<p>"I believe that only those with the rank of Associate Professor or Professor are entitled to be called Professor. Collegeprof is that your understanding?"</p>
<p>No, definitely not. An Assistant Professor is just as entitled to be called professor as an associate or full professor.</p>
<p>"I always thought that calling someone "Dr." meant that they had a Ph.D (or is a medical doctor) whereas calling someone professor just meant that they were your instructor. I could be wrong, though..."</p>
<p>Dr. does imply a doctorate (Ph.D., M.D., etc.), but professor most certainly does not imply that you <em>don't</em> have a Ph.D.!</p>
<p>"What about people who aren't professors (ie, instructors...everybody in the department can't be Professor, or Associate Professor, or Assistant Professor)?"</p>
<p>It's usually safe and respectful to call them professor as well, even though they may well tell you "I'm not a professor--call me ____."</p>
<p>(P.S. technical question: is there a simple way to quote other people posts when you write your own?)</p>
<p>DRab, its not necessarily a policy in print...but rather a tradition. Thomas Jefferson founded the university and never earned a doctorate degree. Therefore, out of respect, no professors take the title Doctor, as Jefferson was and will always be Mr. Jefferson. If any professor introduced themselves as doctor, no one would address him or her that way. Also, no name plates have Dr. written on them unless its followed by a ,M.D.</p>
<p>I address my instructors as Professor so-and-so. Nearly all of them have PhD.s, but while I was at community college, that was not the case. I didn't want to offend them by addressing them as doctors, in case they hadn't earned a doctoral degree. It's just a habit that's stuck with me. Most of my professors sign emails with their full name, and no title. If they don't specify, I would just use your judgement.</p>
<p>if somebody has a PHD they should get the respect of being called doctor. If the teacher just has a masters or below, they are called professor.</p>
<p>I always call my professors Dr. *, if they have a doctorate.</p>
<p>Someone who has a PhD should be addressed as Dr both in writing and verbally. It is their title and they should be addressed as such unless they say otherwise (e.g. saying you can address them as their first name). As pointed out not all professors have a PhD. I don't think most people will get upset over being called Dr vs professor (if they are both) so either is acceptible. For a class, generally just listen to how they introduce themselves to the class. If they say 'hi I'm professor X' then call them professor but some may even say 'hi I'm professor X' but please call be paul (firstname). </p>
<p>This concept that only medical doctors should be addressed by the title Dr is silly and factually inaccurate. In fact the truth is almost the opposite. Addressing medical doctors as Dr is very much an American thing as in many parts of the world they're still addressed as Mr. US physicians started calling themselves Dr about 150 years ago in an effort to gain more respect and social status in the community. The title (doctor) is afterall of latin origin meaning 'one who spreads knowledge.' Given this, some pretentious MDs who suggest that only they should be called Dr look very silly indeed! ;-)</p>
<p>My mom is a professor and she introduces herself as Ms. (her maiden name), but she only has an MA and MBA. My dad has a PhD in engineering, is a professor, and calls himself Dr. (his last name).</p>
<p>On my papers, I usually use Dr. (first name) (last name). So if the professor's name is Joe Bobs, I put Dr. Joe Bobs on my paper. Either that or Professor Joe Bobs. I think I usually use Dr. (first name) (last name). My dad's students call him Professor (last name) though. My TAs refer to their professors by either both first and last name or just last name.</p>
<p>I think lawyers usually call themselves Mr or Ms or Mrs, but some like to put "JD" or "Attorney at law" on the back of their names, for example on their business cards. I rarely have ever seen "Esq." (esquire) for lawyers. CFA chartholders and CPAs put CFA or CPA on the back of their names. Doctors put M.D., D.D.S, or some other variety on the back of their names. Depends on your preference.</p>
<p>I call all my professors Dr. if I know they have a PhD (which most do). If they don't, (like if it's a grad student teaching) it's Ms/Mr. unless they're cool that we can call them by their first name. In French class, I called my first professor Madame Clay, but the rest Docteur Morris and Docteur Raby. My uncle has a PhD in statistics and he is called "Dr Stephens" by everyone except family. </p>
<p>I don't think I've ever heard anyone actually call a professor "Professor" besides in Harry Potter.</p>
<p>If they haven't made it clear at all what their title is, I just go with sir or ma'am. That's probably the southern in me though, we're basically required to use those at all times.</p>
<p>" everyone is mr. or mrs./miss unless they're an actually medical doctor as far as i'm concerned "</p>
