Procedure and documents

After completing a doctorate, scientists have the option of completing a habilitation. The habilitation serves to formally establish the scientific and pedagogical suitability to become a professor (teaching qualification).

A complete application for habilitation must include:

1. Written application for acceptance as a postdoctoral fellow must be addressed to the Dean. The application must specify the subject area for which the teaching qualification is sought. A teaching qualification can only be granted for one subject area. In addition, a proposal in agreement with the habilitation father/mother for the 3 members for the later subject mentorship should be indicated

The application must be accompanied by:

1. as proofs of the requirements specified in the Habilitation Regulations 2004 in §3 para. 2 a) and b), certified copies of the doctoral diploma, all certificates and diplomas of academic or state final examinations and the certificate of university entrance qualification;
2. a complete chronological curriculum vitae with special attention to academic and professional career;
3. a complete list of publications of the applicant's scientific work (only publications already published);
4. one copy of each of the previous scientific publications and one copy of the dissertation (hard binding), whereby ready-to-print manuscripts may be enclosed;
5. A list of academic courses taught to date (title, type of course, SWS), as well as detailed information on previous speaking engagements;
6. a description of the scientific work planned in the habilitation procedure and information on what basic funding capable of third-party funding is likely to be required;
7. a statement as to whether and, if so, with what success he has submitted an application for habilitation at another university and whether he has been deprived of an academic degree;
8. an official certificate of good conduct, unless the applicant is in public service;
9. proof of sufficient command of the German language (B2 level) if the applicant comes from a foreign language speaking country.

Checklist & Samples

You can use the following checklist as well as the samples for orientation:

Checklist for admission
Application for habilitation (sample)

Curriculum Vitae (sample)
List of academic courses & lectures (sample)

After the complete application has been reviewed, the documents are usually submitted to the Faculty Council at the next meeting for consideration of the habilitation application and for the appointment of a habilitation committee (consisting of 5 university professors, 1 research assistant and 1 student representative).

Dates Faculty Council: https://www.physik.uni-wuerzburg.de/ueber-uns/organisation/sitzungstermine/

According to §4 para. 3 HabO 2004, the scientist has to introduce him/herself before the final acceptance by a public presentation at the university. This presentation is done by a lecture in the lecture series "Physikalisches Kolloquium", which takes place every Monday during the semester. The habilitation committee will be informed in time by the habilitation office about the presentation lecture.

The scientist has to take care of this lecture date by himself/herself. The colloquium commission is responsible for assigning the dates. Dates and composition of the commission can be found at: https://www.physik.uni-wuerzburg.de/aktuelles/veranstaltungen-aus-der-physik/physikalisches-kolloquium/ and https://www.physik.uni-wuerzburg.de/ueber-uns/organisation/kommissionen/. 

Please let us know well in advance when you will hold your introductory colloquium and what the title will be.

After the presentation, the habilitation committee prepares a written statement on the habilitation application of the scientist for the faculty council.

After receipt of this statement, the Faculty Council decides in the next meeting on the final acceptance as a habilitand and appoints a subject mentor (3 university lecturers) for the further habilitation procedure. The subject mentorate assumes a function of trust and protection for the habilitand. It accompanies and supports the habilitation candidate in the research and teaching activities necessary for the acquisition of the teaching qualification as well as in the securing of a basic endowment capable of third-party funding. (see §5 HabO 2004).

The habilitand and the members of the departmental mentorate will be informed as soon as possible about the acceptance as habilitand and thus about the start of the habilitation procedure. In addition, the habilitation candidate is requested to conclude a habilitation agreement on the expected achievements together with the departmental mentor as soon as possible.

Please submit the original to the habilitation office as soon as possible.

According to § 7 HabO 2004, the departmental mentorate must conduct an interim evaluation no later than 2 years after acceptance as a habilitand.

The purpose of this evaluation is to provide a prognosis of the success of the habilitation and to make any necessary corrections to the habilitation agreement. The criteria to be applied in the interim evaluation can be found under § 7 para. 1 HabO 2004.

According to §8 HabO 2004, a final scientific assessment must be initiated by the departmental mentorate no later than four years after acceptance as a habilitand.

If, during the preparation of the final scientific assessment, the departmental mentorate determines that the work cannot be completed within the four-year period, the habilitand may be granted an appropriate extension of the habilitation period.
period, the postdoctoral fellow may be granted an appropriate grace period.  This grace period must be requested from the dean by informal application. Periods
of the performance of substitutions of professorships, the use of parental leave or
a ban on employment according to the ordinance on maternity protection for civil servants, as well as
for habilitation candidates who are not members of the University of Würzburg shall extend the four-year period.
extend .

For the final scientific review, the habilitand submits the following documents:

1. an informal application for scientific peer review
2. An updated complete chronological resume (with date and original signature);
3. a list of scientific publications;
4. a list of the courses held so far (title of the course, type of course, SWS)
5. four copies of the written habilitation thesis; (hard bounded)
6. A summary of no more than ten pages of the key findings of the submitted work;
7. an assurance that the written habilitation thesis has been written independently and that the origin of the material used or cited has been properly identified;
8. a statement that the applicant has not submitted any other application for habilitation, that no academic degree has been withdrawn from him/her, and that no proceedings are pending against him/her that could result in the withdrawal of an academic degree.

Review of the Habilitation Performance (Checklist)

These documents are then passed on to the reviewers for scientific evaluation.

After receipt of the expert opinions, the Dean requests the departmental mentorate and the student representation to prepare a final statement for the decision in the Faculty Council.

The Faculty Council decides on the final award of the teaching qualification after all documents, expert opinions and statements have been submitted and reviewed.

After successful examination, the Habilitand receives his certificate in the context of a public final lecture by the Dean or Associate Dean.

After successful habilitation, the habilitated person may be awarded the title of Privatdozent ("PD") upon application to the Faculty and University.

The following must be submitted for this purpose:

• current curriculum vitae without gaps
•  Informal application for the granting of the authorization to teach
• List of publications
• Questionnaire to check compliance with the constitution
• Questionnaire on relationships with the Scientology organization