Obtaining a Doctorate in Saxony-Anhalt

• 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.

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.

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)