Doctoral Studies Office at the School of Cultural Studies and Social Sciences

At the beginning of the winter semester 2016/17, the  new doctoral regulations of the School of Cultural Studies and Social Sciences came into force, which will apply to all doctoral projects accepted from 23.09.2016, amended according to the official gazette of Osnabrück University dated 29.02.2024,
Nr. 02/2024.

The relevant  information and forms are available for download.

In general: when working on doctoral projects, the  DFG’s principles of good scientific practice must be observed. 

For doctoral candidates who were admitted prior to September 23, 2016, the previous doctoral regulations of the former departments of Social Sciences and Cultural and Earth Sciences will continue to apply, unless a request is submitted to apply the new doctoral regulations. Please contact the Office of Graduate Studies with any questions regarding this matter. Please note the following:

 Information and forms for doctoral procedures in the social sciences (acceptance before 23.09.2016)
(Political Science and Sociology)

 Information and forms for doctoral procedures in the cultural and earth sciences (acceptance before 23.09.2016)
(Geography, History, Art History, Art/Art Education and Textile Design).

In the preliminary procedure, the application of the new doctoral regulations can be requested
( sample text application (PDF, 368 kB)).

The doctoral committee usually meets once a month. The next meeting of the doctoral committee will take place on Wednesday.

Further meeting dates are scheduled for: Wednesday, 19 August 2026. Applications for admission as a doctoral candidate or for permission to pursue a doctorate, etc., must be submitted by Wednesday, 5 August 2026, at the latest. Applications that are not submitted in full by the deadline cannot be considered.

Please note that dates are subject to change! Please refer to the current information here on the homepage.

Official notifications regarding submitted applications are usually sent by mail within approximately two weeks after the meeting date. Until then, we kindly ask you to refrain from making any inquiries. 

Since the beginning of the summer semester 2016, an Individual Development Plan (IDP) must be completed for all new doctoral procedures. The supervisors are responsible for keeping the IDP themselves in order to protect the confidentiality of the agreements.

The form documenting the completion of the IDP must be signed by the supervisor and doctoral candidate and submitted to the Office of the Doctoral Committee as an attachment to the application for acceptance as a doctoral candidate.

Additionally, an IDP must be completed for all doctoral procedures currently in progress. The "Confirmation of completion of an Individual Doctoral Development Plan" must therefore be attached to the application for admission to doctoral studies, i.e., when the dissertation is submitted, unless it has already been submitted earlier.

 Individual Development Plan for the Doctorate

 Confirmation of conclusion of an Individual Development Plan (IDP) for PhD Studies