Pursuing a PhD at the University of Erfurt

At the University of Erfurt, potential supervisors include professors from the relevant subject area, as well as Privatdozenten, or, where applicable, employees and teams within the university’s internal Graduate Centres.

Based on literature research and reading on the field of research or the doctoral topic, a specific research question should be formulated and developed into a written outline or a (so-called) exposé, which should be discussed with potential supervisors or supervisory teams whilst it is still being drafted. This will help to determine where the project would be best situated and whether, and if so how, the path to a doctorate can be pursued.

In principle, it is possible to undertake a doctorate in all subject areas at the University of Erfurt. There are two routes to a doctorate. Prospective doctoral candidates and advanced doctoral candidates can opt to pursue a doctorate within a certified research training group or the Max-Weber-Kolleg as part of the structured ‘Erfurt Doctorate and Postdoctoral Programme’ (EPPP). In addition, there remains the option of a ‘traditional’ individual PhD within the respective faculty. There are also special forms of doctoral study, each of which is compatible with either the individual PhD or the structured programme.

Structured Doctorate within the EPPP-certified Graduate Centres / the Max-Weber-Kolleg

Individual Doctorate

Other types of Doctorates

One of the key challenges for PhD students when organising their research is securing funding. There are various options available for covering living costs during the PhD programme, each of which has its own specific requirements, advantages and disadvantages.

When choosing a suitable form of funding, you should consider the following questions:

• Is funding secured for the entire duration of the PhD programme?
• Are there options for final-stage or follow-up funding?
• Are additional funds provided for research-related travelling and material expenses? This is particularly important for attending conferences, visiting archives or conducting studies.
• Are extended research stays abroad planned, and is the funding compatible with these plans? Further information on this can be found here.
• How can funding gaps be bridged so as not to jeopardise progress on your thesis?
• How will the chosen funding model affect your PhD timetable or your family planning?

The most common funding models for the multi-year doctoral phase.

At the start of a doctoral programme, an application for admission as a doctoral candidate must be submitted to the relevant faculty or the Max-Weber-Kolleg in accordance with the respective doctorate-degree regulations. At the University of Erfurt, each faculty and the Max-Weber-Kolleg has its own doctorate-degree regulation,which sets out not only the admission requirements but also the procedures for the doctorate programme and examinations, as well as the doctoral degrees awarded. Admission is handled centrally via Docata.
Docata is the web portal for doctoral candidates at the University of Erfurt. Once you have registered, Docata will guide you through the entire doctorate programme.

Using Docata, you can apply for:

• acceptance as a doctoral candidate at a faculty or the Max-Weber-Kolleg at the University of Erfurt,
• admission to the doctoral programme (or, in the Faculty of Economics, Law and Social Sciences: to the examination process),
• renewals of your status as a doctoral candidate (at the Faculty of Economics, Law and Social Sciences).

Please note that, before beginning the registration process, you must have received confirmation of supervision of your dissertation from a professorship at the University of Erfurt. Only then can the registration process be successfully completed.

Further information can also be found on the websites of the respective faculties:

• Faculty of Philosophy
• Faculty of Economics, Law and Social Sciences
• Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Catholic Theology
• Max-Weber-Kolleg

A supervision agreement in the context of a doctorate is a binding written agreement between the doctoral candidate and their supervisor. It is intended to clarify mutual expectations, rights and obligations and to prevent conflicts.

The information sheet provides guidance on drawing up a supervision agreement.

You can find sample templates in the A–Z Form Centre.

In the event of conflicts or other problems arising during the PhD programme, the confidential advisor is available to offer guidance. They act as an independent and neutral point of contact to whom all PhD students and supervisors at the University of Erfurt can turn.

The ombudsperson for conflict resolution during the doctorate is PD Dr Andreas Pettenkofer.

Once they have been accepted as a doctoral candidate at one of the faculties or the Max-Weber-Kolleg, doctoral candidates can enrol in order to acquire student status and, consequently, membership of the university. Enrolment is possible at any time and may apply retrospectively to the current semester. Further information on enrolment and the documents to be submitted can be found on the page on enrolment for a doctorate.

The current fees and charges (semester contribution) for the current semester for a full-time or part-time doctorate can be found on the page for Fees and Contributions at the University of Erfurt .

