The opening of the doctoral procedure is the time of submission of the dissertation to the office and the appointment of the examination committee and the reviewers by the doctoral committee.
- For questions concerning doctoral studies please contact the Doctoral Committee Office.
- Please note the editorial deadline two weeks prior of the relevant meeting of the doctoral committee.
What happens after the opening?
After the opening, the reviewers are each sent a copy of the dissertation. They have eight weeks to submit a review. If the last review is received and all reviews are positive, the chair of the examination committee will be tasked with finding a date for the defense. You will then be informed that the dissertation has been accepted and that a date is being sought for the defense.
Information on the procedure for the disputation can be found in § 9 of the doctoral degree regulations.
* only German version legally binding: Doctoral degree regulations (German version below)
Documents to be submitted
When applying for the opening of the doctoral procedure, you must submit the following documents to the office of the Faculty's Doctoral Committee in accordance with § 7 para. 1 of the Doctoral Degree Regulations.
- Supervision agreement
- Notification of the intention to promote
- Copies of university certificates
- Seven copies of a curriculum vitae in tabular form
- Application for the opening of a doctoral procedure
- Five copies of the dissertation and a digital version
- Seven copies of a scientific summary with the name and title of the dissertation and a digital version
- A list of manuscripts or other scientific achievements published or accepted for publication, including available assessments
- A certified copy of the degree certificate in accordance with § 4 para. 1
- A declaration in lieu of an oath that the thesis has not previously been submitted to any other university and was completed independently and exclusively with the specified resources
- Proof of fulfillment of the requirements according to doctoral degree regulations § 4 para. 3
- Proof of participation in at least one one-semester doctoral seminar
- Proof of enrollment as a doctoral student
- Police clearance certificate if the doctoral candidate has been exmatriculated for more than three months or is not in public service
- A copy of a generally understandable summary in German
Please note the editorial deadline of the relevant meeting of the doctoral committee.
Completion of the doctoral procedure
After the disputation, the doctoral procedure is discussed at the next meeting of the doctoral committee and a recommendation to conclude the doctoral procedure is made to the Dean. You will receive a notification with the request to publish the dissertation. The certificate is issued and signed by the President of the University and the Dean of the Faculty.
As soon as the signed certificate is available at the office, you will receive a message that the certificate can be collected. The certificate will only be handed over once the dissertation has been published and the revision certificate has been received.
Notes on the publication of the dissertation
A certificate may only be issued if the dissertation has been published (Section 11 of the Doctoral Degree Regulations). The title may not be used without a certificate. Publication takes place by means of an electronic version, which must also be submitted to the University Library.
Contact
Sabine Wagner
Doctoral Committee Office
Phone: +49 331 5509-220
Fax: +49 331 5509-229
Mail: office-promotionsausschuss@hpi.de
Important links
- Doctoral regulation of the Digital Engineering Faculty (German Version)
- Doctoral regulations (English Translation – only the German version is legally binding
- Meetings of the doctoral committee
- DFG: "Notes on questions of bias"
- UP: “Self-control in science - rules to ensure good scientific practice at the University of Potsdam”
- DFG: “Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice”
Last change: 19/09/2024, Geronimo Förster