Habilitation

Habilitation is a term used within the university system in Germany, Austria, and some other European countries such as the German-speaking part of Switzerland, in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Russia, and other countries of former Soviet Union, such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Kirgizstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, etc. It can be used to describe either a qualification, the process of earning that qualification, or - incorrectly - the thesis written as part of that process (which is called Habilitationsschrift). A Habilitation qualifies for being admitted as a professor at a university.

The Process

In order to hold the rank of Professor within the German system, it is, or at least was, in most fields generally necessary to have attained the Habilitation. It is thus a qualification at a higher level than the degree of Promotion (the German equivalent of the Ph.D.). It is usually earned after several years of research, either "internally" (working at a university in a lower position) or "externally" (as a practitioner such as high school teacher, lawyer, etc.). With the Habilitation, the status of Privatdozent (university lecturer, PD or Priv.-Doz. for short) is usually granted.

Related Topics:
Promotion - Ph.D. - Privatdozent

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The Habilitation is awarded after a public lecture, to be held after the thesis has been accepted, and after which the venia legendi is bestowed, i.e. the right to teach (and to be a professor of). In some areas, such as law, the venia, and thus the Habilitation, is only given for certain sub-fields (such as Criminal Law, Civil Law, etc.); in others, for the entire field.

Related Topics:
Venia legendi - Criminal Law - Civil Law

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Those who have achieved Habilitation can denote the fact by placing the abbreviation "Dr.hab." or "Dr.habil." before their names, though this is only common for those who do not attain or who lose or relinquish the title and position of Privatdozent.

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It is possible to get a professorship without Habilitation, if the search committee attests the candidate to have qualifications equalling those of a Habilitation and the higher ranking bodies (the university's senate and the Land's ministry of education) approve of that. However, while some subjects make liberal use of this (e.g. the natural sciences in order to employ candidates from countries with different systems and the arts to employ active artists), in other subjects it is rarely done.

Related Topics:
Senate - Land - Ministry

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