AUC's full-time teaching faculty is primarily American and Egyptian, in addition to citizens from about a dozen other countries. By drawing from the national universities, business and professional communities and the Egyptian government, AUC has recruited a well-qualified part-time faculty. These academics, business leaders, journalists, government officials, and professionals bring their practical experience to the classroom. The exchange of ideas also takes place on a more informal basis as academic departments and student organizations invite experts from a wide range of professional fields to give lectures and demonstrations during the weekly assembly hours and in the evenings.

To augment its educational and cultural offerings, the university established many years ago a Distinguished Visiting Professor program which brings to the AUC campus a number of eminent scholars, writers, and artists for short-term lectureships or workshops. Some of these professorships are supported by named endowments or annual grants in recognition of their importance to the university and the community. Current DVP endowments include the Christopher Thoron DVP, the Bayard Dodge DVP in Arabic Studies, the General Dynamics DVP in Engineering, the Charles J. Hedlund DVP in Middle East Studies, and the Endowed DVP in English and Comparative Literature.