Habilitation
The award of a habilitation degree (venia docendi) for an entire scientific or artistic subject is granted by the Rectorate upon application. The requested authorization must fall within the sphere of action of the mdw.
The award of a habilitation degree shall be conditional on evidence of outstanding scientific or artistic qualification, as well as evidence of didactic abilities of the applicant through repeated teaching at recognized post-secondary educational institutions.
At the mdw, it is possible to obtain habilitation in both scientific and artistic subjects. Further information can be found in the Statutes – Habilitation section.
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♦ It is recommended that applicants clarify the procedural steps (including administrative matters) prior to submitting an application by contacting the responsible staff at the Department for Organizational Law and Professorial Appointment Management (including the Competence Center for Academic Integrity). (See contact details below.) |
The Habilitation Procedure
The application must be submitted in a written form to the Rectorate along with the required documents. After checking whether the formal admission requirements are met, the Rectorate forwards the application to the Senate. The Senate’s Habilitation Working Group verifies the completeness of the application. If the applicant holds a foreign degree, it must be approved by the Equivalency Commission appointed by the Senate.
The Senate appoints a Habilitation Committee with decision-making authority, consisting of up to 9 members. The composition of this commission can be found in the Statutes – Habilitation.
The University Professors on the Senate appoint at least two evaluators from a proposal by professors in the department concerned. At least one evaluator must be external. These evaluators act as assessors of the academic papers or work of art submitted.
Evaluators for a scientific habilitation must assess whether the submitted work, including the habilitation thesis:
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♦ is of impeccable methodological quality, his/her habilitation subject and ability for its advancement. |
Evaluators for an artistic habilitation must assess whether the submitted written statement and accompanying materials present an individual contribution to the advancement and appreciation of the arts (EEK) and show a capacity for artistic innovation beyond current practice.
The applicant may also submit additional expert evaluations.
After the applicant, the university professors in the department concerned, and related disciplines have had the opportunity to review and comment on the materials, the Habilitation Committee will schedule a public debate (colloquium). During this event, the applicant is required to deliver an impulse lecture (scientific habilitation) or an artistic presentation (artistic habilitation).
If there are doubts about the applicant's pedagogical and didactic qualifications, the committee may assess these through a teaching demonstration and/or subject-specific interview.
The Habilitation Committee makes separate decisions on whether the applicant has the required scientific or artistic qualifications and whether the applicant has the didactic abilities to be awarded a habilitation degree. The decision regarding the scientific or artistic qualification is made by a majority vote of those Habilitation Committee members who hold a habilitation degree (venia docendi). The committee ultimately decides whether the requested habilitation degree is to be awarded.
The procedural documents are then forwarded to the Rectorate, which issues the official notification based on the decision of the Habilitation Committee.
Upon successful completion of the habilitation procedure, the title Privatdozent:in (private lecturer) is awarded. However, the award of a habilitation degree does not confer the right to employment nor modify an existing employment contract with the mdw.
Legal Basis
The following legal foundations are relevant for the habilitation process at the mdw:
Other Contact Points
If you are undergoing a qualification procedure at the mdw in connection with habilitation, additional information can be found on the website of the Department of Human Resources Management.
Please note that additional deadlines may apply in the context of qualification procedures (see also Richtlinien des Rektorats zu Stellen mit Qualifizierungsvereinbarung gem. § 99 Abs. 5 UG).
Information on research funding or on training and development can be found on the websites of the Research Support and the Human Resources Department – Center for Further Education.
Contact
The Department for Organizational Law and Appointment Management (including the Competence Center for Academic Integrity) is responsible for providing legal support to the bodies involved and the habilitation candidates.
For questions about the procedure, if you wish to submit a habilitation application, or if you have inquiries regarding your ongoing procedure, please contact:
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Tel. +43 1 711 55 DW 6007 |
Tel. +43 1 711 55 DW 6010 |