Path to a professorship
The professional requirements of a professorship at a University of Applied Sciences are only partially congruent with those of a full university professorship. They are laid down in the respective university laws of the federal states. In Berlin paragraph 100 (BerlHG §100) regulates the conditions that need to be fulfilled for a university professorship. There it says:
(Please note: The English text is a translation of German law. In case of discrepancies, the original German wording is legally binding and takes precedence.)
Article 100 Employment requirements for professorships
(1) In addition to general public sector employment law requirements, the minimum employment requirements for professors, with the exception of junior professors, are
- a university degree,
- teaching ability, usually acquired through experience in teaching or training,
- a particular aptitude for academic work, usually demonstrated by an outstanding doctorate, or a particular aptitude for artistic work and
- in addition, depending on the specific requirements of the position
a) additional academic or artistic achievements or
b) special achievements in the application or development of academic knowledge and methods gained during at least five years of professional experience, of which at least three years must have been spent outside university or other higher education institutions.
That means:
- A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience, of which at least 3 years are to be acquired outside higher education
- A doctorate
- Pedagogical suitability, proven by advanced training, lectureships / teaching appointments, visiting professorships or similar.
The graphic shows the path to a professorship at a University of Applied Sciences: view graphic or view graphic in black and white (PDF download starts automatically)
Professional experience
If you are interested in a professorship, practical work experience is essential. It is important that you have worked several years outside of a university, e.g. in the private sector, in the industry or as a freelancer. In Berlin this also includes research institutions, such as the Helmholtz Association, the Leibniz Association, the Fraunhofer Society or the Max Planck Society.
Further requirements for the recognition of your work experience are:
- Only jobs after the first university degree (Bachelor's) count.
- Only employment of at least 50 percent of a full-time position will be considered. In case of a freelance position further proof is will be required.
- It needs to be a qualified position, which meaning it has to match your field of expertise (your degree).
If you did your PhD on a working contract, two of those years can be taken into account.
Proof of work experience
Any application for a professorship has to include a complete CV, which explicitly shows the amount of years of your work experience. In Germany the most common proof of your work experience is a written employer's reference that is received at the end of an employment. Those are part of the application. Naming people as potential reference is uncommon.
In case of self-employment, the proof is more difficult, but still necessary: Contracts, confirmations from former customers and tax assessments are accepted as proof.
Doctorate
A doctorate's degree is essential to apply successfully for a professorship in Germany. In many cases students start to do a doctorate right after their master's degree, but it became more common lately to first gain some working experience before startig a PhD.
For more detailed information about how to do a PhD at the Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT) please visit the Centre for Research and Innovation at BHT.
If you're holding a German doctorate you can always apply at any university of applied science. If you have a PhD from a foreign country the recognition depends on various factors. This can get a bit tricky and in case you would like to apply for a professorship we encourage you to get in touch beforehand.
Teaching experience
In general universities of applied sciences place great emphasis on teaching. If you are interested in a UAS professorship, proving that you're pedagogically qualified is very important. Classes usually consist of around 25 to 50 students and practical exercises performed in one the university’s laboratories are a common teaching method.
What counts as teaching experience in my CV?
The term itself is used relatively broadly when applying for a professorship. It includes:
- Seminars at universities/UAS
- Teaching-like formats, for example trainings for trainees and doctoral students
- Seminars in the context of adult education
The important part is to show that you have gained some pedagogical knowledge during your career. In Berlin the Berlin Center for University Teaching (BZHL) offers a variety of courses for further pedagogical qualification. Certificates from the center might improve your chances.
Practical experience as a teacher
In order to gain teaching experience, you might consider taking up a teaching assignment whether or not you’re aiming for a professorship. These short-term contracts are usually assigned for one semester and for one particular subject including exams. Currently each teaching assignment is remunerated with € 38.00 per course hour. One teaching hour is 45 minutes. Further details are regulated by the BHTs guidelines for the remuneration of teaching assignments (German only).
We at Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT) would be happy to welcome you as a teacher. Current vacancies can be found on the central page for job offers (German only). If there is no suitable advertisement for you, you can always contact the faculty and ask about possible further teaching positions.
Scientific Publications
Universities of applied science generally put much less emphasis on scientific publications that full universities. That is because the everyday work is much more focussed on teaching than on scientific research. Research is also conducted at UAS, but under different conditions and with much less pressure. That is why publications play a minor role during the application process. Nevertheless they can be of advantage because it shows your interest in conductiong research projects.
Your application should therefore include scientific publications, but you might want to chose in case they fill up 3 additional pages of your CV. Again, it's not that important. In case you have few publications from many years back please add them to your CV.
Language Skills
Attracting international students and staff became one of the major goals of all academic institutions in Germany. Also at the Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT) we see an increase in international students over the last years and some programs are mainly taught in English to meet with the globalised job market.
Therefore language skills, especially English are very much welcomed and applicants should emphasize them in their application. During the appointment process applicants might also be asked to proof their English skills.