American Academy List of Classes and Sections

Since 1815, the Academy has elected members by class and section. At that time, the classes were simply Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Natural History; and Moral Sciences, Philology, and Fine Arts.

As fields and specialties have changed over time, the Academy’s classes and sections have evolved. Below is the current class and section list.

A Member Directory is online, as is information about Nominations and Elections. 

Class I – Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Section 1 – Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, and Statistics
Section 2 – Physics
Section 3 – Chemistry
Section 4 – Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Earth Sciences
Section 5 – Engineering and Technology
Section 6 – Computer Sciences

Class II – Biological Sciences
Section 1 – Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology
Section 2 – Cellular and Developmental Biology
Section 3 – Neurosciences
Section 4 – Evolution and Ecology
Section 5 – Medical Sciences
Section 6 – Microbiology and Immunology

Class III – Social and Behavioral Sciences
Section 1 – Psychological Sciences
Section 2 – Economics
Section 3 – Political Science
Section 4 – Law
Section 5 – Anthropology and Archaeology
Section 6 – Sociology, Demography, and Geography
Section 7 – Education

Class IV – Humanities and Arts
Section 1 – Philosophy
Section 2 – History
Section 3 – Literature and Language Studies
Section 4 – Literature
Section 5 – Visual Arts
Section 6 – Performing Arts
Section 7 – Religious Studies 

Class V – Leadership, Policy, and Communications
Section 1 – Journalism, Media, and Communications
Section 2 – Business, Corporate, and Philanthropic Leadership
Section 3 – Educational and Academic Leadership
Section 4 – Public Affairs and Public Policy
Section 5 – Scientific, Cultural, and Nonprofit Leadership