Doing your PhD

At our Faculty, you can pursue a Dr. rer. pol. or a Ph.D. degree. Information on the available doctoral fields can be found here.

Your doctorate is based on an original research dissertation, which you will defend in a public oral examination (disputation). Throughout your doctorate, we support you with a wide range of training opportunities, qualification offers, and advisory services.

Contact persons for doctoral students

Doctoral regulations

The Ph.D. Process

Doctoral and Habilitation Officer

florence.scholz.1uuni-potsdampde

Foto der Promotions- und Habilitationsbeauftragten

Photo: Ernst Kaczynski

Phone: +49 331 977-3419, Building 1, room 1.28
florence.scholz.1@uni-potsdam.de

The Doctoral and Habilitation Coordinator provides advice on all matters related to doctoral and habilitation programs and guides students through the entire process, from admission to the public defense. She provides organizational and substantive support for the procedures, prepares the meetings of the doctoral committee, and contributes to quality assurance and the further development of the doctoral and habilitation processes. In addition, she compiles analyses and statistics related to doctoral and habilitation programs.

Ombudsperson

Phone: +49 331 977- 3803
ulfert.gronewold@uni-potsdam.de

The ombudsperson is available as an independent, confidential and neutral contact person for all those seeking advice. The ombudsperson advises, supports and mediates in conflicts during the doctoral studies as well as in questions of suspected scientific misconduct. The ombudsperson is required to maintain confidentiality.

1. Legal Basis

2. Admission

3. During the Doctoral Process

Declaration of Co-Authorship
ECTS Credit Quantification

4. Initiation of the Doctoral Examination Procedure

Application to Initiate the Doctoral Examination Procedure
Proof of Doctoral Colloquia
Proof of Admission Requirements
Title Page
Declaration by Doctoral Candidates (document to follow)

5. Additional Forms

Application for Change of Doctoral Supervisor

1. Legal Basis

2. During the Doctoral Process

Declaration of Co-Authorship
Guidelines for Cumulative Dissertations

3. Initiation of the Doctoral Examination Procedure

Application to Initiate the Doctoral Examination Procedure
Proof of Doctoral Colloquia
Proof of Admission Requirements
Title Page
Affirmation

4. Additional Forms

FAQs
Supervision Agreement
Change of Supervisor

The doctoral procedure

Step 1: Interest in a doctorate

Interested in pursuing a doctorate?

At our Faculty, you can complete a doctorate in the following fields of doctoral study and obtain the degree Dr. rer. pol. or Ph.D.:

Vocational and Business Education
Business Administration
Economic Education
Political Science
Civic Education
Sociology
Technology Education
Public Administration
Economics
Business Information Systems

Doctoral Regulations

The Doctoral Regulations provide the legal framework for doctoral studies and, in particular, govern:

admission requirements for doctoral studies
supervision and the supervision agreement
assessment and review procedures
the process of the doctoral examination procedure
admission, completion, and finalisation of the doctorate

Please read the current Doctoral Regulations carefully.

Am I eligible to pursue a doctorate?

The requirements for admission to doctoral studies are set out in Section 3 of the Doctoral Regulations.

Your path to a doctorate

1. Find a research topic and a supervisor

Choose a research topic and identify a suitable supervisor.

Discuss your research idea with professors at the Faculty at an early stage and clarify whether supervision is possible. You can find information on the research areas of individual chairs on their respective websites.

A second supervisor is mandatory and must be appointed within the first year. The appointment is then approved by the Doctoral Committee upon application.

Find professors

2. Develop your research proposal

Once supervision has been confirmed, you will work with your supervisor to develop an initial draft of your research proposal, including a work and time schedule for the doctoral project (Research proposal requirements).

3. Admission to doctoral studies

Once supervision and the research proposal have been agreed upon, the formal admission to doctoral studies takes place.

Continue to Step 2: Requirements & Admission

Who can supervise your doctorate?

Primary supervisor (§ 4 para. 2 of the Doctoral Regulations dated 11 March 2026)

full-time professors of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, including junior professors
private lecturers (Privatdozent:innen) of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences
jointly appointed professors who teach in the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences

Second supervisor (§ 4 para. 3)

all persons listed above
part-time professors of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Potsdam
professors from another faculty of the University of Potsdam; and
professors from another German institution of higher education.

