Official Steps in the Doctoral Programme

The topic of the doctoral thesis has to be approved by the directorate of studies within the first year.* The approval is based on the research proposal (EN) | Exposé (GE) and its public presentation at the faculty. The public presentation serves a twofold purpose:

1. new doctoral candidates and their research projects are introduced to the faculty.
2. the presentation is supposed to offer all attendants a platform for exchange and feedback.

The public presentation is chaired by the director of studies and supervisors. They provide feedback to the projects and evaluate whether it meets the scientific standards and if it can be realized successfully in a reasonable timeframe.

Please note that the public presentation of the doctoral thesis project is the precondition for the approval of the topic. If your presentation was successful, your topic and the supervisor(s) usually get approved by the directorate of studies right after the presentation.

If your topic is not approved you have the possibility to recall your application, adapt your research proposal and reapply for the approval of your topic.

*Timeframes may vary.

Within the first year of doctoral study, researchers prepare a written research proposal/exposé, which will be the base for a public presentation at the department. The purpose of the proposal is to give a good impression of the research to be expected, determine the goals, lend the project some context, and provide a roadmap for its successful and timely completion.

General information on research proposals

Modalities of research proposal in philosophy, templates and registration

Within the first year of stuides, a doctoral researcher give a public presentation at the faculty (EN) | Fakultätsöffentliche Präsentation (FÖP) (GE) based on the research proposal. 

1. The FÖP allows the Director of Doctoral Studies to approve the continuation of the doctoral project.
2. The FÖP is an opportunity to present your projects to other members of the department, receive feedback, and engage in constructive discussion of key aspects.

Formal requirements of public presentations

• Up to 10 minutes of presentation
• Up to 20 minutes Q&A
• Present in English or German

After passing the FÖP, a doctoral thesis agreement (DTA) is made between the doctoral researcher, their supervisor(s), and the Director of Doctoral Studies. This agreement formalizes the commitments and responsibilities of each party.

General information on DTA

Information on Philosophy DTA

Counting the submission of the DTA as the starting point, you must submit an report on your progress every year. This report is also used to make amendments to the DTA (e.g. the distribution of ECTs). For practical reasons, we also ask researchers to apply for recognition of courses, conferences and other ECTs-related activities when submitting these reports.

General information on Annual Progress Report

Information on Philosophy Annual Progress Report