Postdoctoral / Habilitation Program

General Information

A habilitation is the recognition of special qualifications in research and teaching in one of the fields of the Faculty of Engineering. On the basis of a successful habilitation you will receive the qualification to teach at the university level in a specific scientific field. Fields in which you can receive a habilitation at the Faculty of Engineering are Computer Science and Microsystems Engineering.

Obtaining the postdoctoral teaching qualification consists of three parts:

The habilitation thesis or publication(s) demonstrating your research qualifications
A scientific presentation (including a discussion) which demonstrates your competence (more information regarding the scientific presentation)
A class lecture which demonstrates your teaching and educational skills

Requirements

Applicants must hold a PhD degree from a German university or an equivalent from a foreign university.

Habilitation procedure / Notification of submission

Before submitting your application for habilitation you must secure a mentor at the Faculty of Engineering who is willing to support your habilitation procedure.

Before the official habilitation procedure can start you must hold a scientific presentation in which you present your field of research. This presentation is not public and lasts approximately 45 minutes. After this presentation you may submit your application for habilitation.

Application for habilitation (and notification of submission of habilitation thesis)

Please submit your application to the Chair of the Postdoctoral Studies Committee (Dean of the Faculty of Engineering).

You can find a sample application here.

Please enclose the following documents:

CV / résumé
Copy of your PhD certificate
5 copies of your habilitation thesis
List of publications
List of courses taught
Plagiarism Declaration according to the postdoctoral teaching qualification regulations
Three proposals for your scientific presentation according to §5 of the postdoctoral teaching qualification regulations.

The Postdoctoral Studies Committee officially opens the habilitation procedure and appoints the referees. At least two professors will be appointed as referees (at least one of the referees must be from another university). The referees submit the reports within two months and recommend whether the thesis should be accepted or whether the procedure should be interrupted temporarily.

The reports and your thesis, CV and publication list will be submitted to the Postdoctoral Studies Committee for review (2 to 8 weeks). During this period, the Postdoctoal Studies Committee is allowed to issue a statement.

The Committe will reach a decision regarding pass or fail of your habilitation thesis.

Oral habilitation examination

The Committee will select one of the three topics you have proposed for the scientific presentation. The Chair will inform you regarding the topic and the date of the presentation, allowing a preparation time of at least three weeks.

Immediately following the presentation and discussion the Committee will reach a decision regarding the pass or fail of the oral examination.

Handreichung zum Habilitationsvortrag

Teaching and educational skills

You are then required to hold a leclture which demonstrates your teaching and educational skills (§12).

The Chair will select a lecture topic (in agreement with you) and and inform the Committee or the Committee may decide to accept lectures which you have already held.

Result of the habilitation

The Committee will determine the field of study to which the habilitation will apply. The Chair will inform you about the results and the Rector about the habilitation.

Teaching qualification

The teaching qualification will be rewarded by certificate according to §20 paragraph 4.