PhD Programme at the QUEST Leibniz Research School

These steps are at the beginning of the work on your dissertation. The most important preconditions are a work theme and an academic supervisor. If you are interested in a doctoral thesis at QUEST Leibniz Research School, you should inform yourself about possible topics on the institute pages or the pages of Graduate Advancement and directly contact possible supervisors.

Candidates who wish to submit their thesis and to apply for conferment of the doctoral degree must have been admitted as doctoral researchers for at least three months before submission of the dissertation. Doctoral students should enrol as doctoral students (§ 9 Paragraph 2 Sentence 4 of the NHG).

Details on acceptance as a doctoral candidate and supervision can be found in §3 to §5 of the doctoral regulations.

You will find a list of the documents and prepared forms required for the admission application here:

• Application for Admission
• Supervision Agreement for Doctoral Students of the QUEST-LFS
• Supervision Agreement for Doctoral Students of the QUEST-LFS and DQ-mat
• Insurance coverage for Doctoral Students (circular letter, German)

If all preconditions are fulfilled, the faculty will begin the examination of your thesis upon submission. Concurrently, referees and examiners as well as the chairmanship of the examining board are determined. Your supervisor should suggest the referees, the examining board and also suggest possible dates and rooms for your examination.

Details on acceptance as a doctoral candidate and supervision can be found in §7 to §13 of the doctoral regulations.

You will find a list of the documents and prepared forms required for the application for a doctorate here:

• Application for Doctorate - German

In general the reports should be available six weeks after the application of disclosure. The dissertation and the reports will be displayed last at least two weeks.

Directly after the oral doctoral examination or disputation, the chairperson informs the doctoral candidate about the results and hands out a temporary certificate on the results.

The publication of the approved final version of the thesis within one year after the passed oral doctoral examination or disputation is obligatory. Details on the publication of dissertations can be found on the websites of the TIB. Within two weeks after handing in, the TIB normally issues a confirmation and sends it to the QUEST-LFS.

The degree is conferred by handing over or delivery of the PhD certificate. This is possible after the publication of the dissertation. It is only afterwards that the doctoral candidate has the right to lead the doctorate Dr. rer. nat..