June 30, 2025

J Diagn Treat Oral Maxillofac Pathol 2025; 9: 100306.

DOI: 10.23999/j.dtomp.2025.5.100306

Under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE

Dushyn I, Maksymcha S, Ukharska OA, Yarifa MO, Doiedalina N, Patalakha O, Fesenko II. Procedure for conferring the lifetime academic title of associate professor to dentists and maxillofacial surgeons in Ukraine: Difference between the title and the position. J Diagn Treat Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2025 Jun;9(6):100306. https://doi.org/10.23999/j.dtomp.2025.6.100306 

NATIONAL REPOSITORY OF ACADEMIC TEXTS

https://nrat.ukrintei.ua/en/searchdoc/2025U000042/

INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORY

https://ir.kmu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/810

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this narrative review is (1) to highlight the procedure for conferring the lifetime academic title of associate professor in Ukraine to dentists and maxillofacial surgeons and (2) to demonstrate associate professor certificates obtained at various dental departments in different years. The nuances of the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated January 14, 2016, No. 13 “On approval of the Procedure for conferring academic titles to scientific and scientific-pedagogical workers” and Order dated September 26, 2005, No. 557 “On streamlining the terms of remuneration and approving the schemes of tariff categories for employees of educational institutions, educational institutions and scientific institutions” will be considered. The article analyzes in detail six criteria on the basis of which the academic title of associate professor can be conferred. A monthly supplement of up to 25 percent of the official salary (wage rate) is also being considered for employees who have received an academic title and continue to work at an educational institution. Deprivation of the academic title of associate professor is such a rare phenomenon in Ukraine that it was not possible to reliably identify such cases in open sources. Only isolated cases of cancellation of the decision of the academic council of one of the higher education institutions on conferring the academic title of associate professor due to the inconsistency of educational activities with the applicant's declared specialty were identified.

KEY WORDS

Associate professor of the department, position, associate professor, academic title, dentist, stomatologist, oral surgeon, maxillofacial surgeon

INTRODUCTION

The rector respected the associate professor and predicted a great future for him.

—The Whirlpool (1960), an unfinished novel by Ukrainian writer Hryhorii Tiutiunnyk [1]

 

There is some ambiguity in the world between the understanding of the term associate professor [2, 3]. In Ukraine, the term associate professor is used both for the academic title and for the position [4]. All over the world, an academic career in dentistry and oral and maxillofacial surgery is very interesting [5-8]. The purpose of this narrative review is (1) to highlight the procedure for conferring the lifetime academic title of associate professor to dentists and maxillofacial surgeons and (2) to demonstrate associate professor certificates obtained at various dental departments in different years

ORDERS OF THE MINISTRY

The awarding of the academic title of associate professor in Ukraine is regulated by the following orders [3]:

 

• Paragraph 5 of Section II of the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine titled “On approval of the procedure for conferring academic titles to scientific and scientific-pedagogical workers” dated January 14, 2016, No. 13 with amendments made in accordance with Orders of the Ministry of Education and Science No. 174 dated February 06, 2017, and No. 322 dated March 17, 2021. Section II is entitled “Main Criteria for Evaluating the Scientific, Pedagogical or Research Activities of Applicants for Academic Titles.”

Salary supplement after the conferring of the academic title of associate professor in Ukraine is regulated by [9]:

 

• Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated September 26, 2005, No. 557 titled “On streamlining the terms of remuneration and approving the schemes of tariff categories for employees of educational institutions, educational institutions and scientific institutions” with numerous amendments made in accordance with Orders of the Ministry of Education and Science from 2005 to 2025.

CRITERIA

According to the Order No. 13 mentioned above, the academic title of associate professor is conferred to employees of higher education institutions, including postgraduate education institutions, who carry out educational activities in the relevant specialty at the relevant level of higher education, and [3]:

 

1. Who have been conferred the scientific degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Candidate of Sciences), Doctor of Sciences [10].

2. Whose period of work in the positions of assistant, lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor, professor, head (head or deputy) of the department is not less than five academic years, including the last calendar year at one department (in one higher education institution), in particular on a part-time basis or under an employment agreement (contract) with hourly pay.

3. Who have a certificate in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages ​​(at level not lower than B2) in the languages ​​of the EU countries or qualification documents (higher education diploma, scientific degree) related to the use of a foreign language, or at least 10 works published in English in publications included in the scientometric databases "Scopus" or "Web of Science" and which have an ISSN number confirmed on the website of the International Center for the Registration of Periodicals (except for persons with disabilities of group I).

4. Who confirm their international experience with documents (certificates, diplomas, other documents), in particular about studies, internships or work at a higher education institution, scientific (or scientific and technical) institution in a country that is a member of the OECD and/or the EU, or participation (as managers/executors) in projects financed (financed) by the specified countries (except for persons with disabilities of group I).

