Documents (submission in paper form)

If you want to request the opening of your examination process you have to hand in several documents to the staff of the Office of the Doctoral Board. 

According to § 12 of the Regulations and in due consideration of the transitional regulations you have to hand in the following documents (Please note the deadlines for the meetings of the Doctoral Board):

1. Request to open the examination process for a doctoral degree
2. Certified copy of the Agreement of Supervision  (or simple copy if presenting the originals),
3. 4 copies of the thesis and a digital version,
4. if cumulative thesis: 4 copies of a statement of own contribution with a confirmation by the principle supervisor (§ 11 (2)),
5. 10 copies of the abstract of the thesis, with author and title,
6. 4 copies of CV (signed and with information about scientific activities),
7. 4 copies of List of publications (published or accepted) and/or other scientific results with evaluations, reports, reviews,
8. Certified copy of the diploma/master degree and supplement (or simple copy if presenting the originals) according to § 8,
9. a declaration that the thesis has not previously been submitted to any other university and that it has been prepared independently and exclusively with the specified resources,
10. Documentation of teaching experience,
11. Documentation of participation in the doctoral seminar,
12. a) Doctoral student certificate of study/enrollment certificate (not student-ID) or b) proof of employment in public or ecclesiastic services or c) Police clearance certificate („Polizeiliches Führungszeugnis“), if the applicant has not been registered as a student for more than 3 months,
13. Generally understandable summary in German for non experts (with author, institute, title of the thesis – max. 1 page),
14. cotutelle: cooperation-contract of a joint doctoral procedure between the University of Potsdam and the foreign university approved of the Faculty Board.

• Example for a front-page (.doc)

The Doctoral Board usually opens the examination process on its next meeting after the submission of the complete bundle of documents. The members determine as well the reviewers and the examination committee.

Instructions for the digital submission of your documents

1) Please submit your documents in full in ONE email to prommnfuuni-potsdampde! You are welcome to use BoxUP for this and send a link for downloading your documents. Please assign file names in the order according to the checklist of the opening application (for example: 01Thesis, 02ownContribution, 03Abstract, 04SupervisionAgreement, 05CV..). Emails with file attachments that do not comply with this format cannot be processed. 

2) The signature of the responsible subject representative on the opening application must be in the original. This original signature can, however, be obtained from the doctoral office in exceptional cases. All other required signatures (Own Contribution, doctoral seminar, proof of teaching experience  etc.) can be made digitally.

3) The following documents must be submitted in original as soon as possible by post or in person with an appointment. This can be done after the deadline, but before the meeting of the doctoral committee.

• a printed copy of the dissertation (copy for display in the office) 
• affidavit that you have not submitted the dissertation to any other university and on your independence  
• officially certified copy of your degree certificate