Obtaining a Doctorate in Saxony-Anhalt

 

 

What is a Doctorate?

  • A doctorate is characterized by:

    · "the own, independent and original research achievement that contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the respective field. [...] The objective of the doctoral phase is to deepen the own independent scientific work. Learning good practice in scientific work, on the other hand, is part of previous studies [...]."

    (translated from: Wissenschaftsrat 2011: Anforderungen an die Qualitätssicherung der Promotion - Positionspapier des Wissenschaftsrates, p. 8)

    The doctorate consists of a written and an oral performance:

    · The dissertation

    · The disputation

    Dissertation:

    At the Doctoral Centers, you complete your doctorate either:

    o Monographically: A monograph is a coherent, ‘large’ piece of academic work, or

    o Cumulatively: Several closely related publications in internationally recognized journals, and a framework text that links the publications together.

    Disputation:

    · The oral examination includes:

    o Presentation of the dissertation to a broad audience.

    o Defense in front of a doctoral panel.

    o At some universities, the examination goes beyond defending the doctoral thesis and also examines the content of graduate courses.

    o Note: At the Doctoral Centers, the examination is only about defending the doctoral thesis.

    After the disputation:

    · Candidates immediately receive their overall weighted grade, composed of:

    o Grade for the dissertation

    o Grade for the disputation

    · This concludes the doctoral procedure.

    Final step – publication:

    · To be officially awarded the doctorate, the dissertation must be published.

Why Pursue a Doctorate?

Before you start your doctoral project, ask yourself:

· What are your reasons for doing a doctorate?

· What motivation lies behind them?

→ Talk to your supervisor, your family and friends to discuss these questions together to gain clarity and realistic expectations.

Possible Reasons for doing a Doctorate:

· For better career prospects and a better salary

· To have the title

· To gain time after graduation because you don't yet know your career plans

· To learn and research

· To create knowledge and change the world

(Taken from: Noeske, Rott, Hille 2023: Survival Guide Wissenschaft. (Über-)Lebenstipps für akademische Karrieren. Berlin: Springer.)

Important Reflections:

· Some of these reasons are stronger than others.

· If your only goal is to have “Dr.” on your business card, the path will likely be very long and difficult.

· You should genuinely enjoy doing research to stay motivated during the process.

How to obtain a Doctorate?

At Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, you can only pursue an individual doctoral path. This means that you plan and carry out your doctorate individually with your supervisor.

There are no structured doctoral programs, i.e. completing courses with credit points, at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences.

You can do your doctorate at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences in two ways:

  • At a Doctoral Center: Since May 2021, universities of applied sciences in Saxony-Anhalt have been able to independently guide early career researchers to a doctoral degree. Five Doctoral Centers (PZ) were founded for this purpose. Only the professors who are members of these PZs are allowed to supervise doctorates independently of other universities. At Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, there is the Doctoral Center Environment & Technology and the cross-university Doctoral Center Social, Health and Economic Sciences in cooperation with Anhalt, Harz and Merseburg Universities of Applied Sciences. Professors who are not members of a PZ can only supervise doctoral candidates via a cooperative doctorate with a university.
  • Cooperative with a university: This means that the first supervisor, i.e. a professor, works at a university.. The second supervisor works at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences. These doctoral students are bound to the doctoral regulations of the first supervisor’s university und of the respective doctoral committee. However, you can still enroll at our university and participate in the trainings for doctoral students (of which most are in German)

Enrolling at the Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences

Doctoral students can enroll at our University of Applied Sciences. Click here for more information:

Information on enrollment for doctoral students

Application for enrollment for doctoral students

Offers for doctoral candidates

Offers for all doctoral candidates, like workshops und consultations, of the Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences can be found here.

Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to not  miss anything.

General information

 

Financing your doctorate

There are several ways to finance your doctorate: 

  • with a scholarship

Be aware that the application process can take several months. German language skills are an asset or even a requirement for some scholarships.

more information on scholarships including scholarship databases

  • working in a research project connected to your doctorate

One way of starting a career as a doctoral researcher is to apply for a doctoral job vacancy in a research project. You can find such job postings on the websites of the respective universities and in job databases, like the PhDGermany Database.

  • working in a job outside of academia

Working full-time is possible for pursuing a doctorate but demands very high levels of discipline and devotion. It is recommendable to work part-time.

Please be aware that the Doctoral Centers do not provide jobs or financing.

 

Planning your stay in Germany

Visas

· Prospective doctoral students from the EU, the European Economic Area, or Switzerland can pursue their doctorate in Germany without needing a residence permit.  

· All other prospective doctoral students need to fulfill certain criteria for a visa, such as:  

o  Having an employment contract in Germany, or  

o  Providing proof of a scholarship  

 Note: Since the Doctoral Centers do not offer a structured doctoral program, applying for a study visa is not possible 

Be aware that acquiring a visa can take several months.

more information on visas for Germany

You want to bring your family for your stay in Germany? Find more information here

 

Living in Germany

  • Find some general information on accommodation, family life, healthcare, insurances and more here.
  • Planning to move to Magdeburg? Visit the Magdeburg Welcome Service for:

    o Tips on planning your arrival

    o Guidance for the first weeks

    o What happens afterwards

Doctoral Centers at the Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences

Social, Health and Economic Sciences

of the Universities of applied sciences Magdeburg-Stendal, Anhalt, Harz and Merseburg

learn more

Environment and Technology

at the Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences
 

learn more

Doctoral Centers at other Universities of applied sciences

Engineering and Information Technologies

of the Universities of applied sciences Anhalt, Harz and Merseburg

learn more

Life Sciences

of the University of Applied Sciences Anhalt

learn more

Architecture and Design Research

of the University of Applied Sciences Anhalt

learn more

Contact Persons

Contact details

Coordinator Doctoral Center Social, Health and Economic Sciences
Josephin Winkler

Phone: 0049 3931 2187 3812

E-Mail: josephin.winkler(at)h2.de

Address: Stendal, Osterburger Str. 25, House 3, Room 1.18

Make an appointment for a consultation here.

Consultation hours via phone for doctoral students and interested persons:
Mondays 12:00 - 13:00, Central European Time
Wednesdays 11:00 - 12:00, Central European Time

Time Zone Converter [external link]

You can also make an individual appointment for a Zoom meeting.

Coordinator Doctoral Center Environment and Technology

Kerstin Taenzer

Tel.: 0049 391 886 49 92
E-Mail: kerstin.taenzer@h2.de

Address: Forschungs- und Entwicklungszentrum FEZ, Breitscheidstr. 51, 39114 Magdeburg, Room 3.02

Make an appointment for a consultation here.

Hintergrund Bild