Application and Hiring Process

The University of Tübingen is seeking to increase their international staff and is therefore advertising its professorships internationally. If you are among the best in your field, a professorship at one of the most prestigious research universities in Germany might interest you. The following section provides information on how the application and the overall hiring process work.

Note on application documents

Applications to the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Economics and Social Science, the Faculty of Humanities, and the Faculty of Medicine must be submitted exclusively via the Appointment Portal. All required documents and certificates listed below must be uploaded through the portal.

to Appointment Portal

Anforderungen

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.

Bewerbungsunterlagen

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.

Hausberufungsverbot

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.

Berufungsangebot

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.