Application and Hiring Process

There are formal requirements in order to become a professor in Germany. Successful candidates must have obtained an excellent doctorate or PhD, have proven knowledge in the particular field, relevant publications, as well as experience in research and teaching. Professors are usually expected to have obtained further academic achievements such as a habilitation degree or five to six years’ experience in research and management as a Junior Professor or Junior Research Group Leader with positive evaluations and excellent publications. 

Please refer to the individual job offers for specific details. 

Among the standard documents required to submit are the following:  

Essential: 

• Academic CV
• Certificates, Credentials 
• List of publications 
• List of courses taught  

Additional:  

• Details on acquired third-party funding  
• Presentation of research strategy 
• Descriptive statement on their philosophy and strategy for teaching 

References are not required.  

Specific requirements beyond the listed documents may be stated in the individual job offer.

Though the historically strict “Hausberufungsverbot” (ban on internal appointments) has been somewhat softened in recent years, in the German academic system, internal appointments are still considered to be exceptional cases, because it is not expected for an academic to remain at the same institution from graduate school to tenure. Another principle behind this ban is the that of equal chances for all applicants and the selection of the best qualified candidate (i.e. it shall be assured that those already working at the university in question do not have any explicit or implicit advantages in comparison to external applicants). It is anchored in article 33 of the German Basic Law. As a consequence, the institution must be changed at least once before receiving tenure.

The negotiations over the appointment offer take place in a meeting with the faculty dean for fixed-term professorships (W1/W2) and with the Rectorate and a faculty representative for tenure-track and full professorships (W3).   

After the negotiation meeting, the university will send a written offer to the candidate, usually stating a deadline by which it must be accepted, contested with a counter-offer, or declined. If declined, the next candidate on the list will be considered and made an offer, until a candidate either accepts or the list is depleted and a new public advertisement will have to be made.