Applications and forms

You can find details and further information for your application as doctoral student at the Doctoral Degree Regulations (only available in german language).

This document is legally binding.

 

The following steps are especially important:

The candidate addresses his/her application for doctoral studies to the PhD Admissions Office.

The following documents have to be submitted:

Subsequently the Doctoral Committee decides about the application.
At the moment of acceptance the candidate can optionally enrol himself/herself at the International Relations Office (for foreign students).

 

For further information see: Graduate Academy

The doctoral studies should generally be completed within three years.

An extension of time is possible.

(See Application for Extension)

 

The dissertation is generally to be written in German or English.

 The dissertation is to be submitted to the Doctoral Committee in:

• five copies and
• as digital document.

Besides the candidate has to complete and sign a Declaration in Lieu of Oath (Declaration of Originality).

When the reports have been received by the Doctoral Committee and the professors and associate professors have been notified, the two-week access period within the deanship of the faculty begins. 

All professors and associate professors in the faculty, the assessors and the doctoral student have the right to view the dissertation and reports.

At the end of the access period and once all reports have been received, the Doctoral Committee appoints an examining committee. The examining committee consists of the assessors and at least one other professor or associate professor from the faculty who is not directly connected to the subject of the doctoral studies. The examining committee also includes a deputy for the eventuality that a member of the examining committee is unavoidably prevented from attending the defence.

The chair of the examining committee sets the date for the defence, convenes the examining committee and invites the doctoral student to attend the defence.

If the dissertation is accepted, the doctoral student must attend a defence, lasting approximately 90 minutes, on the dissertation and any related questions on his or her subject.

The defence should take place during term time.

The examining committee awards a grade for the dissertation on the basis of the reports, a grade for the defence on the basis of the student’s performance during the viva and an overall grade on the basis of these two grades.

 

If the doctoral student’s work is approved, the dissertation must be published no later than two years after the doctorate is awarded.

 

If the dissertation is not published within the appointed deadline, all claims of the doctoral candidate expire.

 

Before the dissertation is reproduced, the doctoral student must obtain a written permission from the head of the examining committee.

 

On receipt of written permission, the dissertation can be reproduced in any of the following forms:

 

If reproduced in the forms set out in 1 and 2 above, a publisher’s imprint must be added to indicate that it is a dissertation from the University of Heidelberg. If reproduced in the forms set out in 3, it must be stated clearly that it is a dissertation from the University of Heidelberg. If the title is changed, reference must be made to the original title of the dissertation.

 

If the dissertation is reproduced as described in 1 above, 6 copies must be submitted to the faculty within two years from the date of the defence.

 

Additionaly to the 6 copies, the supervisor and the second supervisor have to receive a copy of the published dissertation.