Academic Habilitation

University habilitation is a step of the utmost importance in the scientific and professional career of academic staff and permanent researchers who meet the conditions for applying.

The process rests on the principle of advancement through teaching and research activity: it allows teachers and researchers who meet the criteria for promotion to the senior grade to reach a high level of scientific competence and ability.

After a rigorous administrative and scientific assessment, habilitation confirms the promotion of academic staff from Associate Professor Class B (MCB) to Associate Professor Class A (MCA), and of permanent researchers from Research Associate Class B to Research Associate Class A. They are consequently granted the right to supervise and direct research activities.

Who may apply

• Academic staff holding a doctorate in science or an LMD doctorate, or a degree recognised as equivalent, with the grade of Associate Professor Class B, and permanent researchers with the grade of Research Associate Class B.
• The candidate must have been in effective active service for at least three years, consecutive or non-consecutive, in one or more university or research institutions.
• They must have held, for at least one year, a doctorate or a foreign qualification recognised as equivalent.
• They must submit an application in the field of their doctoral degree.
• They must be the lead author of at least one publication outside the thesis, submitted and published after the doctoral defence.

Contents of the file

• Application addressed to the chair of the regional university habilitation board.
• CV setting out the stages of the candidate’s professional career.
• Decision confirming appointment to the MCB grade.
• Recent certificate of employment.
• Copy of the university degrees obtained.
• Copy of the doctoral thesis.
• Publication outside the thesis, submitted and published after the defence, in which the candidate is lead author.
• All teaching work carried out during the career — lectures, tutorials, practicals, supervision — with the corresponding teaching certificates.
• Report on teaching activities, initialled and endorsed by the head of department.
• Where applicable: online courses validated by the scientific bodies, validated lecture notes, published teaching works, certified tutoring, supervision of students on placement in industry, participation in university–industry relations, participation in academic activities (seminars, workshops, chairing a teaching committee).
• Supervision of Licence, Master’s, engineering or magister dissertations, where applicable, with the certificate of the head of department or the defence minutes — three dissertations at most.

If the application is refused

The head of the institution informs the candidate of the regional board’s decision through their PROGRES account, together with the reasons for refusal.

A candidate whose application is deferred may appeal through the same platform to the regional board, within eight days of notification.

The regional boards then have fifteen days to draw up the minutes of the appeal results. These are forwarded by their chairs to the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research for approval and notification to heads of institutions, who take the necessary steps: a promotion order for accepted appeals, notification of rejection for the others.

Reference texts

• {{MEDIA:Decret_executif-N-21-50_2021_Ar-Habilitation.pdf}} — Executive decree no. 21-50 of 2021 on university habilitation (Arabic).
• {{MEDIA:Arrete-N-804-2021_Habilitation_universitaire_Fr.pdf}} — Order no. 804 of 2021, university habilitation (French).
• {{MEDIA:Arrete-493-du-20-04-2022-habilitation-universitaire.pdf}} — Order no. 493 of 20 April 2022, amending and supplementing order no. 804.
• {{MEDIA:Arrete-N-1082-2020_prevention_lutte_plagiat.pdf}} — Order no. 1082 of 2020, prevention of and action against plagiarism.