5. Who, after defending their dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Candidate of Sciences), have published educational and methodological and scientific works in domestic and/or foreign (international) peer-reviewed professional publications, of which at least one publication is in publications included in the scientometric databases "Scopus" or "Web of Science" and which have an ISSN number confirmed on the website of the International Center for the Registration of Periodicals [11].

6. Who teach academic disciplines in the state language and/or the language of a country that is a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), at a high scientific and methodological level, which is confirmed by the conclusion of the department of the higher education institution.

CERTIFICATES

The associate professor’s certificate issued by the Ministry of Education and Science is a document that certifies the level of professional qualifications of a scientific, pedagogical, or research worker when deciding on the issue of occupying a relevant position and paying for his or her work [3].

 

Figures 1-4 show samples of associate professor certificates issued by different departments of the same university.

FINANCIAL COMPENSATION

An employee who has received the academic title of associate professor is granted a salary supplement of a maximum of 25 percent of the official salary (salary rate) [9, 12]. Importantly, for the scientific degree of Candidate of Sciences and Doctor of Philosophy, a salary supplement of a maximum of 15 percent of the official salary (salary rate) is granted [9]. This 10 percent higher percentage of additional payment for the academic title of associate professor is explained by the fact that this is the next, higher, step in the academic career of dentists and maxillofacial surgeons. The specified supplement is established for employees if their activity profile coincides with the existing academic title [9]. If the specified employees have two or more academic titles, the supplement is established for one (higher) title [9].

 

The associate professor stood behind the lectern, as if on the bridge of a ship. He read, and the students took notes standing up, their notebooks pressed against each other's backs. In the auditorium, bare as the deck, there were no tables or chairs: everything had been burned by the occupiers.

—Always Soldiers (1947), a short story by Ukrainian writer Oles Honchar [13]

DISCUSSION

According to the Ukrainian dictionary, associate professor is an academic title or position of a higher education lecturer [4]. According to the Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine, Dotsent (transliteration from the Ukrainian word доцент) (from Latin docens [docentis] - one who teaches) (i.e., Associate Professor) - the academic title of a teacher at higher educational institutions [14]. Dotsent is also called a person who holds this title or works in this position [14].

 

Decisions on awarding the academic titles (i.e., lifetime academic titles) of professor, associate professor and senior researcher (hereinafter referred to as academic titles) to scientific and scientific-pedagogical employees of higher education institutions and scientific institutions are made by academic councils [3].

 

The decision of the academic council on awarding an academic title is approved by the certification board of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine [3].

 

In 2011 the certificate was issued by the decision of the Higher Attestation Commission, then in 2021, 2022, and 2023 the certificates were issued by the decision of the academic council of the private higher educational establishment (i.e., Kyiv Medical University). It is worth noting that the certificates issued in 2021, 2022, and 2023 contain such changes as the absence of a hologram and a change in the body by whose decision the certificate was issued.

 

The fact that all four of the above certificates for 2011, 2021, 2022, and 2023 are only in Ukrainian indicates that this document is an internal document. This is also confirmed by the diplomas of Doctor of Philosophy [10], which are bilingual, in Ukrainian and English, which indicates their international standard and the presence of analogues in the European Union (EU) states.

 

Below is an example from the USA describing the position of associate professor at various US universities [2]:

 

Associate Professor, along with Professor and Assistant Professor, one of the three fundamental ranks of U.S. tenure-track faculty. A second appointment to Associate Professor carries tenure.  For that reason, a faculty member may occupy this mid-rank for many years or decades, and in some cases never advance to Professor. See Associate Professor on Term. "A scholar who meets all the requirements for appointment as an assistant professor and in addition enjoys a national reputation and shows great promise of becoming a scholar of distinction." (Boston University) "A regular, full-time tenure-track appointment of a person who normally holds the earned doctorate and who possesses strong potential for further development as a teacher and a scholar. To be eligible for this rank, a faculty member must have a record of effective performance usually involving both teaching and research, or creativity or performance in the arts, or recognized professional contributions." (University of So. Carolina) "Faculty with this rank should have the terminal degree appropriate to their field or its equivalent, considerable successful teaching experience, and promising accomplishment in research" (University Colorado) [2].

 

As we can see from the above criteria for conferring an academic title for dentists and maxillofacial surgeons [15], the path to obtaining the title in Ukraine is not easy and requires more than one year of academic career. The key criteria are the presence of a defended dissertation [16] and publication of articles.

 

Deprivation of academic titles is carried out in accordance with the order in which they were awarded [17-19]. Based on the decision of the certification board of the Ministry of Education and Science, the certificate of a person deprived of an academic title is declared invalid. Deprivation of a scientist of the title of associate professor is such a rare phenomenon for Ukraine that it was not possible to reliably identify such cases in open sources. Only isolated cases of cancellation of the decision of the academic council of one of the higher education institutions to confer the academic title of associate professor due to the inconsistency of educational activities with the applicant's declared specialty were identified [20].