Academic Skills Training

The University of Erfurt’s range of Academic Qualification programmes is aimed at all researchers at every stage of their careers.
It comprises three areas for skills development:

• Programmes for acquiring and further developing interdisciplinary key competences,
• a mentoring programme for doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers and tenure-track and career-track professors
• as well as opportunities for career planning and development.

The aim is to provide researchers at all stages with the best possible support in further developing their skills and in their career development. All services offered as part of the Academic Skills Training are free of charge, but are aimed exclusively at members and affiliates of the University of Erfurt.

Further information can be found here.

Research stays abroad

A period abroad during your training phase offers several advantages. As well as acquiring unique intercultural skills and improving your language proficiency, you can expand your existing networks beyond national borders whilst abroad and become part of an internationally active research community. Furthermore, a period abroad sharpens your personal research profile and enhances your career prospects in academia or in non-academic professional fields. Further information can be found in the information sheet.

Committee of PhD Representatives

The Committee of PhD Representatives is the joint representative body for doctoral candidates at the University of Erfurt. It promotes an interdisciplinary, collaborative and international PhD culture at the University of Erfurt, and champions the interests of doctoral candidates within the university’s internal committees. Through a range of events, it also provides information on topics relevant to doctoral studies and, in doing so, contributes to interdisciplinary and cross-faculty exchange and to networking amongst doctoral candidates.
Further information can be found here.

Family-friendly university

The University of Erfurt is characterised by its strong commitment to helping students balance an active family life with everyday university life and has therefore been awarded the ‘audit familiengerechte hochschule’ (family-friendly university audit) since 2005. The Office for Equal Opportunity and Family Services  provides information on its website about the wide range of childcare services available for doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers with children.
 

Reimbursement of research costs for female and non-binary EPPP-full members

From the budget for gender equality-promoting measures of the Equal Opportunity and Family Office, female or non-binary EPPP full members can be reimbursed an additional €300 per year for research costs. Eligible applicants are all female or non-binary doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers who belong to an EPPP-certified Graduate Centre or the Max Weber College and are registered as full members at the Research and Graduate Services. Further information can be found here.

The thesis is submitted to the relevant faculty. The relevant documents are listed in the faculty’s doctorate-degree regulations. Once the thesis has been accepted, the faculty’s doctoral committee initiates the doctoral procedure. All further matters are governed by the faculty’s doctorate-degree regulations.

Once the thesis has been accepted, the doctoral examination shall take place within a reasonable period of time in the form of a public defence or a rigorous examination.

All other matters are governed by the faculty’s respective doctorate-degree regulations.

The Christoph-Martin-Wieland-Forum is the central network for the Graduate Service at the University of Erfurt. It brings together the services, structures and key players involved in doctoral studies and academic training, and ensures that those interested in pursuing a doctorate, doctoral candidates and postdocs receive the best possible support.

At the same time, the Forum continuously develops the framework for doctorates – from quality assurance and new funding schemes to academic support. In doing so, it brings together the faculties, the Max-Weber-Kolleg, the Graduate Centres, the Graduate Support, the Graduate Services and the academic committees. This allows experiences to be pooled, processes to be refined and common standards for high-quality Graduate service to be established.

The name ‘Forum’ deliberately stands for exchange, networking and openness: the Christoph-Martin-Wieland-Forum creates space for collaboration, responds to new developments and strengthens Graduate service at the University of Erfurt in the long term.

The Erfurt Doctorate and Postdoctoral Programme (EPPP) was launched in 2008 and has since provided the basis and common framework for the structured and goal-oriented support, supervision and the disciplinary and interdisciplinary training of researchers in the qualification phase within the University of Erfurt’s certified Graduate Centres. The Max-Weber-Kolleg also organises its Graduate service in accordance with the EPPP standards. The legal principles of the EPP programme have been set out by the University of Erfurt in a framework regulation.
Within the framework of the EPP programme,

• binding minimum standards are set for the subject-specific and interdisciplinary training of early-career researchers;
• structures and procedures for the training process are subject to quality assurance, and
• financial support opportunities for researchers are established.

Further information on the EPPP and structured doctorates can be found here.