Pathways to professorship

Lehre Professorin Vorlesung — Quelle:
RWU

Karriereziel HAW-PProfessur — Quelle: Christoph Oldenkotte

Job outline professorship

The tasks of a professor at a university of applied sciences (UAS) are diverse and varied. Practice-oriented teaching, application-oriented research, university management - these are all part of the daily work routine.

Great creative freedom

Professors have a great deal of freedom to shape the content of their work. Their rights and duties are regulated by the State University Law. Compared to many other professions, working hours can be arranged quite flexibly. Family and career can thus be easily reconciled. RWU is also certified as a family-friendly institution.

Practical work experience instead of habilitation

The UAS professorship differs from the university professorship in a number of ways. Practical relevance in teaching and research is a hallmark of UAS. Unlike at universities, habilitation or junior professorship is not a prerequisite for appointment; instead, we rely on practical work experience.

Teaching is one of the main tasks of UAS professors. The teaching load at an UAS is 18 semester hours per week, which is higher than the load of a university professorship. At the same time, the degree programs are characterized by an excellent supervision ratio and thus personal contact between lecturers and students.

Application-oriented research

Application-oriented research is also part of the activities of UAS professors. Of particular importance is the transfer of knowledge and technology to non-university practice.

Another field of activity is academic self-administration. This includes, among other things, the work in university committees, in equal opportunities or the management of study programs.

Women´s Advancement

There are various support programs for women on their way to professorships. You can find information on the Equal Opportunities pages. We would like to point out the possibility for female academics to register as applicants in the "Datenbank Professorin (HAW/DHBW)". RWU aims to increase the number of female professors. Applications from women are therefore particularly welcomed.

Requirements

The hiring requirements for professors are regulated in § 47 of the State University Law of Baden-Württemberg. In particular, they include the following:

a completed university degree
pedagogical suitability, usually evidenced by teaching experience or participation in advanced and continuing education courses in higher education didactics
proof of academic qualification (usually demonstrated by a doctorate) or artistic qualification
five years of professional experience, of which at least three years must be outside the university sector. When clarifying whether an activity is work experience outside of higher education, it is the nature of the activity that matters, not the institution providing the work per se.

Appointment to a professorship

The appointment to a professorship is usually, and if the relevant requirements are met, initially as a probationary civil servant. Therefore, in the case of a first appointment, the employment relationship is initially limited in time. If the requirements are fulfilled, the subsequent transfer to a civil servant relationship for life is intended.

The salary is based on the W-pay-scale (usually W2) and consists of the basic salary and, where applicable, performance-related pay.

Appointment procedure

Appointment to a UAS professorship is a multi-stage process. The selection committee is the appointment committee, which consists of professors with expertise in the field, an external expert, two women with expertise in the field, students, and the equal opportunity representative. The appointment committee is chaired by a member of the Dean's Office or the Rector's Office.

After the closing date for applications has expired and the applications have been reviewed, invitations are sent out for a personal presentation in the form of a lecture. This is followed by an interview with the appointment committee. The appointment committee then draws up a list of proposed appointments, which is first considered by the university committees. Before the call is issued, the approval of the Ministry of Science must be obtained. Several months can pass between the announcement of the professorship and the appointment of the new professor.

Why Dual Career?

Dual career refers to couples in which both have a very good education and aspire to a professional career. Thus, the compatibility of the new location with the career and professional prospects of the partner also plays a role in the decision to accept the appointment to a professorship. For this reason, RWU has been offering dual career counselling since 2021.

With our dual career offer, we address the partners of our newly appointed professors, support the university´s recruitment strategy, family support and equal employment programs as well as the internationalization strategy.

Our offer

RWU offers dual career counselling for partners of newly appointed professors. We provide individual information and advice for professional orientation in the region. We do not offer job placements nor do we guarantee a successful job search. Our focus is individual counselling.

network

The RWU is a member of the regional Dual Career Network of the Wissenschaftverbund Vierländerregion Bodensee. The aim of the network is to support individuals who move to the four-country region of Lake Constance following their partner's job transfer to one of the universities in the network. Four-Country refers to the three countries bordering Lake Constance - Germany, Austria, Switzerland - and neighbouring Liechtenstein.

Since 2023 the RWU is also member of the Dual Career Network Lake Constance. Members of this network are local industry and scientific institions in the region. Thus, RWU has a broad network that supports dual career couples.

Infoveranstaltung_Karriereziel_HAW-Professur

Next Events

Once a semester, RWU organises the public event "Career Goal UAS Professorship" in german. In addition there will be an english version of this event once a year with a special focus on international applicants. Company employees, junior academics, lecturers - all are welcome.

The next event in English will take place on Friday, 15 November 2024 from 3-5 pm.

The next event in German will take place on Friday, 31 January 2025 from 3-5 pm.

We offer the event in online format. For information regarding data protection and the detailed program of the last event see section "Downloads" below.

Registration for online participation is not required. Link to online event location: https://bbb.rwu.de/prof

Program outline: