Doctoral Studies
The conferral of a doctorate represents the termination of the doctoral procedure and allows to bear the academic title "Dr.".
The procedure will be accompanied by a supervisor of the university and consists of the submission of an own research contribution in form of a dissertation project. An oral defense of your work (in form of a disputation) as well as the publication of your dissertation project, and therefore the introduction to the research community, are prerequisites in order to bear the academic title "Dr.". You decide in consultation with your supervisor on the topic of your dissertation project. For your part, a thorough preliminary consideration for a suitable topic is useful. You can get support from the graduate centres (see below).
All faculties of JLU offer a doctorate. Generelly, the prerequisite for embarking on doctoral studies is a successfully completed university degree (e.g. Master, Magister, Diplom, State Examination).
Special rules apply for applicants with a completed degree from a University of Applied Science or holding a first State Examination for a teaching degree for primary schools or lower-secondary education. Please see the code of regulations for doctoral degrees for details. Your first contact person for all questions on formalities is always the respective deanery of the faculty. Having been conferred a doctorate, you are allowed to bear the title "Dr.".
At JLU, you will be supported by different graduate centres for your dissertation project. Additionally, faculty 10 and 11 offer the possibility of a Ph.D programme. The academic title of "Ph.D." (= Doctor of Philosophy) can be gained by completing a Ph.D-degree course. Precondition: a degree in medicine, dentistry, or veterinary medicine (state examination or equivalent Master degree), biology, chemistry, or another course of study in the natural sciences (Diplom or Master degree).
You can gain the title of Dr. at JLU Giessen in the following areas:
- Dr. agr. (Agrarwissenschaften/Agriculture)
- Dr. oec. troph. (Haushalts- und Ernährungswissenschaften/Nutritional Science and Home Economics)
- Dr. phil. (Geisteswissenschaften/Humanities)
- Dr. rer. nat. (Naturwissenschaften/Natural Sciences)
- Dr. rer. soc. (Sozialwissenschaften/Social Sciences)
- Dr. rer. pol. (Wirtschaftswissenschaften/Economics)
- Dr. jur. (Rechtswissenschaften/Law)
- Dr. med. / Dr. hum. biol. (Medizin/Medicine)
- Dr. med. vet. (Veterinärmedizin/Veterinary Medicine)
- Dr. med. dent. (Zahnmedizin/Dentistry)
- Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)
Doctoral Studies after Master degree (or equivalent) at JLU
If you wish to continue your studies at JLU as a doctoral student, you have to hand in a certificate of the respective doctoral committee proving that you have been accepted as a doctoral student upon re-matriculation. A certificate of your doctoral supervisor does not suffice.
Information about enrolment as a doctoral student
Further information
Post-graduate programmes and graduate centres at JLU
Ph.D.-code of regulations
For the preconditions for admission to doctoral studies at JLU please see the respective code of regulations for doctoral studies
Further information and advice, especially for international students: please see doing your doctorate in Giessen