Procedure for Obtaining a Doctoral Degree (PhD) from the Faculty of Modern Languages
Doctoral Studies Office
Regulations
Potential subjects
Admissions to doctoral programmes
The "Latinum" as a prerequisite
Eligibility
Acceptance as a doctoral student
Enrollment
Submission of the dissertation
Conferral of the title Dr. phil. (PhD)
Persons to contact in cases of conflict
Doctoral programmes and support
Graduate Academy
Doctoral Studies Office
Iris Hoffmann
Office 115e, first floor
Phone: +49 (0)6221 - 542891
E-Mail: Iris.Hoffmann@uni-heidelberg.de
Office hours:
Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. -12 p.m.
For temporary changes of office hours please consult the website of the Dean’s Office.
Regulations
The Doctoral Regulations (Promotionsordnung, version dated 4 December 2020 legally valid at present) are a list of formal requirements for obtaining a doctoral degree from the Faculty of Modern Languages of Heidelberg University. These regulations are also valid for the Faculty of Philosophy, hence the absence of subject-specific regulations in this document. Prospective doctoral candidates should consult their supervisors at an early stage for information on doctoral regulations specific to their chosen subject or institute. Information on Binationale Promotionen/Cotutelle de thèse can be obtained from the Graduate Academy.
Click here for the German version of the doctoral regulations.
Potential subjects
German language and literature, English language and literature(s), Romance languages and literatures (French, Italian, Spanish, others), Slavic languages and literatures, American Studies (linguistics, literary studies, cultural studies), Ibero-American Studies, German as a foreign language, German as a second language, German studies in cultural comparison, computer linguistics, translation and interpreting studies.
Requirements
Admissions to doctoral degree programmes
In most cases, the requirement for admission to a doctoral programme is the successful completion of a university course with a minimum standard study period of four years. The overall grade for the course should be “good” or better. Candidates from universities of applied science and from colleges of art or music must have an overall grade of “very good” and attend a colloquium in which they are required to demonstrate their ability to undertake academic research at the same level of proficiency as eligible candidates with a university degree. If the overall grade is less than “good”, two assessments from university teachers of the Faculty are required testifying to the candidate’s academic qualifications.
The "Latinum" as a prerequisite for admission
Before instituting the procedure for obtaining a doctoral degree from the Faculty of Modern Languages, a number of subjects require proof of the “Latinum”. If the school-leaving certificate does not contain such proof, then proof of a supplementary examination must be appended to the application for institution of the procedure for obtaining a doctoral degree. An application for eschewal of this requirement can be made if the candidate comes from a different cultural background, did not have the opportunity to acquire the “Latinum” and can furnish proof of proficiency in another ancient language comparable with Latin. The application should be addressed to the Dean of the Faculty of Modern Languages. The doctoral committee of the Faculty of Modern Languages decides on the application.
At the outset candidates should decide who is to act as examiner at the oral examination (Disputation) following submission of the dissertation. Eligibility for this function is restricted to university professors, associate professors and senior lecturers. Retired or semi-retired professors are also eligible.
At the beginning of the degree programme
Accpetance as a doctoral candidate
Prior to acceptance, the doctoral candidate must conclude an agreement with his/her supervisor (a professor or senior lecturer at the Faculty). Once the agreement has been concluded, the potential candidate is required to register with the online portal heiDocs and create an online doctorate file.
The next step is for the applicant for the doctoral degree programme to apply to the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Modern Languages (Voßstr. 2, Building 37, 69115 Heidelberg) for acceptance as a doctoral candidate. The following documents should be appended to the application:
- Evidence of fulfilment of the admission requirements in accordance with § 4 of the Regulations for doctoral degree programmes (authorised copies of graduation certificates and other documents pertaining to prior courses of study (Bachelor, Master including transcript of records, Staatsexamen).
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In the case of certificates from other countries, authorised translations into German or English, authorised copies of the original graduation certificates and authorised copies of the university entrance certificates are required.
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An exposé of the planned dissertation (3-10 pages) signed by the supervisor.
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Personal data sheet (with contact data) including an outline of the curriculum vitae (personal and vocational).
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Copy of identity card or passport.
Enrolment for doctoral students
During doctoral studies
If the doctoral degree process (up to submission of the dissertation) takes longer than three years, an informal extension request signed by the doctoral candidate and the supervisor must be addressed to the Dean’s Office every year.
It is essential to keep the information contained in the online doctorate file up-to-date at all times as these data form the basis for contact with the Faculty and provide the Faculty and the State Statistics Office with an accurate overview of the situation of doctoral candidates studying at the Faculty. If your address changes (postal or e-mail), please notify the Doctoral Studies Office. They are the only ones who can change the entries in your doctoral file. A short e-mail message will suffice.
Completion of doctoral studies
The requirements for the successful completion of the doctoral degree course are (a) a dissertation evaluated as at least “adequate” and (b) a pass in the oral examination (Disputation).
After completion, three hard copies and a digital copy of the dissertation must be submitted to the Dean’s Office. For admission to the oral examination, the following documents are required:
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Application for admission to the oral examination (including curriculum vitae and evidence of the requisite language skills, p. 1)
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Confirmation from the Dean’s Office of submission of the dissertation (p. 2)
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Affirmation in lieu of oath (p. 3)
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Instructions on the affirmation in lieu of oath (p. 4)
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Approval for publication (signed by both evaluators, p. 5)
In addition, you are required to update your online doctorate file before submitting the dissertation.
Click here for the German version of the documents required.
The dissertation must be published within two years of the successful completion of the doctoral degree course. The right to use the title “Doctor” is acquired only after submission of the published version of the dissertation. The published version must indicate that the publication is a dissertation from the University of Heidelberg. For publication, approval from both evaluators is necessary (Imprimatur, see documents required when submitting the dissertation).
In cases of conflict, doctoral candidates and supervisors from the University of Heidelberg can turn to two ombudspersons for confidential counselling and mediation. At present the following persons are registered as official ombudspersons:
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Prof. Dr. Christiane von Stutterheim (Institute of German as a Foreign Language – IDF): cvs@idf.uni-heidelberg.de
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Prof. em. Dr. Hans-Werner Wahl (Aging Research Network – NAR; Institute of Psychology): wahl@nar.uni-heidelberg.de
In addition, the University of Heidelberg has established a “Commission for the Safeguarding of Good Academic Practice and the Handling of Violations of Academic Ethics”.
In the framework of the heiDocs promotion programme, the Faculty provides its doctoral candidates with financial support in the shape of (a) grants at the beginning and end of the doctoral degree course, (b) in conjunction with plans to study abroad (mobility) and (c) in connection with initiatives instituted by doctoral candidates. Application deadlines are 10 January, 10 April, 10 July and 10 October every year.
As of 2021, the Faculty of Modern Languages also has at its disposal its own structured cross-departmental doctoral candidates’ programme designed to encourage exchange between doctoral candidates and to strengthen their education and training in their own subjects and beyond. This can be a beneficial supplement to the degree course in the shape of a supportive structure for the duration of doctoral studies.
In addition, the following structured degree programmes are available (as of August 2021):
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Graduate research training group “Authority and Trust” (American Studies)
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Graduate Programme of Transcultural Studies (GPTS)
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Doctoral programme “Semantic Processing”
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Heidelberg Graduate School for the Humanities and Social Sciences (HGGS)
At university level, the Graduate Academy is the central institution for all doctoral candidates. It provides numerous workshops, opportunities for continuing education, etc.
Once a year, the University also awards scholarships in accordance with the Postgraduate Scholarships Act of the State of Baden-Württemberg (LFGF).
