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 qualification that shows that the holder is qualified to be employed at the level of associate or full professor.
The title of docent is conferred by some European universities to denote a specific academic appointment within a set structure of academic ranks at or below the full professor rank, similar to a British readership, a French maître de conférences (MCF), and equal to or above the title of assistant 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 experience in teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level.
In Southeast European countries, it is the first position that people achieve once they enter the University, and after the completion of their PhD degree.
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 can be awarded (with certain conditions) to those who have successfully completed a Habilitation, thereby denoting that its holder has the right to independently teach without being supervised by a full professor.
In this way, a Privatdozent may for instance hold an appointment as Dozent or Hochschuldozent (on either a temporary or permanent basis as academic employee).
In Francophone countries (particularly in France), Maître de conférences (MCF) may refer to docent, equivalent to associate professor in the US or senior reader in the UK.
[1] The French Ministry of Higher Education provided a table summarizing the equivalent academic ranks of professeur and Maître de conférences (MCF) in other countries.
In the Czech Republic, a docent holder is considered capable of conducting research independently as well as giving lectures.
The title of docent can either be awarded for life or for a stipulated period of time, depending on the decision of the unit that confers it.
As a prerequisite, a candidate must have comprehensive knowledge of their own field, a capacity for independent research or artistic work demonstrated through publication or some other manner, and good teaching skills.
[10] Candidates are required to give a lecture demonstrating their teaching skills and are evaluated by an academic committee.
[11] Thus, a docentship is nowadays an official recognition of individual expertise as well as a title equivalent to that of an associate professor and also bestowing the right to teach (Latin: venia legendi) and supervise doctoral students independently.
(Teaching) docent is ranked within the state pay grade system as administratively equivalent to the position of professor, but promotion to docent is based on a different set of merits, with more emphasis on teaching qualifications relative to research merits than in professorial appointments.
In South Africa, the Afrikaans word dosent refers to any full-time university lecturer, independent of rank, while in Indonesia, the Indonesian word dosen refers to any tertiary education lecturer, independent of rank.