Academic titles in Malaysian universities can be classified into five categories: Professorship, lectureship, consultantship, teachership and fellowship.
Professorship
Profesor DiRaja (Royal Professor); the highest professorship in Malaysia, bestowed by the King. The only holder is Ungku Aziz of the University of Malaya, awarded in 1980.
Profesor Emeritus (Emeritus Professor) is a retired professor.
Profesor Ulung (Distinguished Professor) is an outstanding senior professor. He may be equivalent to or higher than the Director-General of Education and the Director-General of Higher Education. This is a very rare title.
Profesor (Professor) is the ordinary form of full professor, but corresponds to a distinguished professor in North America
Profesor Adjung (Adjunct Professor) is a non-academician who had contributed to the development of a field of knowledge.
Profesor Pelawat (Visiting Professor) is a university professor who serve as the same in another university as a visitor.
Profesor Madya (Associate Professor), corresponds to a full professor in North America or a reader in the United Kingdom.
Penolong Profesor (Assistant Professor), corresponds to associate professor in North America.
Lectureship
Pensyarah Cemerlang (Excellent Lecturer), established only in Aminuddin Baki Institute, Teacher's Education Institutes, Matriculation Colleges and Pre-University Classes.
Pensyarah Kanan (Senior Lecturer), equivalent to the Malaysian rank Penolong Profesor, and corresponds to Associate Professor in North America.
Pensyarah (Lecturer), corresponds to assistant professor in North America.
Penolong Pensyarah (Assistant Lecturer), equivalent to Pensyarah Muda (Junior Lecturer), Tutor (Tutor), Pemudahcara (Facilitator), Felo Siswazah (Graduate Fellow) or Calon Pensyarah (Academic Trainee). He could be either a fresh graduate or a student.
Consultantship
Pakar Perunding Kanan (Senior Consultant), equivalent to Professor
Pakar Perunding (Consultant), equivalent to Associate Professor
Specialist
designations for industry professional absorbed into academic ( practiced in Universiti Kuala Lumpur)
Principal Specialist, equivalent to Profesor Madya
Senior Specialist, equivalent to Pensyarah Kanan
Specialist (Consultant), equivalent to Pensyarah
Instructor, equivalent to Penolong Pensyarah
Teachership
Guru Cemerlang (Excellent Teacher), a teaching expert in school. He may be equivalent to a university professor.
Guru Kanan (Senior Teacher)
Guru (Teacher), equivalent to Jurulatih (Trainer) and Pengajar (Instructor).
Pembantu Guru (Teaching Assistant), equivalent to Pembantu Pengurusan Murid (Pupils' Personal Assistant) in kindergarten and special schools.
Fellowship
Felo Yang Amat Utama (Very Distinguished Fellow), equivalent to Distinguished Professor
Felo Utama (Distinguished Fellow), equivalent to Professor
Felo Kanan (Senior Fellow), equivalent to Associate Professor
Felo (Fellow), equivalent to Assistant Professor