postgraduate research
Doctoral Degrees in Germany
General information on doctoral work in Germany is available from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Prerequisite for a doctorate is an excellent university degree. The doctorate generally takes several years and involves completing and submitting a thesis, its publication and an oral exam, the viva.
Germany offers a number of different routes to a doctoral degree which are summarised in the following section. Furthermore, you should be aware that disciplines differ substantially in what can be described as their “culture of doctoral education”.
Individual Doctorate
The individual doctorate does not
include a structured schedule of coursework. The key element
is the relationship between candidate and supervisor. With the supervisor,
the candidate agrees upon courses to be attended, often in the form of
a regular doctoral seminar. Candidates pursuing an individual doctorate
are often employed as temporary academic staff or support themselves through
grants, scholarships or personal funds.
Doctoral Programmes
A number of structured qualification
programmes
have been created with the support of numerous funding initiatives. While
candidates still select a primary supervisor, work on the thesis is complemented
by a number of disciplinary and general courses. Furthermore, the doctorate
is often pursued as part of a larger research project. Some of the programmes
offer financial support through scholarships or
employment opportunities.
External Doctorate
External candidates form a special
group. They normally work on their degree parallel to full or part time
employment. Before the official exam procedure, they have no official links
to the university other than through their supervisor.