 

At the same time, a person who has an academic title may voluntarily renounce the corresponding academic title by submitting to the Ministry of Education and Science an application in any form, the authenticity of the signature on which is notarized [19]. The person may send the application in electronic form with a qualified electronic signature [19].

 

Within ten working days from the date of receipt of the application, the Ministry of Education and Science shall cancel the decision on the award of the academic title and declare the certificate invalid, which shall be stated in an order posted on the official website of the Ministry of Education and Science [19].

 

Also, in the event of a person's voluntary refusal of an academic degree, the decision to confer this person an academic title is automatically canceled [17].

 

In essence, the academic title, like the academic degree, is a fixation of new, even higher scientific achievements and expertise. Also, a dentist cannot lose this title due to changes in his professional life (such as changing work from a university clinic to exclusively private practice) or reorganizational moments in an educational institution. We consider the presence of academic title of associate professor in Ukraine to be an important advantage of the Ukrainian academic world.

CONCLUSION

An academic title in Ukraine is perpetual, meaning it has no expiration date and is granted forever. This means that a dentist or a maxillofacial surgeon who is conferred an academic title of associate professor retains it throughout their life, unless the title is revoked in accordance with the procedure established by law. The possibility of obtaining academic titles is one of the advantages of an academic career in Ukraine.

 

There he defended his dissertation for candidate of sciences [academic title] [PhD thesis]. And recently he took part in the competition for the position of associate professor at his native university. Now he is an associate professor...

—The Last Saber (1963), a novel by Ukrainian writer Mykola Rudenko [21]

DISCLOSURES

Authorship Contributions: Concept – I.D., I.I.F.; Design – O.A.U.; Supervision – I.I.F; Data collection and/or processing – N.M.; Data analysis and/or interpretation – I.I.F.; Literature search – S.V.M.; Writing – I.D., M.O.Y., I.I.F.; Critical review – O.P.

 

Conflict of Interest: All authors declared no conflict of interest.

Use of AI for Writing Assistance: The authors declared that they did not use any type of artificial intelligence (AI), or any kind of assisted technologies to conduct this review.

 

Financial Disclosure: The authors declared that this study received no financial support.
Peer-review: Externally peer-reviewed. 

 

Ethics Statement: The work presented in this manuscript does not pertain to human studies and did not require ethical approval by institutions review boards/ethics committee.

REFERENCES (21)

1. Tiutiunnyk H. The whirlpool. Kyiv: Dnipro Fiction Publishing House; 1964. In Ukrainian.

2. Shamos MI. Handbook of Academic Titles: An encyclopedia of various academic designations used at over 1000 colleges and universities in the United States. 2002 Nov. 198 pp. http://euro.ecom.cmu.edu/titles/titlebook.htm

3. Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated January 14, 2016 No. 13 “On approval of the Procedure for conferring academic titles to scientific and scientific-pedagogical workers” [internet]. 2021 May [cited 2025 Jun 02].  Available from: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/z0183-16#Text . In Ukrainian.

4. Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: Interpretation from the Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: Dotsent. Dictionary of the Ukrainian language in 11 volumes. Permission for use is kindly granted by the Potebnia Institute of Linguistics [internet]. 2025 May [cited 2025 May 27].  Available from: https://slovnyk.ua . In Ukrainian.

5. Hupp JR. An academic career in oral and maxillofacial surgery: societal impact and financial considerations. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2003 Jul;61(7):829-833. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0278-2391(03)00158-7

6. Marti KC, Lanzon J, Edwards SP, Inglehart MR. Career and professional satisfaction of oral and maxillofacial surgery residents, academic surgeons, and private practitioners: Does gender matter?. J Dent Educ. 2017 Jan;81(1):75-86. http://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2017.81.1.tb06249.x

7. Zhou S. Prof. James Hupp: an academic career vs. private practice of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Front Oral Maxillofac Med. 2019 Jul;1:2. http://doi.org/10.21037/fomm.2019.06.01

8. Payne KFB, Higginson J, Basyuni S, et al. Academic training in oral and maxillofacial surgery - when and how to enter the pathway. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2023 Feb;61(2):124-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjoms.2023.01.003

9. Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated September 26, 2005 No. 557 “On streamlining the terms of remuneration and approving the schemes of tariff categories for employees of educational institutions, educational institutions and scientific institutions” [internet]. 2025 Mar [cited 2025 Apr 28].  Available from: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/z1130-05#Text . In Ukrainian.

