Index

Are all people who teach at FAU professors (and should I address them as such)?

In Germany, “professor” is not only a job description but an academic title that is obtained after a doctorate/PhD. A person who teaches at university is not automatically a professor, therefore you should only call them “Prof.” in emails or in direct communication if they actually hold the respective title.

In the 20th century, after their doctorate, German scholars who wished to go into academia usually worked towards a Habilitation by writing a second thesis, known as the Habilitationsschrift. Once the scholar passes their Habilitation, they are eligible for a call to a chair. Only if their application for a university chair (e.g. Chair for Pattern Recognition etc.) is successful they are now considered a professor and can bear the respective title.

Since 2002 alternative paths can also lead to a full professorship. One can reach a professorship at a university by habilitation, a successful evaluation as a junior professorship (after 5 years), a tenure track period (6 years) or equivalent performance. In engineering this is often attained through expert knowledge in the industry.

It is important for you to know who of your university teachers have a PhD and who are professors in the German understanding of the word, as only the “real” professors are authorized to assign you a thesis topic or supervise a PhD project.