Staatsexamensabsolventen

Staatsexamenabsolventen are graduates who have completed a state examination (Staatsexamen) required to obtain professional licensure in regulated fields in Germany and, to a lesser extent, in other German-speaking regions. The Staatsexamen is administered by state authorities and serves as an official qualification beyond the university degree, determining eligibility to practice in the respective profession.

The fields most commonly associated with the Staatsexamen are medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, law, and Lehramt (teaching). In medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine the Staatsexamen follows an extended university study plus practical training and grants the Approbation or licensing to practice. In law, the Erstes Staatsexamen is taken after law studies, followed by a practical phase (Referendariat) and the Zweites Staatsexamen, which qualifies graduates for the bar or for higher civil service positions. For Lehramt, graduates typically complete the First State Examination after teacher training, undergo a Referendariat, and then pass the Second State Examination to obtain teaching licensure.

Staatsexamenabsolventen are often employed in public institutions, hospitals, clinics, law firms, courts, schools, or private practice. The designation highlights licensure status and is used in job markets and professional profiles to indicate readiness for professional practice. The system reflects Germany’s regulatory approach, where licensure depends on passing state-administered examinations rather than solely on university degrees.

In Austria and some neighboring regions, similar state examination concepts exist with profession- and region-specific structures; in Switzerland, licensing processes are typically organized at the cantonal level for certain professions.