Staying motivated: Collaborative working times and disputation training
- Collaborative working times for doctoral researchers (Doctoral Researcher Council): daily zoom time slots from Mon-Thur to work on your to-do list in focused working sessions but also exchange thoughts and ideas with your peers
- Get S*** Done Days at the Bischofsvilla in Konstanz (Doctoral Researcher Council): monthly working time in a group to get (postponed) work done, for a change of routines, at the cosy Bischofsvilla next to river Rhine
- Writing groups for doctoral researchers of the social sciences and humanities (Academic Staff Development)
Contact: Dr. Julia Breitbach-Brunner - Engage in the brown bag series (every semester) for disputation training
Formalities: Initiating the doctoral examination process with the Central Examination Office
For officially handing-in your dissertation, you need to submit an application for initiating the doctoral examination process ("Antrag auf Eröffnung des Promotionsverfahrens") with the Central Examination Office of the university.
The procedure of the official doctoral examination process is determined by the doctoral regulations of the University of Konstanz. It includes procedural steps and deadlines, like e.g. on applying and submitting the dissertation, providing references by the supervisors, inspection periods of the dissertation/reports (2 weeks) after submission of all of the supervisors' reports, oral exam.
For the entire procedure, please reserve several months.
In general, doctoral students of graduation programmes need to stay enrolled until they have accomplished their last exam (usually the oral exam).
Important:
Book a personal appointment with the Central Examination Office LATEST 8 weeks before submitting your application to initiate the doctoral examination process!
Responsibilities: Central Examination Office
Responsibility doctoral examination process / Central Examination Office: Frau Matzner
Application for initiating the doctoral examination process
Here you can find the application form and a list of the documents that you need to hand in with your application.
Please note: We recommend you to check the list fairly early in advance so that you have enough time to prepare the documents. Only complete application files will be processed.
Academic title
In political science, you may choose between the Doctor of Social Sciences (Dr. rer. soc.) and the Doctor of Politics and Public Administration (Dr. rer. pol.). In general, the title "Dr. rer. soc." is awarded. On request, you may also be awarded the title "Dr. rer. pol.". Please talk to your supervisor about the pros and cons of both options. The potential titles you may choose from are defined in the specific regulations of the disciplines provided by the doctoral regulations of the GSBS. It is in the "Application for initiating the doctoral examination process" where you need to choose the title of the doctoral degree that you would like to pursue.
Time schedule and deadlines
The Doctoral Regulations include binding deadlines, e.g. for the inspection of the dissertation and references of the supervisors (2 weeks). The oral exam can be scheduled earliest two weeks after the inspection period, latest after eight weeks.
Recommended time frame for scheduling your graduation/doctoral examination process:
Graduation during the winter term (mid-Feb): apply early in October
Graduation during the summer term (end of July): apply early in April
Graduation certificate in English language
The university will issue the doctoral graduation certificate in German. You can apply for getting an additional version in English language.
Residence Permit for non-EU Citizens
If you are a non-EU citizen holding a residence permit for doctoral studies, it is recommendable if you extend your residence permit until you have done your oral exam. Alternatively, re-entering Germany for the oral exam is also possible. Please consult options with the Welcome Centre.
Financial support when completing your PhD
- Expenses for proof-reading of publications that are not written in your mother tongue: ECR support fund, research allowance (independent doctoral researchers), project funding (excluding chapters of your dissertations, e.g. introduction, discussion, abstract)
- Financing your position: Bridge Fellowship of the Cluster, Dissertation Completion Grand of the Committee on Research (AFF)
- Unforeseen hardship: Hardship Fund
Please note:
Any expenses related exclusively to the dissertation, as e.g. printing costs, have to be covered by private funds. These expenses cannot be covered by Cluster funds.
Whether you go for a postdoc position or a job outside of academia: The Academic Staff Development supports you in the decision-making process with workshops and individual career counselling. Application check, mock interviews and counselling for application strategies are available at the Career Service.