Doctorate

The requirements for a Doctorate are regulated in the Doctorate Regulations.

As a rule, an above-average degree is expected as proof of the ability to conduct in-depth academic work.

The following degrees entitle the holder to a Doctorate:

• Completion of a degree program at a German university (Master's, state examination, Diplom or Magister)
• University degree in the First State Examination for Teacher Education
• Completion of an equivalent course of study at a comparable foreign university
• Completion of a relevant university degree course

All other access requirements (e.g. separate grade limits or proof of aptitude for in-depth academic work through a qualified presentation of the academic project and/or qualified study and examination achievements in the doctoral subject) can be found in the doctoral regulations. These also set out all the procedural steps for the entire doctoral process - from the confirmation of supervision and acceptance as a doctoral candidate, admission to the doctorate (dissertation and oral examination) to the publication of the dissertation.

The Doctorate can be formally divided into five steps:

1. As soon as you know which topic you would like to do your doctorate on, look for a suitable supervisor. You discuss the next steps with him or her and record the results in an  Individual Supervision Plan (IDP) (PDF, 511 kB). You confirm that you have  completed (PDF, 33 kB) an  IDP (PDF, 33 kB) upon acceptance.
2. Once you have reached an agreement with your supervisor, it must be checked whether you meet the formal requirements for a Doctorate. To do this, you submit an  application for acceptance to (PDF, 702 kB) the Doctorate Committee. When applying, you must also submit a  declaration of previous doctoral projects (PDF, 108 kB). As soon as the doctoral committee has decided on your application, you will receive an official letter of  acceptance and a confirmation of acceptance (PDF, 207 kB) for enrollment as a doctoral student.
3. As soon as you and your supervisor consider the dissertation to be ready for submission, you submit an  application for admission (PDF, 194 kB). You send this to the doctoral committee together with the dissertation and other attachments in accordance with the doctoral regulations.
4. Your dissertation will be reviewed and, if it is accepted (i.e. the reviews have resulted in a grade of at least rite), published at the university. You can then plan your disputation. You should discuss this step with your supervisor, as you have the right to propose the composition of the committee that will hear and evaluate your disputation.
5. Once you have successfully completed all parts of the procedure, you must publish your dissertation before you can use the title of doctor (or Ph.D.). Your supervisor will support you in successfully finding an appropriate publisher. In principle, you can also use the  repository of the University Library, which is a free publication option. In addition, online publication is usually faster than a print version, so you can publish the title earlier. You can find details on publication in your doctoral regulations.

In addition to finding a topic and a supervisor, there is also the question of how to finance the Doctorate. In principle, there are two classic options for financing a doctorate, namely as part of an employment relationship at a university or by obtaining a doctoral scholarship. These two options and their respective advantages and disadvantages are briefly explained in the info boxes below. There is also an info box on funding options for international doctoral candidates .

In addition to the options of employment at the university and the doctoral scholarship, it is also possible to pursue employment outside the university and do a part-time doctorate.

Advice on funding options for a Doctorate is available from the  PhD/Postdoc Career Center (ZePrOs).

At the start of your doctoral project, you choose a supervisor for your dissertation. This supervisor will support you in terms of content. You may also be invited to doctoral colloquia or similar events. The supervisor will accompany you until you have completed your Doctorate and will also advise you on questions regarding the publication of your dissertation.

The staff at the  Doctoral Office are your contacts for all formal questions, from registering for the Doctorate to the defense.

The quality of the doctoral process depends largely on the trusting cooperation between the supervising university teachers and the doctoral candidates. Conflicts can arise in doctoral supervision relationships that can delay the progress of work on the dissertation, jeopardize the successful completion of the doctorate or even lead to the termination of the doctoral project. In August 2013, the Senate of Osnabrück University adopted a  procedural guideline for dealing with conflicts in the area of Doctorates, which names contact points in the event of conflicts and outlines procedures for conflict mediation.

Here you will find the regulations that are relevant to your Doctorate. Please use the regulations to find out about the next steps in your doctoral procedure.