<p>Um, what exactly do you think the 'D' in PhD stands for? Dr is the official formal title of someone with a PhD and is how they should be addressed unless they have specifically indicated that something more informal is acceptable. Knowingly not calling someone with a PhD doctor (or any other title holder by that title) is very disrespectful. </p>
<p>On a quick point of style (as I often see this common mistake) when writing the name of someone with a PhD (or MD or other titled degree) it's either:</p>
<p>Dr Joe Smith (or Dr Smith)
or
Joe Smith, Ph.D.</p>
<p>but NOT</p>
<p>Dr. Joe Smith, Ph.D. since the English translation of that would read 'Doctor Joe Smith Doctor of Philosophy' and is repetitive.</p>
<p>I'd never address someone as "Professor." It's their job title, not an academic degree. It's the same way you wouldn't call your TA "Teaching Assistant So-and-so" or the custodian "Janitor So-and-so."</p>
<p>If I know they have a doctorate I address them as "Dr." If I don't know whether they have a doctorate or if I know they don't, it's "Mr." if they are a man, "Miss" if they are a younger woman, and "Mrs" if they are an older woman. If they've specifically told me to call them by their first name or some other title I do. However, just because they sign their emails or notes with their first name doesn't mean they intend for you to call them that. Most people sign their notes with their first name, yet you would never address a superior by their first name unless acutally given permission.</p>
<p>My dad's a professor and he would always laugh at students when they called him doctor. He prefers to just go by his first name (actually his nickname).</p>
<p>However, the professors he work with freaked out when they heard that and stated that they thought it was incredibly disrespectful for students to not call their teachers "doctor." My dad replied that he didn't even have a PhD at the time so that wouldn't even make sense, but they were all still flipping out about the obvious disrespect associated with not calling a teacher "doctor" or "professor."</p>
<p>i guess that means that we should call every lawyer doctor as well, considering they have a JD. but we don't. now if you think thats because its a first professional degree, then why do we call medical doctors doctor...when an MD is also a first professional degree. so i chose to be consistent and call only people who i consider a doctor (i.e. doctors of medicine) doctor. i've never heard any complaints</p>
<p>Someone with a JD is a doctor (and some use the title) although the profession has developed several standarized other titles specific to the US legal profession (e.g. Esq.). However, historically this is a bit of a faux pas in most parts of the world because the title of Esq. applies to any male member of society that achieved some level of distinction (e.g. in the UK those with any degree from Oxford or Cambridge). Nowadays, most UK ettituque applies the title to all adult males without a higher degree and I've recieved formal letters and invititations from UK institutions addressed to myfrist mylast, Esq. ;-). You will find that those with both a JD and PhD almost always drop the lawyer titles and go by John Smith, JD PhD in the first instance and then Dr. Smith thereafter. For both joint JD PhD and MD PhD programs and degrees the PhD is always listed last as it is the higher degree. </p>
<p>The fact that you've never heard any complaints from your incorrect usage dosen't make it correct. In a more informal or work setting PhDs tend (on average) to be a bit more laid back and are happy to be addressed their first name whereas in a cinical environment very few physicians would be happy with you calling them Joe vs. Dr Smith. However, if the situation is more formal and would require you to adress them by their full name or last name only, then it's always Dr Smith in both cases not Mr Smith for a PhD. It's a sign of respect. It's Dr Martin Luther King (Dr King) and Dr Condoleezza Rice (Dr Rice) not Mr King and Miss Rice. Just because they don't complain certainly dosen't mean you haven't caused offense.</p>
<p>On the original topic of Dr. vs Professor... In the US it's usually custom to call them Dr. Lastname unless the don't have a PhD in which case they then may go by Professor Lastname. In written form it would often be Dr. Firstname Lastname Professor of Subject in the first instance and then Dr. Lastname thereafter. At top schools professors that aren't PhDs are generally uncommon except in some arts subjects where, for example, they might have an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) and not a PhD. I had one class where this was the case and the instructor went by Professor Lastname. </p>
<p>Here's a challenging cultural situation... what if they're a Professor at Oxford or Cambridge with a PhD and knighted? </p>
<p>In that case it would be Professor Sir Firstname Lastname (then list all degrees in order of rank) in the first instance and then Sir Firstname thereafter ;-).</p>
<p>Yes, anyone with a Ph.D. should always be addressed as Dr. and not Mr./Ms. . The Ph.D. is a higher degree than an M.D. anyway so any suggestion that a Ph.D. is a Mr./Ms. whilst an M.D. is a Dr. is just silly. </p>
<p>In the academic setting, I always call Professors Dr. (unless they don't have a Ph.D., which as mentioned is quite rare). My second grade teacher (really!) was a Ph.D. and we called her Dr.</p>