Scientific Career

The doctorate lays the foundation for a career in the academic field. It qualifies the young talents in research, teaching, administration and project management. At the same time, a completed doctorate also opens the door to a career in business.

The usual route to a lifetime professorship up to now has been the habilitation, which directly follows the postdoc phase. The habilitation thesis is written during the habilitation period, which usually lasts six years. The now independent researchers consolidate their professional knowledge, deepen their competences in research and teaching, sharpen their professional profile and build a network within their scientific community in order to establish themselves in science in the long term.

A junior professorship as an entry option is another possibility on the way to a lifetime professorship. It enables the holder to take on the tasks of a professorship at an early stage. Originally introduced to replace the habilitation, it has become an attractive alternative in many subjects. The entire term of a junior professorship is usually six years. A W1 salary and temporary tenure is usual.

An alternative to habilitation and junior professorship is the tenure track procedure. The appointment of excellent young scientists* to a junior professorship is subject to a tenure track option (procedure for permanent employment). The probationary phase of six years is linked to an interim and a final tenure track evaluation of personal performance. The appointment to a lifetime professorship is based on a positive result.