PhD Procedure
Have you finished your studies and want to start a doctoral degree at the Department of Spatial Planning? There are several steps to keep in mind.
The PhD process is not provided by TU Dortmund itself and there is no central admissions office for the university. Instead all departments at the TU Dortmund University organize the PhD process individually, regulate the admissions processes and take care of their doctoral candidates.
The most important information is as follows.
1. Application phase
When? Before submitting the application
What is to be done? Please first check whether you meet the requirements for admission according to § 4 PhD Regulations 2024.
Who? Applicant
When? Anytime before submitting the application
What has to be done? Before applying for a doctorate, each applicant must have found a supervisor for the doctorate. This person must be from among the departments university teachers or habilitated members of the department of Spatial Planning and have the appropriate expertise. It is advisable to submit a synopsis of your research proposal to the eligible persons. The doctoral committee is not involved in the search for the supervisor.
Who? Applicant
When? Before submitting the application
What documents/information are needed? Many of the questions that arise are clarified by the doctoral regulations. These regulations are the legally binding documents concerning the doctorate, get to know them!
Who? Applicant
When? Anytime, 3 weeks before the doctoral committee meeting.
What to do? Please submit an application with the required documents to the doctoral committee via e-mail phd.rp@tu-dortmund.de
Which documents/information are required?
- Application form completed in full and signed
- Proposal with time schedule
- Certificates or certified copies (AHR to Master incl. transcripts)
- Curriculum vitae in tabular form
- Copy of identity card
- Confirmation of supervision by the supervising university lecturer
The certified certificates must also be submitted by post.
Recipient:
TU Dortmund University
Departent of Spatial Planning
August-Schmidt-Str. 10
44227 Dortmund
GERMANY
Who? Applicant
When? Immediately after the doctoral committee meeting.
What documents/information are required? Written information from the doctoral committee regarding admission via email with the requirements to be fulfilled, if applicable.
Who? PhD committee
When? Within 3 weeks after admission.
What is to be done? Enrollment as a doctoral student in the doctoral program in spatial planning (at the Registrar's Office / International Office).
Which documents/information are required?
- Completed online application form
- Document of admission as a doctoral student
- Officially certified copy of the university certificate
- Officially certified copy of university entrance qualification (e.g. Highschool certificate)
- Certificate(s) of exmatriculation
- Copy of the identity card
- Health insurance certificate or exemption certificate
- Passport photograph
- Direct debit authorization for student union fees and administration fees
Who? Doctoral student / Student secretariat
When? After matriculation.
What to do? Send certificate of enrollment to the doctoral committee.
What documents/information are required?
- Certificate of enrollment
Who? Doctoral student
When? After admission
What is to be done? Download Supervision agreement, complete and sign it together with your supervisor. Please send the document to the PhD Committee.
Who? Doctoral student
2. Research, editing, writing the dissertation
When? After receiving provisional admission
What is to be done?
- If the doctoral candidate has been granted provisional admission, up to 30 credits must be completed in a pre-doctoral study program (in consultation with the supervisor)
- The proof must be submitted to the doctoral committee in order to obtain final admission to the doctorate
Who? Doctoral student
When? 3 years
What needs to be done?
- Complete structured doctoral program
- Write dissertation (if desired, a LateX template for writing a dissertation is available in the download area)
Who? Doctoral student
If the dissertation takes more than 3 years to complete, an extension of the doctoral period must be requested. This is done by means of an informal application stating the reasons and the matriculation number. This application must be sent to the doctoral committee.
What to do?
- Complete the structured doctoral program
- You will receive the certificate of completion of the structured doctoral program from your first supervisor upon fulfillment
- The proof must be submitted to the doctoral committee before or at the same time as the submission of the dissertation
Who? Doctoral student
When? 3-6 months before submission.
What is to be done?
- If provisional admission has been granted, complete the pre-doctoral studies and obtain confirmation from the supervisor
- Prepare the application for completion of the examination board in accordance with PhD Regulations 2018, § 13 or PhD Regulations 2024, § 14 (informally by letter)
- If necessary, prepare the application for a change of title (informally by letter)
- Preparation of the application for acceptance of the dissertation (informally by letter)
- Preparation of the written affidavit / declarations according to PhD Regulations 2018, § 11 or PhD Regulations 2024, § 12 (please include in the dissertation)
- Completion of structured doctoral program and ontain confirmation from the supervisor
Who? Doctoral student (in consultation with the reviewer)
If provisional admission has been granted, complete the pre-doctoral studies and obtain confirmation from the supervisor
Prepare the application for completion of the examination board in accordance with PhD Regulations 2018, § 13 or PhD Regulations 2024, § 14 (informally by letter)
If necessary, prepare the application for a change of title (informally by letter)
Preparation of the application for acceptance of the dissertation (informally by letter)
Preparation of the written affidavit / declarations according to PhD Regulations 2018, § 11 or PhD Regulations 2024, § 12 (please include in the dissertation)
Completion of structured doctoral program and confirmation of the supervisor
3. After completion
When? Anytime, but before submission of the dissertation
What documents/information are required?
