Academic ranks in Germany

Academic ranks in Germany are the titles, relative importance and power of professors, researchers, and administrative personnel held in academia.

Overview

Appointment grades

Non-appointment grades

Administrative ranks

Faculty

In the 20th century, after their doctorate, German scholars who wish to go into academia usually work toward a Habilitation by writing a second thesis, known as the Habilitationsschrift. This is often accomplished while employed as a Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter or Wissenschaftlicher Assistent ("scientific assistant", C1) or a non-tenured position as Akademischer Rat ("assistant professor/lecturer", both 3+3 years teaching and research positions). Once they pass their Habilitation, they are called Privatdozent and are eligible for a call to a chair.

Since 2002 many paths may lead to a full professorship. One can reach a professorship at a university by habilitation, a successful evaluation as a junior professorship (after 2–3 years) or equivalent performance. In engineering this is often attained through expert knowledge in the industry, and in natural science often by the number and quality of publications. In addition to the traditional universities there are also Fachhochschulen (FH) as institutions of higher education and research, mostly referred to as "University of Applied Sciences (UAS)" Since a new salary scheme was introduced in 2005, there are both W2 and W3 professors for the Fachhochschulen as there are for the old universities. Hence, the formal differences have been completely eliminated. In general a professor at an applied university has not gone through the process of habilitation or junior professorship. She or he applies for the position after the doctorate and at least three years achieving expert knowledge in the industry. Usually a professor at an applied university is more focused on teaching while a professor at a traditional university is more focused on research.

Note that in Germany, there has always been a debate about whether Professor is a title that one may retain for life once it has been conferred (similar to the doctorate), or whether it is linked to a function (or even the designation of a function) and ceases to belong to the holder once she or he quits or retires (except in the usual case of becoming Professor emeritus). The latter view has won the day — although in many German Länder ("states"), there is a minimum requirement of five years of service before "Professor" may be used as a title—and is by now both the law and majority opinion.

Main positions

Other positions

Other professors

Some other uses of the title professor:

In other countries

Similar or identical systems as in Germany (where a Habilitation is required) are in place, e.g., in Austria, the German-speaking part of Switzerland (however in Switzerland the term is used as a more general honorary title in the Universities of Applied Sciences, the Fachhochschulen), as well as in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia.

In Poland, professor is an academic title required to obtain the position of full (ordinary) professor. An extraordinary professorship is lower ranked, and does not require the professor title.

In some countries using the German-style academic system (e.g. Austria, Finland, Sweden), Professor is also an honorific title that can be bestowed upon an artist, scholar, etc., by the President or by the government, completely independent of any actual academic post or assignment.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Was ist die W-Besoldung?". www.w-besoldung.net. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  2. vgl. Zweites Gesetz zur Änderung hochschulrechtlicher Vorschriften von Baden-Württemberg vom 1. Januar 2005, Artikel 17, § 15
  3. Walter Rüegg (2011). A History of the University in Europe. Cambridge U.P. p. 185.
  4. Bundesbesoldungsordnung B
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