10. Vares Y, Tymofieiev OO, Maksymcha S, et al. Academic degrees of candidate of sciences and doctor of philosophy obtained by oral and maxillofacial surgeons in Ukraine: Comparison of print diplomas and their digital analogs in Diia (Action) application: A narrative review. J Diagn Treat Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2025 Feb;9(2):100302. https://doi.org/10.23999/j.dtomp.2025.2.100302 

11. Tymofieiev OO. Minister brings the best world standards to the Ukrainian scientific publications. J Diagn Treat Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2018 Sep;2(3):106-111. https://doi.org/10.23999/j.dtomp.2018.3.1

12. Supplement for academic title: we are establishing a supplement for a university professor[internet]. 2023 Jan [cited 2025 Apr 27]. Available from: https://factor.academy/blog/doplata-za-vchene-zvannya-vstanovlyumo-profesoru-vishu/ . In Ukrainian.

13. Honchar O. Always soldiers: A Novel. Zorya. 1947. In Ukrainian.

14. Mukha VS. Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine: Dotsent. Kyiv: Institute of Encyclopedic Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine [internet]. 2008 Dec [cited 2025 Apr 28]. Available from: https://esu.com.ua . In Ukrainian.

15. Tymofieiev OO, Ushko NO, Fesenko II, Cherniak OS. Maxillofacial surgery specialization in Ukraine: a new order and step in the growth of the specialty: analysis of qualification categories. J Diagn Treat Oral Maxillofac Pathol 2021;5(4):43–51. https://doi.org/10.23999/j.dtomp.2021.4.3

16. Fesenko II, Marchenko N, Irkha S. Continuing professional development (CPD) for Ukrainian stomatologists (dentists) and maxillofacial surgeons: criteria for awarding CPD points as of 2024. J Diagn Treat Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2024 May;8(5):53–64. https://doi.org/10.23999/j.dtomp.2024.5.2

17. Ukraine has introduced a mechanism for voluntary renunciation of academic title [internet]. 2025 May [cited 2025 May 13]. Available from: https://life.pravda.com.ua/society/v-ukrajini-zatverdili-mehanizm-vidmovi-vid-vchenogo-zvannya-301446/ . In Ukrainian.

18. Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of May 3, 2024 No. 507 "On Amendments to certain resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on the training and certification of scientific, pedagogical and scientific personnel" [internet]. 2024 May [cited 2025 May 13]. Available from: https://www.kmu.gov.ua/npas/pro-vnesennia-zmin-do-deiakykh-postanov-kabinetu-ministriv-ukrainy-z-pytan-pidhotovky-ta-atestatsii-t30524 . In Ukrainian.

19. Amendments to the resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on the training and certification of scientific, pedagogical and research personnel. Approved by the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated May 3, 2024 No. 507. In Ukrainian

20. The Certification Board of the Ministry of Education and Science held a regular meeting: key decisions [internet]. 2025 Apr [cited 2025 May 12]. Available from:  https://mon.gov.ua/news/atestatsiina-kolehiia-mon-provela-cherhove-zasidannia-kliuchovi-rishennia . In Ukrainian.

21. Rudenko M. The last saber. Kyiv: State Publishing House of Fiction; 1963. In Ukrainian.

ARTICLE TITLE IN UKRAINIAN

Порядок присвоєння пожиттєвого вченого звання доцента в Україні лікарям-стоматологам і лікарям-хірургам щелепно-лицевим: Різниця між вченим званням та посадою

SUMMARY IN UKRAINIAN (PDF)

Мета даного розповідного огляду полягає в тому, щоб (1) висвітлити процедуру присвоєння пожиттєвого вченого звання доцента в Україні лікарям-стоматологам та лікарям-хірургам щелепно-лицевим і (2) продемонструвати атестати доцентів, отримані на різних стоматологічних кафедрах у різні роки. Буде розглянуто нюанси наказу Міністерства освіти і науки України № 13 від 14.01.2016 «Про затвердження Порядку присвоєння вчених звань науковим і науково-педагогічним працівникам» та наказу № 557 від 26.09.2005 «Про впорядкування умов оплати праці та затвердження схем тарифних розрядів працівників навчальних закладів, установ освіти та наукових установ». У статті детально аналізується шість критеріїв, на підставі яких може бути присвоєно вчене звання доцента. Також розглядається щомісячна доплата у граничному розмірі 25 відсотків посадового окладу (ставки заробітної плати) співробітникам що отримали вчене звання та продовжують працювати в освітньому закладі. Позбавлення вченого звання доцента є настільки рідкісним явищем для України, що достовірно виявити такі випадки у відкритих джерелах не було можливим. Були виявлені лише поодинокі випадки скасування рішення вченої ради одного із закладів вищої освіти про присвоєння вченого звання доцента у зв’язку з невідповідністю освітньої діяльності заявленій спеціальності здобувача.

KEY WORDS IN UKRAINIAN

Доцент кафедри, посада, доцент, вчене звання, лікар-стоматолог, лікар-стоматолог-хірург, лікар-хірург щелепно-лицевий