Additional possible second supervisors (upon application)

professors at a foreign institution of higher education whose academic rank is equivalent to that of a full-time professor at a German institution of higher education (§ 4 para. 4a)
retired professors of the University of Potsdam
heads of junior research groups (§ 4 para. 5)

Step 2: Admission

Since March 18, 2026, admission to the doctoral program has been governed exclusively by the 2026 doctoral regulations.

Admission Requirements	Proof of a primary supervisor in accordance with Section 4(2) of the 2026 Doctoral Regulations A German university degree (Master’s degree, Diplom, Magister, or State Examination) in a doctoral field pursuant to Section 1 (3), awarded by a university, an equivalent institution of higher education, or a university of applied sciences; grade of at least “good” (corresponding to an average grade od no more than 2.5; the Doctoral Committee shall decide on exceptions.)
Alternative Admission Routes	Foreign higher education degree (minimum grade: 2.5 according to the German grading system) Degree in a different academic field Bachelor’s degree (≥ 180 ECTS, grade ≥ 1.7 or top 5% + aptitude assessment) Note regarding alternative admission options: In all cases, a favorable and well-reasoned statement from the primary supervisor shall be required.
Application Procedure	1. Check the admission requirements Check whether you meet the formal requirements for a doctoral degree. 2. Find a supervisor and obtain a commitment to supervise Find a suitable supervisor and confirm that they are willing to supervise you. At least one primary supervisor is required for admission; a secondary supervisor may be added within one year and must be approved by the Doctoral Committee. The following persons may serve as primary supervisors (Section 4(2) of the Doctoral Regulations dated March 11, 2026): full-time professors of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, including junior professors; Privatdozenten at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences; and jointly appointed professors who teach in the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences The following persons may serve as a secondary supervisors (Section 4(3) of the Doctoral Regulations of March 11, 2026): the persons listed above, part-time professors of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Potsdam professors from another faculty of the University of Potsdam; and professors from another German institution of higher education Upon application to the Doctoral Committee, the following persons may also be appointed as secondary supervisors: professors at a foreign institution of higher education in accordance with §4, paragraph 4, letter a) professors from the University of Potsdam who have retired from heads of junior research groups in accordance with §4, paragraph 5 3. Register in the doctoral database 4. Sign a supervision agreement. Once supervision has been approved, a written supervision agreement will be signed. 5. Send your application for admission to the doctoral program, along with all required documents, to the following address: University of Potsdam Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences Office for Doctoral Studies and Habilitation Florence Scholz – Doctoral and Habilitation Officer August-Bebel-Str. 89 14482 Potsdam
Required Documents	a) Notification of intention to pursue a doctorate (can be printed after registration in the doctoral database) b) Certificate of highest academic degree c) Supervision agreement d) Curriculum vitae (CV) e) Research proposal, including work and timeline plan (Exposé Guidelines) f) Declaration of doctoral status
Additional documents to be submitted for international degrees	Preliminary Review documentation (VPD) Apply via uni-assist (Note: When searching for a degree program, please enter “Universität Potsdam – VPD.”) Fee: €75 Processing time: approx. 4–6 weeks

Step 3: Enrollment as doctoral student

Step 4: Submission of the dissertation/Initiation of the doctoral process

Have you finished your dissertation and are ready to submit it? If so, please follow these steps: Send an informal written request to initiate the doctoral process via email to Ms. Florence Scholz (florence.scholz.1uuni-potsdampde). The documents you need to submit depend on the specific doctoral regulations:

	Doctoral Regulations 2026 (§6)	Doctoral Regulations 2013 (§6)	Doctoral Regulations 2002 (§7)
Application to Open the Doctoral Examination Procedure Template available	To the Doctoral Committee	To the Doctoral Committee	To the Dean
Printed Copies	2 (with page numbers) 3 for a article-based dissertation (with page numbers)	4 (with page numbers) 5 for aarticle-based dissertation (with page numbers)	4 (with page numbers)
Monograph provided as a single PDF	1. Title page (Template) 2. Abstract in German and English (200 words each) 3. Table of contents 4. Monograph 5. Statement from Doctoral Candidates (document to follow)	1. Title page 2. Brief abstract (content, research objectives and methods) 3. Table of contents 4. Monograph 5. Declaration and consent form	1. Title page 2. A brief abstract of the content of the thesis and the research objective 3. Table of contents 4. Monograph 5. Declaration and consent form
article-based dissertation provided as a single PDF	Title page Abstract in German and English (200 words each) Table of contents Overview of Scholarly articles Integrative essay Scholarly articles Co-authors’ declarations Declaration by PhD students (document to follow)	Title page Abstract Table of contents Overview of research articles Integrative essay Scholarly articles Co-authors’ declarations Declaration by PhD students	Title page Abstract Table of contents Overview of research articles Overview paper Scholarly articles Co-authors’ declarations Declaration by PhD students
Documents to be submitted separately	Curriculum Vitae Doctoral Colloquium Participation Record Proof of fulfilment of admission requirements (if required)	Curriculum Vitae Doctoral Colloquium Participation Record Proof of fulfilment of admission requirements (if required)	Curriculum Vitae Doctoral Colloquium Participation Record Police clearance certificate

