Habilitation

Habilitation is a term used within the university system in Germany, Austria, and some other European countries. It can be used to describe either a qualification, the process of earning that qualification, or - incorrectly - the thesis written as part of that process (which is called Habilitationsschrift). A Habilitation (thesis) can be either cumulative (based on previous research, be it articles or monographs) or monographical, i.e. a specific, unpublished thesis, which then has the tendency to be very long. In order to hold the rank of Professor within the German system, it is, or at least was, in most fields generally necessary to have attained the Habilitation. It is thus a qualification at a higher level than the German Ph.D. It is usually earned after several years of research, either "internally" (working at a university in a lower position) or "externally" (as a practitioner such as high school teacher, lawyer, etc.). With the habilitation, the status of Privatdozent is granted. The Habilitation is awarded after a public lecture, to be held after the thesis has been accepted, and after which the venia legendi is bestowed, i.e. the right to teach (and to be a professor of). In some areas, such as law, the venia, and thus the Habilitation, is only given for certain sub-fields (such as Criminal Law, Civil Law, etc.); in others, for the entire field. Those who have achieved Habilitation can denote the fact by placing the abbreviation "Dr.hab." or "Dr.habil." before their names, though this is only common for those who do not attain, or lose or relinquish, the title and position of Privatdozent. The degree of Docteur d'Etat formerly awarded by universities in France had a somewhat similar purpose. Although these awards are at a higher level than the PhD, they should not be equated to the higher doctorates awarded by universities in the United Kingdom, the United States and the Commonwealth: these are given in recognition of an extended research career, and would normally only come after some years at professorial status.