Faculty Roles & Graduate Committee Requirements

Eligibility to advise a graduate student, serve on a graduate committee, and teach a graduate course is determined by the standard ranks assigned to faculty members and professional researchers by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty.   Individual appointments may deviate from these standards.   In such cases, the appointment letter issued by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty is final.

Information about eligibility for faculty and researchers who do not hold a current regular appointment through Princeton’s Office of the Dean of the Faculty can be found below the table of ranks.

Questions about eligibility for any role should be directed to Academic Affairs in the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School.

RankMaster's Thesis Adviser or Examination CommitteePh.D. General Examination CommitteePh.D. Dissertation AdviserPh.D. Dissertation CommitteePh.D. Dissertation ReaderPh.D. F.P.O. Dissertation Defense  ExaminerHosting a VSRCTeaching a grad courseTeaching a grad reading course
Princeton Faculty Member (1)YYYYYYYYY
Emeritus/a
Faculty Member (2)
N (2)NN (2)N (2)N (2)N (2)YYY
Lecturer with Rank of ProfessorYYYYYYYYY
University LecturerYYNYNYNYY
Professor of the Practicecase by casecase by caseNcase by casecase by casecase by caseNYY
Lecturer PPL and AOSN/AYYYYYYYY
Lecturer ARCYYNYNYNYY
Visiting Faculty Appointment (3)case by casecase by casecase by casecase by casecase by casecase by caseNYY
Senior Research Scholar (4)Ycase by casecase by casecase by casecase by casecase by casecase by casecase by casecase by case
Research Scholarcase by casecase by casecase by casecase by casecase by casecase by caseNNN
Associate Research ScholarNNNNNNNNN
Senior Scholar (5)NNNNcase by casecase by caseNNN
Senior Professional SpecialistNcase by caseNcase by casecase by casecase by caseNNN
Professional/
Assoc. Professional Specialist (6)
NNNNNNNNN
Senior Lecturer (7) (8)N (7)case by case (8)Ncase by case (8)Ncase by case (8)NYY
Lecturer (7)N (7)NNNNNNcase by casecase by case
InstructorNNNNNNNNN
Postdoctoral ResearcherNNNNNNNNN

Visiting Appointments

Visiting appointments are ordinarily made on a year-to-year basis by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty.  Approval of a visitor for an adviser or committee role is made case by case based on the individual’s credentials from the home institution as well as the Princeton University appointment and is only valid for one year.

External Readers and Examiners

External readers and examiners must be at another university or hold a research position in the nonacademic research community, must hold a position that is ranked comparably with our own ranks that are approved to serve as readers and examiners, and must be approved by the Graduate School prior to submission of the advanced degree application. CVs of approved external readers or examiners, including visiting fellows, must accompany the advanced degree application materials.

Former Princeton Faculty as External Advisers

Princeton faculty members who are approved to serve as Ph.D. advisers and who leave Princeton may with the department or program’s approval continue to serve as the adviser of record for their post-generals students who are in the dissertation phase, provided the former faculty members hold comparable research appointments at their new institutions and receive from the Office of the Dean of the Faculty a visiting appointment to allow them to finish advising their student(s). 

In cases where an adviser of a pre-generals Ph.D. student has left the University, a faculty member with a current and active appointment at Princeton should be appointed as the new adviser of record for the affected student.  The former faculty member may with the agreement of the department or program serve as a co-adviser (alongside a current faculty member), provided the former faculty member holds a comparable appointment at the new institution and receives from the Office of the Dean of the Faculty a visiting appointment that allows for co-advising at Princeton.