Step 5: Review of the dissertation

Step 6: Interpretation of the dissertation

Step 7: Disputation - the oral examination

Step 8: Publication of the dissertation

FAQs

Cotutelle de thèse

In the Cotutelle de thèse procedure, a dissertation is jointly supervised and examined by two universities in two countries. At the end of the Cotutelle procedure, you will receive a doctoral degree according to German examination law.

Advantages of a cotutelle de thèse procedure:

You spend part of your doctoral period at a foreign university (at least one year each).
They deal intensively with the different research cultures and scientific systems.
You enrich your research work through a change of perspective. Country-specific approaches can be combined, thereby opening up a new, individual approach to your research topic.
They acquire additional qualifications, such as above-average foreign language skills and profound intercultural competencies.
You ensure your scientific connection to both countries and can establish professionally relevant contacts.
You can later work more easily in both countries and lay the foundation for an international career.

Even though there are some hurdles, such as an increased administrative effort and different structures and procedures in the universities, we would like to encourage you and support you in the best possible way. Please contact us. We will be happy to help you.

Further notes:

You will be supervised by two supervisors, one university teacher in Germany and one in the partner country.
The prerequisite for starting a Cotutelle procedure is always acceptance as a doctoral candidate by the doctoral committee.
In order to carry out a Cotutelle procedure, an individual contract must be concluded between the two universities. Here, for example, the language, the design of the oral examination, the composition of the jury, the grading system, etc. are precisely regulated in advance. A sample contract is available from the German Rectors’ Conference (Hochschulrektorenkonferenz). You can adapt this individually.
The dissertation is written in one of the two languages.
The dissertation is submitted to the home university and to the foreign partner university, but is completed with only one examination.
The examination board in the disputation is composed of equal numbers of scientists from both countries.
Doctoral certificate: Either the universities issue a joint certificate (joint degree), or the universities award a total of two certificates, which contain the note that they are only valid in conjunction with the respective other doctoral certificate (double degree). This is regulated in the contract.

Procedure:

Search for potential supervisors at both universities (ideally common research interest) and contacting them
Preparation of a contract (according to sample)
Sending the draft contract to the office for doctoral studies and habilitation
Review of the draft contract
Reviewed draft contract is sent to partner university for submission.
The final version, accepted by all parties, must be signed by both parties (doctoral student, supervisor and dean of the respective faculty, as well as the president of the university).

For additional websites on the Cotutelle process and promotion, see:

the website of the German-French University (DFH) for the promotion of binational doctorates with France
DAAD doctoral funding for binational doctorates

Doing your PhD

Doctoral and Habilitation Officer

Florence Scholz

Ombudsperson

Prof. Dr. Ulfert Gronewold

Doctoral Regulations

Doctoral Regulations 2026

Doctoral Regulations 2013

Doctoral Regulations 2002

The doctoral procedure

Step 1: Interest in a doctorate

Interested in pursuing a doctorate?

Doctoral Regulations

Am I eligible to pursue a doctorate?

Your path to a doctorate

1. Find a research topic and a supervisor

2. Develop your research proposal

3. Admission to doctoral studies

Who can supervise your doctorate?

Step 2: Admission

Step 3: Enrollment as doctoral student

Enrollment as a doctoral student:

Deadlines for enrollment:

Enrollment is not required if

Step 4: Submission of the dissertation/Initiation of the doctoral process

Step 5: Review of the dissertation

Reviewers in the Doctoral Process – Overview

Step 6: Interpretation of the dissertation

Step 7: Disputation - the oral examination

Step 8: Publication of the dissertation

FAQs

Cotutelle de thèse