General information

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A doctoral degree demonstrates the ability to conduct in-depth academic research. It is usually a prerequisite for academic positions at research institutions and universities. The doctoral degree is earned in a specific field of study and qualifies the holder for a career in academic research within that field. A prerequisite for pursuing a doctoral degree is a completed academic degree in the relevant field. As a general rule, a master’s degree is required for admission to the doctoral program. Upon completion of the doctoral program, the doctoral candidate is awarded the doctoral degree. At the Faculty of Human Sciences, we award two equivalent doctoral degrees: the German “Doktor der Philosophie” (Dr. phil.) and the “Doctor of Philosophy” (Ph.D.).

The core of the doctoral program is the dissertation—an academic thesis of approximately 150–200 pages—which is written as part of the student’s own research. It may consist of a monograph or be a cumulative publication-based dissertation. A cumulative dissertation typically consists of three scholarly articles that together form a coherent research project, at least two of which have already been published in peer-reviewed journals or have been accepted for publication. For more information on the cumulative publication-based doctoral program, click here. From an administrative perspective, doctoral programs consist of three phases: preparation, research, and the examination or defense procedure.

Preparation

Research

Doctoral Procedure

The doctoral procedure is a review and evaluation process lasting several months, during which the doctoral candidate’s dissertation is assessed. Upon the commencement of the doctoral procedure, the Doctoral Committee appoints an examination committee, which typically consists of five members familiar with the field—four professors and one member who holds a doctoral degree. A member of the examination committee chairs the meetings, coordinates them, and handles communication with the doctoral candidate and the administrative office. At the first meeting, the doctoral committee appoints two professors familiar with the field to review the dissertation; one of the reviews may be written by one of the supervisors. The reviewers then have three months to write a review, in which they also propose a grade. Once both reviews have been submitted, the dissertation is made available to the faculty for two weeks. This means that faculty members holding professorial positions may review the dissertation and the reviews during this period and submit comments or objections. Following the public display, the examination committee decides at its second meeting whether to accept the dissertation (i.e., whether it has passed or not) and assigns a grade. The examination committee makes this decision based on the reviews and any comments or objections from other faculty members. Once the dissertation has been accepted, the examination committee will agree on a date for the defense with the doctoral candidate.

During the defense, the doctoral candidate presents the main arguments and findings of the dissertation and discusses them with the members of the examination committee. The defense lasts 60 to 90 minutes. The candidate’s introductory presentation should last approximately 20 minutes. The subsequent discussion will then take up the remainder of the time. To illustrate the theses presented in the presentation, the doctoral candidate must prepare a thesis paper (approx. 2–4 pages), which must be submitted to the office no later than ten days before the defense. Following the defense, the examination committee retires to determine the grade for the defense and the overall grade for the doctoral degree. The overall grade is calculated by weighting the dissertation grade at two-thirds and the defense grade at one-third.

Grade Summary:

summa cum laude: An exceptional and outstanding achievement. This distinction can only be awarded if both reviewers recommend it.
magna cum laude: A very good performance.
cum laude: A good performance.
rite: A performance worthy of a doctoral degree.
non sufficit: A performance that is not sufficient for a doctoral degree.

The successful defense of the dissertation constitutes passing the doctoral procedure; however, this does not mean that the doctoral degree has been fully conferred. The conferral of the doctoral degree also requires the publication of the dissertation or, if the dissertation has already been published, the submission of the required copies to the university library. A publication can be released either through the university press as an Online-Publication or through a commercial publisher.