Planning 'step by step'
1. Supervisor commitment and funding
If you have decided to do a doctorate in an area that interests you, the next step is to find a suitable supervisor for your doctoral project.
Normally, doctoral students work as research assistants at the institutes of Clausthal University of Technology or in a company that cooperates with Clausthal University of Technology within the framework of a research collaboration. Therefore, it may be interesting for you to check the job offers of the Clausthal University of Technology or to contact individual professors directly about the possibility of working on a doctoral project. Scholarships from various study foundations are also possible.
2. Admission to doctoral studies
Before starting work on the dissertation, i.e. as soon as you have received a confirmation of supervision, each doctoral candidate must submit an application for admission to doctoral studies to the dean's office of the respective faculty (Faculty 1 - Faculty of Natural and Material Sciences, Faculty 2 - Faculty of Energy and Economics, Faculty 3 - Faculty of Mathematics/Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering). The following documents are required (see also websites of the respective faculty):
- Application for admission - Supervision agreement - Proposal for doctoral studies (doctoral study plan) - Declaration of doctoral attempts.
3. Matriculation
According to § 9 Abs. 2 Satz 4 NHG (Niedersächsisches Hochschulgesetz) doctoral students have to enrol as doctoral students. Enrolment takes place at the Study Centre (Student Secretariat). Information on the semester fee (currently 185,-- € for doctoral students) can be found here.
4. Processing of the doctoral project
As soon as you have completed all formal/legal steps, you can start planning and working on your doctoral project. If you have any questions about doctoral studies or need advice, please contact us. The Graduate Academy will be happy to advise you on the creation of a personal curriculum, on all aspects of qualifications, graduate funding or career development.
5. Opening of the doctoral process
After completion of your dissertation and for the opening of the doctoral procedure, please submit the following additional documents to the faculty together with your dissertation after consultation with your supervisor:
- Opening application (see the websites of the respective faculties)
- Affidavit (see also "Rules for ensuring good scientific practice and procedures in cases of suspected scientific misconduct")
- Statistical sheet.
A sample for the title page of the dissertation can be found in the joint doctoral regulations of the faculties.
The Faculty Council decides on the opening of the doctoral procedure at the next meeting or by circulation. Please inform yourself about the next meeting dates of the faculty councils on the websites of the respective faculties 1, 2, 3.
The disputation at Clausthal University of Technology usually takes the form of an oral examination with a part open to the public and a subsequent discussion.
In order to prepare your disputation, the Graduate Academy regularly offers further education courses.
6. Publication of your dissertation
After you have passed your oral examination, you apply for permission to print your dissertation within one year (deadline begins on the day of the oral examination). Please fill out the application, sign it and have it countersigned by your supervisor. The application must be submitted to the Dean's Office of the Faculty in order to receive the necessary permission for final publication from the Dean.
- Application for permission to print (the relevant forms can be found on the respective websites of Faculties 1, 2, 3) - Instructions for electronic publication (§ 12 para. 2 a Doctoral Regulations of 15.11.2016) - Instructions for publication as a book in a publishing house (§ 12 para. 2 c Doctoral Regulations of 15.11.2016)
7. Alumni service
The Clausthal University of Technology would like to maintain contact with its alumni. If you are interested in keeping in touch with your university and your former fellow students and receiving invitations to university events, you can register in the alumni database free of charge and without obligation at the following link: http://www.alumni.tu-clausthal.de/mitglied-werden/