3 ms·

May is not a professor, but does have a PhD in astrophysics.

• ColinWright 7y ago
  For those who are confused by this comment, a brief note. In many (but not all!) countries, "Professor" is a job title - it's a position you hold. You are appointed to be a professor in a department, or in an institution. In contrast, a "PhD" is a qualification. You register with an appropriate institute or organisation, you do the necessary work, you go through the required assessment, and you are awarded the qualification. This is muddled a little by some institutions awarding "Honorary Doctorates", recognising that a body of work done by someone would qualify them for the status of the degree. So it's possible to have a PhD and not be a professor, and it's possible to be a professor without having a PhD. Brian May has a PhD, but is not a professor. In some places the distinction isn't so clear, precise, or respected, but broadly, that's the difference.
  • 0xcde4c3db 7y ago
    I didn't see any indication of this being the case for Dr. May, but people are often confused about this when non-professors teach college/university-level courses. In this case they typically have another title such as "lecturer", "instructor", or "fellow". This became a minor issue during the 2008 Presidential campaign with Obama's claim of being a "Constitutional law professor"; he did not hold a professorship and his formal title was "senior lecturer".
• mcv 7y ago
  I admit I was sloppy about this. I'd heard he held a position at a university, and has been involved in research, but that doesn't automatically make him a professor. Sorry about the confusion.