Professorships at the University of Glasgow can take either of two forms: an established chair or a personal professorship. An established chair is one which has been set up by endowment and is intended to last indefinitely, i.e. that when a chair is vacated, someone else will be appointed to it. Personal professorships are conferred on individuals and exist only so long as that individual continues to hold the post. While the first established chair at the University was created in 1637, personal professorships were first created by the University in 1964 to facilitate more flexibility in appointment. No difference in status is drawn between holders of established or personal professorships, and all are accorded ex-officio membership of the Academic Senate.
The following is an incomplete list of established professorships at the University of Glasgow, organised by College. The title of the Professorship is followed by the date of foundation. Dates in italics indicate the year of foundation of lectureships on which chairs were based.