some people move internationally.

Why did you make this illustration?

I enjoy explaining academia, and I remember being a student who wanted to know more about these distinctions. I made it to help people understand the breadth of responsibilities that different kinds of faculty have.

What does the CC rectangle mean?

It means the illustration is offered with a Creative Commons license. More specifically, I offer the infographic under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.