How To Become An Associate Professor: What It Is and Career Path

Q: Do you need a Ph.D. to be an associate professor?

No, you do not need a Ph.D. to be an associate professor. While some colleges and universities may require a Ph.D. to be an associate professor, the minimum requirement for the position is a master's degree in their field.

Q: How does an associate professor become a professor?

An associate professor becomes a full professor when they have achieved the necessary experience and can be promoted to a higher-level position. This means gaining their Ph.D. if they do not already have one and fulfilling all the teaching requirements necessary for promotion.

Q: How many years does it take to become an associate professor?

It typically takes about five to seven years after gaining a master's degree or completing a doctoral program to become an associate professor. Although some graduates might get hired at the associate professor level, most work their way up through the ranks, beginning as lecturers or assistant professors.

Q: What is the difference between a professor and an associate professor?

The difference between a professor and an associate professor is their professional rank in the college and university setting. A professor is the most senior-level university educator who has achieved the highest promotion available on the tenure track.

What is an associate professor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Rebecca Sarver,

Christopher Was Ph.D.

Associate professors are members of an academic staff ranking right below professors. They give classes and conduct research at universities. They have an obligation to publish articles in academic journals and attend conferences to present the results of their research. They assist and support students in their academic work as well.

To become an associate professor, first of all, you need to excel and prove to be relevant in your field. In an ideal world that would be enough, but in reality, you need excellent networking skills as well, and you have to be able to manage various tasks at the same time, meeting tight deadlines and contributing to the administrative tasks of the department doing committee work.

Academia can offer a beautiful and highly fulfilling career. You will need a bit of luck and perhaps a good amount of doggedness to make it to be promoted to full professor if you manage to get on the tenure track at all, but once you are there, it will be worth the ride.

What general advice would you give to an associate professor?

Rebecca Sarver

Lecturer in Human Services Studies, Elmira College

Listen more than you talk. There is so much to be learned from clients, seasoned human service workers, and the community that you work within. By listening and observing versus always feeling compelled to speak, you will learn job skills, people skills, and your clients' needs.

ScoreAssociate ProfessorUS Average

Salary

7.7

Avg. Salary $103,292

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.8

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.28%

Asian 17.11%

Black or African American 6.55%

Hispanic or Latino 9.38%

Unknown 4.83%

White 61.85%

Gender

female 42.99%

male 57.01%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

4.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.9

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an associate professor

Explore associate professor education requirements

Most common associate professor degrees

Bachelor's

43.3 %

Doctorate

25.2 %

Master's

24.0 %

Start to develop specific associate professor skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	14.81%
Public Health	10.54%
Philosophy	7.98%
Pediatrics	4.35%
Social Work	3.90%

Research associate professor duties and responsibilities

Develop and manage syllabus materials and coordinate curriculum with department chairs.
Design exams relevant to material cover up to exam date.
Train in and design hybrid and online courses in accounting, economics, and finance.
Provide training in basic military tactics, leadership procedures, operations orders, and ethics.

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