Habilitation and junior professorship
Qualification for a tenured professorship is usually achieved in one of two ways: through the habilitation process or by holding a junior professorship.
Habilitation
An habilitation at the German Sport University Cologne serves to demonstrate the ability to teach and conduct research independently in one of the university’s disciplines. It is important for academics seeking a career in higher education, as it represents the traditional route to a tenured professorship. Following a PhD, the habilitation requires, in particular, a second major research project – which may take the form of a collection of papers or a monograph – and an oral examination.
The Habilitation Regulations of the German Sport University Cologne govern the habilitation procedure. You will find all the important guidelines and regulations there.
In accordance with the Habilitation Regulations, the application for habilitation must be addressed to the chair of the Habilitation Committee. This committee is appointed by the Senate and consists of six academic staff members from the German Sport University Cologne.
Junior professorships without a tenure track
The junior professorship without a tenure track offers young academics the opportunity to take on research and teaching responsibilities independently at an early stage in their careers and to qualify for a tenured professorship. The establishment of the junior professorship has created a new career path designed to provide early-career academics with a modern and independent route to a professorship.
Junior professorships without a tenure track are generally limited to six years. After three years, the candidate undergoes an interim evaluation. The outcome of this serves as the basis for the decision on whether to extend the appointment for a further three years. A final evaluation may be carried out at the request of the junior professor.
Junior professorships on the tenure track
Through its tenure-track scheme, the German Sport University Cologne offers excellent young academics attractive career prospects. Successful completion of the tenure-track process leads to appointment to a permanent professorship. The process generally consists of two phases, each of which concludes with an evaluation of the candidate. The outcome of the interim evaluation serves as the basis for the decision on whether to extend the appointment, whilst the outcome of the final evaluation serves as the basis for the decision on whether to make the professorship permanent. The appointment regulations govern the appointment procedures, which also apply to the filling of junior professorships. The procedural regulations for the evaluation of junior professors and tenure-track professors set out the procedures for an interim evaluation and, where applicable, a final evaluation for tenure-track professorships.
