Diverse Tasks

Professor is an academic title. It denotes an individual who has been appointed to a professorship at a university or higher education institution. The position as professor involves various duties: including teaching, conducting postdoctoral research, publishing and frequently also organising, such as third-party funds for research projects (glossary-internal link).

It also involves participation in committees at the university, higher education institution and/or in the respective field of postdoctoral research. This academic title is highly coveted. A professor earns a very good salary, usually holds a civil servant status, enjoys a high social standing and can independently decide his or her area of research.

Types of professorship


There are different professorships that vary due to their specific duties, requirements, underlying conditions and career paths.


1. University professorship
University professors are engaged at universities. They manage research projects (glossary-internal link), publish academic papers, give lectures and run seminars, and also mentor students and doctoral candidates. International postdoctoral research experience is often a prerequisite for this position, in addition to habilitation (glossary-internal link) and outstanding performance. These professors hold a civil servant status.


2. Junior professorship
Junior professors are young academics, scientists and researchers who hold a temporary professorship. This position is intended to facilitate their transition to full professorship. Their duties include, for instance, conducting independent postdoctoral research (glossary-internal link), teaching (glossary-internal link), establishing and maintaining their own research groups and the acquisition of third-party funds. In addition to a PhD (glossary-internal link), outstanding academic performance is a requirement for a junior professorship (glossary-internal link).


3. UAS professorship (university of applied sciences)
A professor at a university of applied sciences (UAS) (glossary-internal link) has a strong focus on practice-oriented teaching and applied postdoctoral research. The corresponding research projects (glossary-internal link) have a close correlation to industry. In addition to a PhD, these professors must in particular be able to substantiate many years of practical work experience in their domain. 


4. Honorary professorship
These professors act in an honorary capacity and are mostly involved in private enterprise, such as in industry or at public authorities. This may sound contradictory, because the term contains the word ‘honorary’. Albeit the word derives from the Latin ‘Honos’, the Roman god personifying high esteem or respect accorded to superior worth or rank; honour. These professors run seminars, mentor doctoral candidates and contribute to the professorship’s projects (glossary-internal link), for example. An habilitation (glossary-internal link) is not required for this position. These professors retain their professorial title even after their activities cease.


5. Visiting professor
Visiting professors are academics, scientists and researchers who teach and conduct research at a different higher education institution on a temporary basis. They usually teach special courses or participate in research projects where their expertise is required.
 6. Full professor This academic title indicates that the professor has their own professorship (glossary-internal link) at the higher education institution or university. The title is also known as ‘professor ordinarius’.


How do you become a professor?


Becoming a professor involves passing through multiple career stages that can sometimes take several years:

- PhD (glossary-internal link)
- Postdoc phase (glossary-internal link)
- Habilitation (glossary-internal link), junior professorship (glossary-internal link) or leading a junior research group
- Appointment procedure (glossary-internal link)
- Invitation to become a professor


A professor’s duties


A professor assumes a variety of duties.


• Teaching: professors give lectures, run seminars and organise internships. They mentor students and doctoral candidates.

 • Postdoctoral research: professors conduct postdoctoral research into self-determined topics, issue publications (glossary-internal link) and request research funds on behalf of their higher education institution.

 • Administration: they assume administrative duties within the faculty, such as managing institutes or collaboration in committees.

A professor in Germany is remunerated according to Grade W. This extends from W1 (junior professorship) to W3 (full professorship). A professor’s salary can be augmented by additional performance and postdoctoral research grants.

Regulation of a professor’s salary varies in other countries and often depends on the university and its respective state support.

A professorship (glossary-internal link) offers a wide range of opportunities to be involved both in teaching and postdoctoral research, and to play an active part in shaping academia. Becoming a professor requires commitment, academic excellence and patience. The Federal Statistical Office reveals that there were some 51,160 professors in Germany in 2022.