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Graduate Centre

Finding a supervisor and the supervision agreement

To find a first supervisor (usually a professor or a Privatdozentin or Privatdozent, a senior lecturer without a permanent teaching contract), this is what you first need to know:

  • what topic you would like to work on
  • which person at which university would be suitable to supervise your topic
  • You can use online search engines to find institutes that might be suitable for you:

http://www.hochschulkompass.de/

https://www.daad.de/deutschland/promotion/phd/de/13306-phdgermany-datenbank/

http://www.research-explorer.de/research_explorer.en.html

  Write to the person(s) who might be supervise you and include the following information:

  • who you are
  • what you intend to work on (for example, in the form of an abstract)
  • why you would like this professor to supervise you

Often, doctoral candidates choose a professor they already know from their studies as their supervisor. However, it is also possible, for example, to find a supervisor at another university. (In this case, however, you will usually be pursuing your doctorate at that university and no longer in Vechta).

New Doctoral Degree Regulations of the Faculties, I, II and III - Regulation with regard to the second assessor

  1.  In the Doctoral Degree Regulations of 2010, you may also propose the second supervisor. The second supervisor is then considered the second assessor and is part of the Doctoral Degree Committee.
  2. In the new Doctoral Degree Regulations of all the Faculties, this is no longer possible. If you have a second supervisor, you cannot suggest them as an assessor. The Doctoral Degree Committee will assign the assessor to a professor or Privatdozentin or Privatdozent

Inter-university cooperation

It is also possible to apply for a joint doctoral procedure within the framework of an inter-university cooperation. In this case, you must complete a cooperation agreement and submit it with the application. As a rule, the initial supervision is by a professor or a Privatdozentin or Privatdozent at the University of Vechta. In justified exceptional cases, the initial supervision can also be carried out by a professor or a Privatdozentin or Privatdozent at the cooperating institution. For professors from universities without their own right to award doctorates, this only applies if they have demonstrated relevant academic achievements, which must be determined by the doctoral supervisor or, in cases of doubt, by the doctoral council. In this case, a second supervisor must be appointed by the University of Vechta ("tandem supervision"). The second supervisor participates in the agreement of the doctoral thesis topic. A supervisor who does not belong to the University of Vechta is equal to a supervisor of the University of Vechta in all phases of the doctoral procedure.

What happens after the supervisor has given their consent?

Supervision agreement for doctoral candidates

Within two months after admission, a supervision agreement must be concluded between the doctoral candidate and the supervisor(s).

This regulates the basic matters and agreements for the planned doctoral project and thus creates binding force for both sides:

  • doctoral candidate
  • supervisor

Important regulation requirements are:

  • Scheduling
  • Access to data and premises
  • Form and intensity of support
  • Exchange of information on the progress of the work

The original copy of the agreement is kept in the doctoral file by the university. If several copies are submitted, each side of the agreement will be provided with an original copy for its own records.

For the necessary documents, please follow the button below this text.