Doctoral Studies

Are you thinking about staying in academia after your studies and devoting yourself to your own research project? Pursuing a doctoral degree might be the suitable choice for you.

 

What you should know about the doctorate

A doctorate is the conferral of the doctoral degree in a specific field of study.

The requirements for this include:

  • a dissertation which is an independent research work, supervised by a professor
  • an oral examination in the form of a colloquium

Typically, the doctorate is completed within three to four years.

Doctoral degrees may be awarded in the following fields:

  • Physics
  • Didactics of Physics
  • Meteorology
  • Mathematics
  • Didactics of Mathematics
  • History of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
  • Computer Science
  • Didactics of Computer Science

 

Regardless of which subject you choose, you should know in advance what doctoral opportunities are available:

If you wish to pursue a doctorate at JGU, you must register as a doctoral candidate via JOGU-StINe. If you wish to additionally enroll as a doctoral student besides registration, please indicate this in your registration application. You can also enroll after being registered. It's up to you to consider individually whether enrollment is beneficial for you or not.

Possible reasons for enrolling include:

  • You can apply for a place in student accommodation.
  • You'll receive a semester ticket, allowing you to use public transportation in the region.
  • You can dine at the campus cafeterias at student prices.
  • International students: You may need an enrollment certificate for your stay in Germany.
  • You will receive further discounts for JGU students (museums, theater, etc.).

You can find detailed information about registration and, if necessary, enrollment, as well as a step-by-step guide, in the Study Portal.

Individual doctorate:
The traditional approach: You pursue your doctorate independently with supervision from an academic advisor.

Structured doctoral program:
You pursue your doctorate within a comprehensive framework at a graduate school or center, which means at an institutionalized university facility.

» Regarding the programs for a structured doctoral program...

You can also pursue a binational doctorate with joint supervision from JGU and a university outside of Germany. In this case, you will receive a jointly awarded doctoral degree from both universities.

» HRK German Rectors' Conference: Bi-national doctoral programmes