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Commencement of the Doctoral Procedure

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Once you have completed your dissertation, submit it to the PhD Studies Management during the specified office hours. The doctoral procedure refers to the examination and evaluation of a dissertation. When you submit your dissertation, you must also apply to commence your doctoral process. To do so, you must submit the following:

  • Application to commence the doctoral procedure (Go to Form)
  • CV written in German or English that details, in particular, your academic background
  • certificates (if not submitted with the application)
    • proof of completion of an academic degree program at a university, an equivalent institution of higher education, or a university of applied sciences, with a demonstrated course load of 300 credit points OR
    • proof of completion of a university program with a minimum grade of "good," with a standard duration of at least six semesters and culminating in a final academic examination (Bachelor's degree, 180 credit points), along with proof of additional coursework totaling 60 credit points from an accredited Master's program
  • a statement confirming that the doctoral candidate has not commenced doctoral procedures at any other institution of higher education, as well as a statement confirming that the dissertation, in its current form, has not been submitted to any other institution of higher education for review (Go to Form)
  • a dissertation in four bound or stapled copies, as well as a digital copy
  • a summary of the dissertation, including its research question and key findings, in German or English (max. 10 pages),
  • a statement (included in the dissertation) confirming that the work was written independently and without assistance from third parties, and that all guidelines for good academic standards were followed during its preparation  (Go to Form)
  • a police clearance certificate that is no more than three months old at the time of submission,
  • a list of one's own scholarly publications to date.
  • If you are submitting a cumulative dissertation, you must also provide a statement regarding the status of the publications and your own contributions to any joint publication (Go to Form).

You may also submit the following form:

  • Proposal for the composition of the examination committee and for reviewers (Go to Form). The examination committee consists of at least five members with expertise in the relevant field. One member must be a member of the academic staff and hold a Ph.D. The remaining members must hold a professorship or have completed their habilitation. According to sec. 9(1) of the doctoral regulations, at least two written reviews must be submitted “by individuals who hold a professorship or have completed their habilitation [in the relevant subject].” Only one of the reviews may be written by a supervisor of the candidate.