Department vs. Faculty — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 21, 2024
A department refers to a specialized division within an organization, while faculty pertains to the teaching staff at educational institutions.
Difference Between Department and Faculty
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A department within an organization, such as a university or a company, signifies a specific division that focuses on a particular area of study or work, like the Mathematics Department or the Human Resources Department. This division allows for more specialized and efficient handling of tasks and responsibilities. On the other hand, faculty refers to the collective body of teaching and sometimes research staff at educational institutions, such as colleges and universities. The faculty is responsible for delivering education and contributing to academic research.
In academic contexts, departments are often defined by their subject matter, such as the Department of History or the Department of Physics, organizing courses and research around this discipline. Faculty members, including professors, lecturers, and instructors, are employed within these departments but represent the human resources dedicated to teaching and research. While departments serve as structural divisions, faculty embody the intellectual capital within these divisions.
The role of a department extends beyond just delineating areas of study; it also involves administrative functions, budgeting, and overseeing the academic direction of its courses and research. In contrast, the faculty focuses on executing the educational mission through teaching, mentoring students, and advancing knowledge through research. Thus, departments provide the framework within which faculty members operate.
From a student's perspective, they may belong to a specific department based on their major or area of study, which defines the curriculum and academic requirements they must fulfill. However, their education and academic guidance are directly influenced by the faculty members with whom they interact, attend lectures, and possibly conduct research.
Moreover, the term "faculty" can also refer to the individual abilities or powers of a person, but in the context of educational institutions, it predominantly represents the collective teaching and research staff. Departments do not have this dual meaning and are strictly associated with organizational divisions whether in educational settings or within broader organizational structures.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A specialized division within an organization.
The teaching staff at educational institutions.
Primary Function
To organize and manage specific areas of study or work.
To teach, mentor, and conduct research.
Organizational Level
Structural division based on subject or function.
Collective body of individuals contributing to teaching and research.
Role in Education
Defines the academic framework and administrative boundaries.
Delivers education and engages in academic research.
Example Contexts
Academic (e.g., Department of Biology), corporate (e.g., HR Department).
Primarily academic (e.g., faculty of arts and sciences).
Compare with Definitions
Department
A division focusing on a specific academic or professional field.
She was excited to join the university's Department of Engineering.
Faculty
The teaching staff at educational institutions.
The faculty at the college is known for its dedication to students.
Department
An administrative unit within an organization.
The marketing department launched a new campaign.
Faculty
Engages in teaching and academic research.
The faculty published numerous papers in prestigious journals.
Department
Organizes and oversees a particular area of study or work.
The finance department is responsible for managing the budget.
Faculty
Consists of professors, lecturers, and instructors.
The faculty includes several award-winning authors.
Department
Hosts specialized courses and programs.
The English department offers a wide range of literature courses.
Faculty
Can refer to a person's innate abilities or talents.
His faculty for understanding complex concepts is remarkable.
Department
Manages faculty and student affairs within its domain.
The department chair called a meeting to discuss the new curriculum.
Faculty
Offers guidance and mentorship to students.
The faculty advisor helped her plan her academic career.
Department
A division of a large organization such as a government, university, or business, dealing with a specific area of activity
The council's finance department
Faculty
An inherent mental or physical power
Her critical faculties
The faculty of sight
Department
A principal administrative division of a government
The department of public works.
Faculty
A group of university departments concerned with a major division of knowledge
The Faculty of Arts
The law faculty
Department
A division of a business specializing in a particular product or service
The personnel department.
Faculty
A licence or authorization from a Church authority
The vicar introduced certain ornaments without the necessary faculty to do so
Department
A division of a school or college dealing with a particular field of knowledge
The physics department.
Faculty
An inherent power or ability
The faculty of speech.
Department
Department One of the principal executive divisions of the federal government of the United States, headed by a cabinet officer.
Faculty
A talent or natural ability for something
Has a wonderful faculty for storytelling.
Department
A section of a department store selling a particular line of merchandise
The home furnishings department.
Faculty
(used with a sing. or pl. verb) The teachers and instructors of a school or college, or of one of its divisions, especially those considered permanent, full-time employees.
Department
An administrative district in France.
Faculty
One of the divisions of a college or university
The faculty of law.
Department
A unit of a warship's crew, organized by function, such as gunnery or engineering.
Faculty
All of the members of a learned profession
The medical faculty.
Department
An area of particular knowledge or responsibility; a specialty
Getting the kids to bed is my department.
Faculty
Authorization granted by authority; conferred power.
Department
A part, portion, or subdivision.
Faculty
(Archaic) An occupation; a trade.
Department
A distinct course of life, action, study, or the like.
Technical things are not his department; he's a people person.
Faculty
The academic staff at schools, colleges, universities or not-for-profit research institutes, as opposed to the students or support staff.
Department
A specified aspect or quality.
The 2012 Boston Marathon was outstanding in the temperature department; runners endured temperatures of no less than 88 degrees Fahrenheit.
Faculty
A division of a university.
She transferred from the Faculty of Science to the Faculty of Medicine.
Department
A subdivision of an organization.
Faculty
(Often in the plural): an ability, power, or skill.
