At the beginning of the doctorate, you submit an application for "Provisional acceptance as a doctoral researcher". Please submit the completed and signed form and all other documents to the PhD Office.

Application for provisional acceptance as a doctoral candidate and the Graduate Academy philGRAD

Other documents to be submitted:

• A curriculum vitae in German or English, including information on school and higher education;
• Abitur certificate or an equivalent certificate as well as certificates and records of all academic examinations or state examinations, in each case as certified copies;
• If applicable, language certificates according to Annex 2 of the doctoral regulations.

You are welcome to submit the documents by post or personally to the PhD Office. If you come in person, it is sufficient to bring the original and copies of the certificates with you.

Graduate Academy philGRAD
As soon as you have been provisionally accepted as a doctoral candidate at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, we would also like to welcome you to the Graduate Acadsemy philGRAD. From now on, you can take advantage of all philGRAD's events and advisory services free of charge. philGRAD is the central contact for you in all matters concerning your doctorate, in addition to the PhD Office. We accompany and support you from the very beginning with an extensive workshop programme, individual counselling offers and interesting networking events. You can find detailed information on our website at www.philgrad.hhu.de.

Enrolment as a doctoral student or doctoral auditor

As soon as you have been provisionally accepted as a doctoral student at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, you will receive an official letter from the acting vice dean. Now you are entitled to enrol as a doctoral student or as a doctoral auditor at the Heinrich Heine University.

Here you will find relevant information on enrolment.

At the latest one year after your provisional acceptance, you submit an application for final acceptance as a doctoral student. Please complete and sign the application form and submit all other required documents to the PhD Office.

Application for final acceptance as a doctoral student and supervision agreement

Other documents to be submitted:

•     Exposé, signed by your supervisor.

Please discuss the structure, content, scope and layout of your exposé with your supervisor.

Obligatory enrolment as a doctoral student or doctoral auditor

As soon as you have been finally accepted as a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, you will receive an official letter from the Vice-Dean. You are now obliged to register as a doctoral student or doctoral auditor at the Heinrich Heine University.

Here you will find relevant information on enrolment.

Graduate Academy philGRAD

Since your provisional acceptance as a doctoral candidate at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, you can take advantage of all the events and advisory services offered by the Graduate Academy philGRAD free of charge. philGRAD is the central point of contact for you in all matters relating to your doctorate, alongside the PhD Office. We accompany and support you from the very beginning with an extensive workshop programme, individual counselling offers and interesting networking events. You can find detailed information on our website at www.philgrad.hhu.de.

Now that you have been finally accepted as a doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, you are obliged to meet regularly – at least once a year – with your first and your second supervisor to discuss the progress of your dissertation. Other persons may also participate in these discussions. You are required to prepare a progress report on the items and results. The progress report describes in particular which goals have been met since the supervision agreement or the last progress report and which goals you should strive for in the coming year.

In addition, the progress report documents possible changes in the concept of your dissertation, in the planning for the completion of the dissertation, in the planning for participation in the doctoral program, in other qualifying activities or in the planning of the schedule since the previous meeting.

The progress report will be signed by you, your first and your second supervisor.

Since the progress report is an obligatory part of the doctoral studies (cf. § 7 paragraph 2 item b of the Doctoral Regulations of 2017/2022), proof of this must be submitted to the doctoral office once a year. Since philGRAD administers this process, please send the proof (in the form of the signed progress report) to .

The time has come: Your dissertation is ready and can be submitted to the doctoral office. Please submit your dissertation and other documents so that your doctoral examination procedure can be opened.

• Application for admission to the doctoral examination procedure
• Dissertation as printed version and as electronic version on three separate storage media (i.e. USB stick), on explicit request of the reviewers additional printed versions, if necessary
  • Included in the dissertation: affidavit (text: "I affirm in lieu of oath that the dissertation has been prepared by me independently and without unauthorized outside assistance, in compliance with the 'Regulations on the Principles for Ensuring Good Scientific Practice at Heinrich Heine University'").
  • Included in the dissertation: a short curriculum vitae
• a detailed curriculum vitae in table form (loose, for the doctoral file)
• One copy of the affidavit (loose, for the doctoral file)
• a summary of the contents of the dissertation, one DIN A4 page in German or English
• Proof of doctoral studies (according to § 7 paragraph 2 of the Doctoral Regulations 2017/2022) in the form of a preliminary Doctorate Transcript
• Proof of enrollment (according to § 6 paragraph 4 of the Doctoral Regulations 2017/2022)
• A statement as to whether the disputation is to be held in German or English (this statement is integrated into the form "Application for Admission to the Doctoral Examination Procedure")
• If applicable, a justified request to exclude the faculty public or audience during the disputation
• if required, proof that conditions according to § 3 paragraph 3 of the Doctoral Regulations 2017/2022 have been fulfilled
• if required, written statement of the first supervisor according to § 8 paragraph 5 of the Doctoral Regulations 2017/2022 (concerns cumulative doctorates)

If you have not submitted the following documents to the doctoral office at an earlier date, please also include the following documents:

• a curriculum vitae written in German or English, including information about school and university education
• certificates and documents concerning previous school education and studies (especially school-leaving certificate, BA certificate, MA certificate or comparable certificates) as certifies copies or by showing the originals in person at the doctoral office
• a proof of the language skills required according to Annex 2 of the Doctoral Regulations 2017/2022
• a statement as to whether and when you have already undergone an unsuccessfully completed doctoral degree
• Acknowledgement of the "Regulations on the Principles for Ensuring Good Scientific Practice at Heinrich Heine University"

After your dissertation has been reviewed and accepted, your disputation (the oral examination) is due. Your disputation takes place after the inspection period (two weeks) of your dissertation and, if possible, during the lecture period.

• Please coordinate the date and time of your disputation with all four examiners on time and inform the Doctoral Office accordingly. The Doctoral Office will take care of the chairperson, the room for your disputation and the official invitation.
   
• If you wish the Doctoral Office to send a thesis paper/handout to your examiners together with the official invitation to your disputation, please send a file to the Doctoral Office by mail at least three weeks before the disputation date. The design and scope of the thesis paper/handout are left up to you.
   
• If you wish, you can carry out a technique check before your disputation. Please make an appointment for this at the Doctoral Office.