Habilitation is an important and recognised path to professorship

The habilitation procedure assesses the academic and pedagogical suitability of a candidate for a professorial position. Suitability for the role is demonstrated by the candidate fulfilling responsibilities in the areas of research and teaching to an increasingly independent extent. In particular, the development of a second major research topic and responsibility for giving academic lectures and seminars provide the foundations for a future appointment.

Further qualification takes place under the academic supervision of a mentoring committee and usually concludes within a period of four years.

Habilitation procedure

In addition to the habilitation candidate, the main participants in the habilitation procedure are the Faculty Council and the mentoring committee.

The mentoring committee takes on a role of fostering and confidence and consists of three professors, at least one of whom belongs to the relevant faculty. The mentoring committee is responsible for the examination of the habilitation publications. It also assists in securing basic equipment, and

decides whether or not to extend to the candidate’s habilitation status in special circumstances. If necessary, further professors and university lecturers may be consulted in an advisory capacity.

The Faculty Council appoints the mentoring committee and is responsible for all decisions made within the habilitation procedure, except for decisions that lie within the remit of the mentoring committee. In addition, the Faculty Council may decide to dissolve the mentoring committee and terminate the habilitation procedure at the interim evaluation stage or in the event that the postdoctoral candidate fails to complete specified assignments. Finally, the Faculty Council decides on the candidate’s teaching qualification.

The General Habilitation Regulations of the KU include basic procedural regulations, which are further supplemented by the habilitation regulations of the individual faculties:

• Faculty of Theology
• Faculty of Philosophy and Education
• Faculty of Languages and Literatures
• Faculty of History and Social Sciences
• Faculty of Mathematics and Geography
• Ingolstadt School of Management