He lived until he reached the age of 90 with most of his faculties intact.
Department
One of the principal divisions of executive government
The Treasury Department; the Department of Agriculture; police department
Faculty
An authority, power, or privilege conferred by a higher authority.
Department
One of the divisions of instructions
The physics department; the history department; the math department
Faculty
(Church of England) A licence to make alterations to a church.
Department
A territorial division; a district; especially, in France, one of the districts into which the country is divided for governmental purposes, similar to a county in the UK and in the USA. France is composed of 101 départements organized in 18 régions, each department is divided into arrondissements, in turn divided into cantons.
Faculty
The members of a profession.
Department
(historical) A military subdivision of a country
The Department of the Potomac
Faculty
Ability to act or perform, whether inborn or cultivated; capacity for any natural function; especially, an original mental power or capacity for any of the well-known classes of mental activity; psychical or soul capacity; capacity for any of the leading kinds of soul activity, as knowledge, feeling, volition; intellectual endowment or gift; power; as, faculties of the mind or the soul.
But know that in the soulAre many lesser faculties that serveReason as chief.
What a piece of work is a man ! how noble in reason ! how infinite in faculty !
Department
(obsolete) Act of departing; departure.
Faculty
Special mental endowment; characteristic knack.
He had a ready faculty, indeed, of escaping from any topic that agitated his too sensitive and nervous temperament.
Department
Act of departing; departure.
Sudden departments from one extreme to another.
Faculty
Power; prerogative or attribute of office.
This DuncanHath borne his faculties so meek.
Department
A part, portion, or subdivision.
Faculty
Privilege or permission, granted by favor or indulgence, to do a particular thing; authority; license; dispensation.
The pope . . . granted him a faculty to set him free from his promise.
It had not only faculty to inspect all bishops' dioceses, but to change what laws and statutes they should think fit to alter among the colleges.
Department
A distinct course of life, action, study, or the like; appointed sphere or walk; province.
Superior to Pope in Pope's own peculiar department of literature.
Faculty
A body of a men to whom any specific right or privilege is granted; formerly, the graduates in any of the four departments of a university or college (Philosophy, Law, Medicine, or Theology), to whom was granted the right of teaching (profitendi or docendi) in the department in which they had studied; at present, the members of a profession itself; as, the medical faculty; the legal faculty, etc.
Department
Subdivision of business or official duty; especially, one of the principal divisions of executive government; as, the treasury department; the war department; also, in a university, one of the divisions of instruction; as, the medical department; the department of physics.
Faculty
The body of person to whom are intrusted the government and instruction of a college or university, or of one of its departments; the president, professors, and tutors in a college.
Department
A territorial division; a district; esp., in France, one of the districts composed of several arrondissements into which the country is divided for governmental purposes; as, the Department of the Loire.
Faculty
One of the inherent cognitive or perceptual powers of the mind
Department
A military subdivision of a country; as, the Department of the Potomac.
Faculty
The body of teachers and administrators at a school;
The dean addressed the letter to the entire staff of the university
Department
A specialized division of a large organization;
You'll find it in the hardware department
She got a job in the historical section of the Treasury
Department
The territorial and administrative division of some countries (such as France)
Department
A specialized sphere of knowledge;
Baking is not my department
His work established a new department of literature
Common Curiosities
Are departments and faculties exclusive to universities?
Departments can exist in various organizations, but faculties are primarily associated with educational institutions.
Can a person be part of both a department and faculty?
Yes, academic staff are typically part of a department based on their expertise and collectively constitute the faculty.
What distinguishes a department from a faculty?
A department is a specialized division focusing on a specific area, while faculty refers to the collective teaching staff within or across departments.
How does one become a member of the faculty?
Through academic qualifications and employment by an educational institution, typically in a teaching or research capacity.
How does a department's function differ from that of faculty?
Departments provide the organizational structure and administrative support, whereas faculty focus on teaching and research.
Do all universities have the same department and faculty structure?
While most follow a similar structure, the specific departments and faculty organization can vary based on the institution's size and focus.
How do faculties contribute to academic research?
Faculties engage in research projects, publish scholarly work, and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in their field.
Can the term "faculty" refer to anything other than teaching staff?
Yes, "faculty" can also refer to a person's natural abilities or powers, though in academic contexts, it usually means teaching staff.
How do departments impact a student's choice of major?
Students typically choose their major based on the department that offers the courses and degrees in their area of interest.
Is it possible for a department to exist without faculty?
In an organizational sense, yes, but in academic institutions, a department's primary function involves its faculty.
What role do faculty members play in student education?
Faculty members are directly involved in teaching, mentoring, and advising students, impacting their academic journey.
How are departments organized within larger universities?
Larger universities may organize departments within colleges or schools, each focusing on broader disciplinary areas.
Can faculty members belong to multiple departments?
It's possible, especially in interdisciplinary fields, for faculty to have appointments in more than one department.
What is the role of a department chair?
The department chair oversees administrative tasks, represents the department, and ensures academic standards are met.
Are there non-academic departments in universities?
Yes, universities also have administrative departments like admissions, human resources, and facilities management.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