- Application for completion of the Examination Board according to PhD Regulations 2018, § 13 or PhD Regulations 2024, § 14 (informally by letter)
- Application for change of title, if applicable (informally by letter)
Who? Doctoral candidate
When? Immediately after the next meeting of the doctoral committee
What is to be done? Doctoral committee sends application resolutions to doctoral candidates.
Who? Secretary of the Doctoral Committee
4. Examination phase
When? At the earliest, after receipt of all resolutions and completion of all documents
What has to be done? You can submit at the dean's office (GB III, 1st floor, room 3.212). Please make an appointment in advance by email to phd.rp@tu-dortmund.de. The submission is also possible by post:
TU Dortmund University
Department of Spatial Planning
Dean's office
August-Schmidt-Str. 10
44227 Dortmund
GERMANY
Which documents/information are required?
- Doctoral regulations from 2024 (§ 12)
- the dissertation in five bound, typewritten copies and as a pdf file or in a platform-independent document format valid at the according point of time on a suitable data carrier,
- a summary of the dissertation in both German and English of no more than 500 words each,
- a written affidavit (eidesstattliche Versicherung) stating that the dissertation was written independently and without unauthorized outside help and that all the used resources and aids were listed/noted in the dissertation,
- a written declaration that the 'Rules of Good Scientific Practice' (Regeln guter wissenschaftlicher Praxis, GWP) published in the Official
Communications of TU Dortmund University have been observed, - a written declaration that the submitted dissertation has not yet been the subject of an academic or state examination procedure in this or a similar form or in parts (this also applies to versions in other languages),
- proof of successful completion of the structured doctoral degree program signed by the supervisor and
- a list of pre-publications of partial results.
- Doctoral regulations from 2018 (§ 11)
- Application for acceptance of the dissertation
- Printed dissertation in four bound, typewritten copies and as a PDF file on a suitable data carrier
- Summary of the dissertation in the amount of no more than 7,000 charactersA written affidavit that the dissertation was written independently and that all sources and assistance used were noted in the dissertation
- A statement as to whether the dissertation has already been submitted in its current version or in another version or in parts at the Technical University of Dortmund or at another university in connection with a state or academic examination (this also applies to versions in other languages)
- Proof of successful completion of the structured doctoral program
Who? Doctoral student
When? Immediately after submission of the dissertation.
What is to be done?
- The secretary of the doctoral committee forwards a copy of the dissertation to each member of the examination committee and asks them to submit a review within 12 weeks
- Once all reviews have been received, they are forwarded to the entire examination committee and the doctoral candidate
Who? Secretary of the doctoral committee
When? After submission of the dissertation
What has to be done?
- The doctoral candidate contacts the members of examination committee to arrange a date for the defence
- The secretary of the doctoral committee must be informed immediately of the final disputation date
When coordinating the date of the disputation, please note that the announcement must be made at least 21 days before the oral examination, so that a display can take place in accordance with the applicable doctoral regulations.
Who? Doctoral candidate (in consultation with the examination board)
When? After receiving the reviews
What is to be done?
- The doctoral committee announces the date of the orla examination and the display of the dissertation thesis to the university public
- The display takes place in the dean's office (room 3.212)
Who? Secretary of the doctoral committee
When? On the agreed and announced date
What is to be done?
The doctoral candidate presents his / her dissertation and is then questioned by the examination committee. After the oral examination, the grade is announced and, if necessary, conditions are imposed, see PromO 2018, § 15 or PromO 2024, § 16
Who? Examination board; doctoral candidate
When? The minutes are written during the disputation
What is to be done?
- The minutes are prepared by the chairperson of the examination committee or a person appointed by him/her. He/she then forwards the minutes to the secretary of the doctoral committee
- The minutes are not intended to be passed on to the doctoral candidate
Who? Chairperson of the examination board
When? After receipt of the minutes
What is to be done?
- The secretary of the doctoral committee informs the doctoral candidate whether and which conditions/instructions have been recorded in the minutes
- If conditions need to be fulfilled, the doctoral candidate contacts the first supervisor
- The finalisation phase begins after the first supervisor has confirmed that the conditions have been fulfilled
Who? doctoral student
5. Completion of the Doctorate
When? After receiving the confirmation of the doctorate
What has to be done?
- The doctoral candidate submits the documents for the preparation of the certificate after being requested to do so by the doctoral committee
Which documents/information are required?
- current curriculum vitae
- cover sheet of the dissertation
- completed certificate form (please state the title of the Master's/Diploma thesis here)
- The reviews and the certificate of submission from the library are available to the doctoral committee and do not need to be sent again
Who? Doctoral candidate
When? After fulfillment of the requirements.
What is to be done? Publication online or through the university library, or publisher. Submission of three printed copies of the dissertation to the university library.
What documents/information are required?
- Certificate of submission must be sent to the dissertation committee
Who? Doctoral candidate
What is to be done? The doctoral candidate* receives the certificate and is allowed to wear and use the doctoral title from this point on.
Which documents/information are required?
- docotoral certificate
Who? Secretary of the doctoral committee