Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences

Habilitation (post-doctoral lecturing qualification) at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences

The new Habilitation Regulations for the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences (at the moment in German available only) have been in effect since 27 July 2017! They apply to all habilitation candidates and replace the habilitation regulations from the former faculties from 20 July 1999 (former Faculty / current Department of Social Sciences) and 22 September 1997 (former Faculty / current School of Business and Economics).

The key changes in the new regulations include the evaluation, which is now required for habilitation candidates according to the State Higher Education Act and, arising from this, the announcement of the intention to complete a habilitation when starting the habilitation phase. The process for the habilitation examination has largely remained the same. It was adapted to currently applicable law and harmonized for the two departments.

The path to a habilitation is divided into the following steps:

1. Announcement of the intention to complete a habilitation

Effective immediately, habilitation candidates must announce to the Faculty that they intend to complete a habilitation as soon as they start the process. Those who are already in the process are to announce their intention as soon as possible.

NOTE! This also applies to research assistants who have qualification positions and have already signed a contract with the goal of a habilitation.

For the announcement, please use the appropriate form. Once your intention to complete a habilitation has been announced to the habilitation committee, you will receive written confirmation with additional information and the scheduled date for the evaluation

2. Evaluation

The review of your project must be done at the latest 4 years after you have announced your intention to complete a habilitation. The evaluation consists of a consultation with the evaluation committee (made up of the dean or vice-dean of research, institute or department director, and your mentor) with a focus on the status quo and the question of whether you have made substantial progress on your path to being appointed as a professor and where work still needs to be done.

Typically, the Faculty initiates the evaluation around 1 year before this deadline. You are welcome to contact us if you would like an earlier evaluation, however. After the evaluation, the Faculty will send you the evaluation committee’s written feedback.

The habilitation regulations have not yet been translated. Here you will find an excerpt from the habilitation regulations on the subject of evaluation:

Demands of the habilitation

(1) The habilitation is conferred on the basis of written and oral habilitation assessment under §§ 8 and 9.

(2) You must notify the faculty of your habilitation project in good time. Your habilitation must be completed in an appropriate period of time. Four years at the latest following notification of your intention to do a habilitation, you must present your key findings up to that point to the relevant habilitation board for an interim evaluation. It is sufficient for the applicant to submit to the Dean’s Office: the relevant publication and/or selected chapters of the habilitation thesis in their preliminary version, a one- to two-page report on the current status of the habilitation project, and a current timetable for completion of the project. On the basis of these, the Dean or Vice-Dean of Research, the director of the relevant institute, and the applicant’s mentor (the evaluation committee) will hold a consultation with the applicant. The evaluation committee decides on the results and passes its decision on to the respective habilitation board. The applicant receives the result of the interim evaluation together with a statement pointing to strengths and weaknesses so that any faults may be corrected during the remaining habilitation process.

(3) In order for the faculty to conduct this process under para. (2), the applicant must formally notify the Dean’s Office of his/her intention to pursue a habilitation soon after concluding the relevant employment or making the decision to pursue a habilitation. This notification must be accompanied by a timetable and an outline of the contents of the proposed habilitation project. In addition, at least one mentor from the group of persons listed under §3 para. (2) no.1 must be nominated.

(4) If notice of the intention to pursue a habilitation is not given in sufficient time prior to the planned submission of the habilitation thesis, the evaluation shall take place before the launch of the process.

3. Habilitation Examination Process

To commence the examination process, submit your habilitation request to the Dean’s Office with the required documents. Based on your request, the habilitation committee will decide on whether to commence the examination process. You will receive the committee’s decision in writing together with information on the next step and a schedule for your examination process. The examination process lasts at least six months and should be completed within a maximum of one year. Please contact us as soon as possible if there are reasons necessitating a faster process.

You will receive the decision on your habilitation in the habilitation committee meeting after your lecture and colloquium. If it is accepted, the habilitation is immediately considered complete. You typically receive the degree certificate within two weeks.

Important general information

  • When you announce your intention to complete a habilitation, you do not obligate yourself to do so! It is obligatory to announce the intention to complete a habilitation as soon as possible and it determines the deadline for your evaluation. But, f you decide to discontinue the habilitation, you can withdraw your announcement without any formal requirements. You will not be at any disadvantage if you decide to discontinue the habilitation process.
  • Please note that habilitation candidates must typically introduce themselves to the department or institute. This is done according to the respective customs and, if anything is unclear, the institute director or department director can be asked about the process.
  • The Faculty has passed evaluation criteria and subject-specific requirements for habilitation candidates (only available in German).
  • Assistant professors who are considering completing a habilitation should contact the dean at the latest six months before the final evaluation.

Please address your application and official enquiries to the Habilitation Committee:

Chairman of the Habilitation Committee
Prof. Dr. Josef Schmid
Nauklerstraße 48
72074 Tuebingen
dekan@wiso.uni-tuebingen.de

For any other questions, Ms. Neubauer is happy to help you.