Docent

Docent is a title at some European universities to denote a specific academic appointment within a set structure of academic ranks below the full professor rank.

Docent is also used at some universities generically for a person who has the right to teach. The term is derived from the Latin word docēns, which is the present active participle of docēre (to teach, to lecture). Becoming a docent is often referred to as habilitation or Doctor of Science and is an academic evidence that proves that a holder is capable for appointment at the level of associate or full professor. Docent is the highest academic title in several countries and the qualifying criteria are research output that corresponds to 3-5 doctoral dissertations; supervision of PhD students; and concrete evidence of teaching at undergraduate and graduate level.

In the Flemish universities of Belgium docent is the first of four university professor ranks, the others being hoofddocent (head docent), hoogleraar (professor) and gewoon hoogleraar. To be awarded the docent title at the Flemish universities, a candidate has to have a Doctorate. In the French-speaking universities, the word docent is not used in their titles.

In Germany, Austria and in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, Dozent or Hochschuldozent denotes an academic appointment at a university or similar institution, at a mid-level ranking of seniority.

The title of Privatdozent is used (with certain conditions) by those who have successfully completed a Habilitation, thereby denoting that its holder has the right to independently teach without being supervised by a professor. In this way, a Privatdozent may for instance hold an appointment as Dozent or Hochschuldozent.

In many countries, with academic traditions that stem from German-speaking countries, "docent" is an academic appointment below that of a full professor. This is the situation in Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Title Docent is equal or even above the title "associate professor" as it is used in Western European countries. In the Czech Republic a "docent" holder is considered capable to conduct research independently as well as to give lectures.

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