Career Paths

Career paths at Bayreuth University

Those who have decided to stay in academia and research after earning their doctorate have many different options for shaping their careers on the path to professorship.

Contact: Dipl.-Ing. Iris Hetz, +49 921 55-7781, win-ubt@uni-bayreuth.de

Offers in the qualification program
Individual career counseling for doctoral students
Consulting and coaching services for all career stages
Offers of the Career and Business Contacts Office (KUK) (Website only available in German)
Central student advising service of the University of Bayreuth
Publications of the University Association for the Qualification of Young Academics in Germany (UniWiND) (Website only available in German)

Structure of the University of Bayreuth Graduate School

At the University of Bayreuth you can do your doctorate in a structured program at one of the graduate centers or in an individual doctorate at one of the seven faculties.

The graduate centers of the University of Bayreuth are:

A supervision agreement transparently shapes the relationship between doctoral candidates and supervisors in terms of content and time. The supervision of doctoral candidates at the University of Bayreuth should take place within a framework that ensures lasting familiarity with the standards of good scientific practice.

During your doctoral studies, you may enrol as a doctoral student for up to 4 years for the purpose of earning your doctorate. This is not a requirement for acceptance for doctoral study by a doctoral-granting institution. You may pursue a doctoral degree without student status.

All doctoral students of the University of Bayreuth can become members of the University of Bayreuth Graduate School (UBTGS) as the central funding institution of the university. The prerequisite is the acceptance for doctoral studies by a doctoral institution (faculty, graduate school, graduate center). The UBTGS supports all doctoral students with measures such as an individual budget or free qualification programs. However, it is not a doctoral institution; you cannot do your doctorate there.

The date of completion of a doctorate is relevant for the justification of time limits according to the WissZeitVG.
This applies

to the end of the first phase (first 6 years according to WissZeitVG) and
to the postdoc phase (second 6 years according to WissZeitVG)

Separate regulations apply to tenure as a temporary academic councilor, which takes place in 2 phases of 3 years each.

Statistic perspective

The date of the official determination of the overall result by the examination board/the doctoral institution is reported to the State Statistical Office. This is usually already the date of the disputation.

Therefore, the statistical duration of the doctorate is independent from the subsequent administrative processing time and, above all, the duration of the publication procedure.

Legal perspective

According to the doctoral regulations of the University of Bayreuth, a doctorate is finished when all requirements of the doctoral regulations have been fulfilled and the doctoral degree has been awarded.

The use of the doctoral title is only allowed from the date of the award of the doctoral degree, but not the date of the viva or the announcement of the overall result.

Special regulation on the temporary use of the doctoral degree

Provisions in doctoral regulations may permit the temporary use of the doctoral title under certain conditions.

In the first postdoc phase - usually two to four years after the doctorate - research and, if possible, teaching experience is gained at a university or a non-university institute, possibly also in industry. This time is used for the production of own publications, further education, e.g. at congresses, and the acquisition of soft skills. International research experience is also part of the further qualification.

Junior research group leaders are usually employed as full-time or artistic staff at universities. They conduct independent research and lead their own research group.

They have

personnel responsibility,
budget responsibility and
the necessary basic equipment or
access to infrastructure and all necessary resources.

Junior research group leaders

are selected in competitive process and
qualify for scientific leadership positions, especially for appointment to a professorship.

BMBF website: Junior Research Group Leaders

DFG: Emmy Noether Program

Elite Network Bavaria: ENB Young Investigators Group

BMBF junior research groups (link only availabe in German)

After the successful acquisition of the doctoral degree, the habilitation is a possible next step for scientists on the way to a professorship. Currently, about 80 scientists of different disciplines are habilitating at the University of Bayreuth. The habilitation serves to formally establish the scientific and pedagogical suitability for professorship.

Habilitation as an academic qualification phase usually lasts four years. During this time, habilitation candidates demonstrate that they can hold their own in university research and teaching and are suitable as future university teachers for a specific subject area. In addition, during this time, they make a significant contribution to student education, academic self-administration, the acquisition of research funds and the scientific reputation of the University of Bayreuth.

Further information about habilitation (Link Intranet ) (only available in German)

Bavarian Higher Education Act (BayHSchG) (only available in German)

On the basis of the Bavarian Higher Education Act (Art. 65, Lehrbefähigung, Lehrbefugnis), the habilitation regulations of the faculties regulate the procedure of a habilitation with the following parts

Acceptance of a habilitation by the faculty
Interim evaluation
Conclusion with confirmation of teaching qualification

Under the scientific supervision of a subject mentorate, which includes three professors or university teachers in the sense of Art. 2 Para. 2 No. 1 and 2 BayHSchPG, the qualification should qualify for appointment to a professorship within four years if possible.

The habilitation regulations at universities in other federal states usually only regulate the final part with the examination. A formal "beginning" is not provided for in these cases. The introduction of formal habilitation in Bavaria coincided with the nationwide introduction of junior professorships in 2002.

Habilitation Regulations at the University of Bayreuth

Contact persons for habilitation are the dean's offices of the faculties.

Habilitation regulations - overview by faculties (only available in German)

Journal "Forschung und Lehre" 2018 - Wer kann sich habilitieren? (article in German)

Contact: Contact persons for a habilitation are the deaneries of the faculties.

Dipl.-Ing. Iris Hetz, +49 921 55-7781, win-ubt@uni-bayreuth.de (Questions about support measures)

The junior professorship was established as an alternative path to a full professorship, focussing on early independence in research and teaching. Junior professors are allowed to supervise doctorates, have teaching obligations and participate in academic self-administration. Junior professorships are temporary, evaluated, and some of them are with tenure track. At the University of Bayreuth, there are currently about 25 junior professors, with and without tenure track.

Junior professorships as tenure-track professorships: After positive evaluation - usually after six years at the latest - the tenure-track professor receives a tenured professorship. Further information here.

The Bayreuth WiN Certificate is a voluntary offer. For junior professors with tenure track, participation is mandatory.

Contact: Dipl.-Ing. Iris Hetz, +49 921 55-7781, win-ubt@uni-bayreuth.de