特许任教资格（英语：Habilitation，德语：Habilitation）是一个人在欧洲及亚洲的一些国家可以取得的最高的学术资格。在获得博士学位或其他同等学位后，特许任教资格需要候选人在其独立的学术成就的基础上撰写一篇专业性论文，然后提交并通过一个学术委员会的答辩，其过程像完成博士论文。但是其学术水平必须超过博士论文所应达到的水平。有时，学术著作的出版是答辩的前提条件。在设有该资格的国家，只有获得该资格方能被视为具有指导博士生的能力。如在德国，获得此资格后即可获得编外讲师（Privatdozent，缩写PD）之衔位，其他国家和地区在取得该资格后也可获得类似的衔位。在获得这类衔位后，该人即可受邀出任教授。
这种学术资格存在于法国（"Habilitation à diriger des recherches"）、德国（Priv.-Doz. 及/或 Dr. habil）、瑞士、奥地利（原为Univ.-Doz.，现为Priv.-Doz.）、意大利（"abilitazione professionale"）、丹麦、保加利亚、波兰（特许任教资格博士，dr hab.）、葡萄牙（Agregação）、瑞典和芬兰（Docent或Doc.）、捷克（Docent或DrSc）、斯洛伐克、匈牙利、斯洛文尼亚、西班牙（2008年底废止）、前苏联各国：亚美尼亚，阿塞拜疆，白俄罗斯，立陶宛，摩尔多瓦，吉尔吉斯斯坦，哈萨克斯坦，俄罗斯，乌兹别克斯坦，乌克兰等（科学博士，Doktor nauk）。一个类似的资格即Livre-docência仍然存在于巴西圣保罗州，但在巴西其他地方已经不存在。
“Habilitation”一词源于拉丁文habilitare（适合）。它是在18世纪于欧洲发展起来的。除了指此种资格外，“Habilitation”也可指获得此种资格的过程，即在大学某一教学科研领域里通过特定的学术考核程序对某人能否被“赋予授课权”（拉丁语：facultas docendi）的鉴定形式。有时该词还被错误地用于取得该资格所写的论文，后者在德国被称为“Habilitationsschrift”。一个成功的资格考核将令候选人（德语：Habilitand）在某个学科被正式终身授予“venia legendi”（拉丁文“讲授许可”），或“ius docendi”（拉丁文“教学权”）。
这种“讲授许可”即德国的“编外讲师”（Privatdozent），也翻译作具有教授授课资格、副教授(ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR)；在奥地利被称为大学讲师（德语：Universitäts-Dozent）资格。通过资格考核的人通常被认为达到了大学教授的学术研究能力。在德语国家，取得博士学位（Promotion）代表着拥有独立科学研究的能力，而通过授课资格考试标志着可以在特定的学术领域里以完全的深度和广度进行研究并向学生传道授业。
来自“http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%89%B9%E8%AE%B8%E4%BB%BB%E6%95%99%E8%B5%84%E6%A0%BC”In Germany 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 Hochschuldozent or Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter, or even Professor
In many countries, with academic traditions that stem from German-speaking countries, "docent" is an academic appointment below that of a professor. This is the situation in Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Serbia and Slovakia[dubious ╟ discuss].
In Poland the title of docent formerly was mandatory in order to become a profesor (i.e. full professor). This is no longer a requirement and this title nearly vanished in the last 20 years. Currently this title may be given to a person on non-scientist duty (teacher/instructor). Only a person on scientist duty may apply for the title of profesor, therefore docent is the highest title for teachers and instructors.
In countries such as Lithuania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Macedonia, Serbia, Russia and Ukraine "docent" is used as an academic title
In Finland and Sweden, docent (Finnish dosentti, Swedish docent), is an academic title conferred to a person fulfilling requirements similar to German Privatdozent. Such persons are usually expected to give lectures on their specialities if their professional activities permit this. Most docents are employed at the university where they are docents, but usually in a different position (often with the title Lecturer, which is equivalent to Associate Professor)[citation needed]. The Docents' Union of Finland and the Ministry of Education recommend the term Adjunct Professor[1] [2].
In Sweden, there used to be both stipendiary (docentstipendiat) and non-stipendiary (oavlönad docent) docent positions. A stipendiary docent both held the docent title (for life), and benefited from a stipend that paid for his or her salary at the university for up to six years. The non-stipendiary alternative was solely an academic title (also for life). Today only the non-stipendiary docent title exists. It is in most cases awarded to people employed as Associate Professors with a distinguished international reputation in research or scholarship after a rigorous review of their research; as such, Docent is a higher position than Associate Professor (not all Associate Professors become Docents), roughly corresponding to the British title Reader - in English it is officially translated as Reader by some universities[3].
The title of docent is the highest grade in the Swedish academic system. A docentship should be regarded as an educational title not connected with the employment pyramid as such. This is rather an assurance of the level of expertise, to enable the person to advance further in his/her academic career. A docent qualification is required of all head doctoral student supervisors. For conferment of the title, there is a requirement that the researcher has a good overview of his research area and has demonstrated both the ability to formulate research problems and to independently carry through research programs. It is a requirement that the researcher should be able to lead research projects. The researcher must have substantial scientific research experience and be well published in scientific journals.
In Finland, the docent title is solely an academic title for life and it is a rank between Lecturer and full Professor, i.e. it is similar to an Associate Professor according to the American universities. In addition to teaching, Docents are involved in research and supervising post-graduate students. To be awarded the docent title, a candidate has to have a doctor’s degree or have corresponding scientific competence and, in addition, have acquired advanced scientific skills as well as educational skills[4].
In Norway, the title docent (Norwegian: dosent) was used for positions immediately below full professors and above Associate Professors (førsteamanuensis) until 1985. The requirements were the same as for full university professors, but until then, each department usually only had one professor and other academics with similar qualifications were appointed as docents. Hence, docents could be seen as professors without chair (Professor extraordinarius). All docents were lifted to full Professor status in 1985 when the title was abolished at the universities[citation needed].
In Denmark, docent is an appointment ranking between Lecturer (equivalent to Associate Professor) and full Professor
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dozent