The AAUP's Constitution provides for both voting (active) and non-voting memberships in the Association.

Voting Member Categories
Any person who holds a professional position of teacher or researcher, is a graduate student, or holds some other academic appointment, in a college, university or professional school of similar grade accredited in the United States or Canada may be admitted to active membership in the Association. There are several different membership categories with full voting and political rights in the Association.

• Full-time
  Individuals holding full-time appointments at an accredited institution should join under this category, unless they are not tenured and have not previously been an active member of the Association.
  
• Entrant
  Individuals who are not tenured and have not previously been an active member of the Association are eligible to join as entrant members. There is a four-year time limit on any individual who joins under this category of membership.
  
• Joint
  An individual joining as a second member from a single household may elect to join under this category, but will not receive a subscription to Academe.
  
• Part-time
  Individuals receiving no more than a 50% of the salary of a full-time faculty member at his/her institution, may join the Association as part-time members.
  
• Graduate Student Members
  Any person who is, or within the past five years has been, a graduate student may be admitted to graduate student membership.
  
• Retired Members
  An active member who retires from a full-time teaching or research position may choose to be transferred to retired membership.

Nonvoting Member Category
For those who support the principles that the AAUP defends, but who are ineligible for any of the membership categories described above, the following membership option is available.

• Associate Members
  Any person in a college, university, or professional school of similar grade accredited in the United States or Canada whose work is primarily administrative and/or any person not eligible for one of the other classes of membership shall be eligible for associate membership.