Privatdozent

Privatdozent (for men) or Privatdozentin (for women), abbreviated PD, P.D. or Priv.-Doz., is an academic title conferred at some European universities, especially in German-speaking countries, to someone who holds certain formal qualifications that denote an ability (facultas docendi) and permission to teach (venia legendi) a designated subject at the highest level. To be granted the title Priv.-Doz. by a university, a recipient has to fulfill the criteria set by the university which usually require excellence in research, teaching, and further education. In its modern usage, the title indicates that the holder has completed their habilitation and is therefore granted permission to teach and examine students independently without having a full professorship (chair). With respect to the level of academic achievement, the title of Privatdozent is comparable to that of an Associate Professor (United States), Senior Lecturer (United Kingdom), or maître de conférences détenteur de l'habilitation à diriger des recherches (HDR) (France). However, unlike the Associate Professors in North America, PD titles are not always linked to tenured academic positions and do not always imply the role of a Principal Investigator.