 In 1851 he earned his doctorate from the University of Giessen, and in 1859 he became a professor and prosector at the University of Halle.In 1876 he succeeded Alfred Wilhelm Volkmann (1801–1877) as director of the anatomical institute at Halle.Along with his anatomical duties, Welcker was also a specialist in the fields of anthropology, ethnology, microscopy and biology.