Pursuing a doctorate in Vechta

At the University of Vechta, you can currently pursue your doctorate according to the traditional model of the so-called Individualpromotion (individual doctorate). This means that you will be accompanied and supervised by a supervisor (Promotionsbetreuer*in, Doktorvater or Doktormutter) when working on your doctoral thesis topic.

In principle, you can choose both the topic of your research project and the supervisor. It is also possible to apply for doctoral positions.

On this page, you will find information on how to start your doctoral studies.

Doctoral studies at the University of Vechta require individual admission as soon as supervision begins. As part of the admissions process, the individual academic requirements for doctoral studies are examined, a doctoral thesis topic is agreed on the basis of a research proposal to be submitted and a supervision agreement is concluded. The period for writing the doctoral thesis is not limited.

In order to be able to pursue a doctorate at the University of Vechta, you usually have to have an above-average university degree (Master’s degree, Magister, Univ.-Diplom, 1. Staatsexamen (St.Ex.) Lehramt Sek. II/Gymnasium (first state examination for teaching at higher secondary schools) or a foreign degree recognised as comparable) with at least the grade “good”.

If you have another higher education degree (e.g., FH-Diplom (FH = Fachhochschule = university of applied sciences), 1. Staatsexamen für Lehramt Grund-, Haupt-, Realschule/Sek. I (first state examination for teaching at primary and lower secondary schools), you can apply for an entrance examination for doctoral studies (Section 5 of the Doctoral Degree Regulations). Please contact Dr Julia-Carolin Osada on this matter.

As a rule, entrance examinations for doctoral studies from other universities cannot be recognised.

For the duration of your doctoral studies, i.e., from your acceptance as a doctoral candidate until your disputation, you are obligatorily enrolled at the university. This means that you have to pay the semester fees and receive the associated benefits in return.

After admission to doctoral studies, your application will automatically be forwarded to the Admissions Office, which will provide you with further information on enrolment and payment of the semester fees.

In principle, the doctoral candidate has to bear the costs for the doctoral studies. The confirmation of supervision by a professor does not automatically mean that you will be paid for your doctoral studies or that you will also get a position.

Ideally, however, doctoral studies should take place in close cooperation with the supervisor directly at the university. There are so-called qualification positions for this purpose. The University of Vechta pays according to the collective agreement for the public sector of the federal states (TV-L), mostly in salary scale (E) 13, possibly also E 14 for post-docs. These are of course mostly fixed-term part-time positions (often limited to 3 years). Topping up to more working hours is possible by means of project-bound external funding or due to additional teaching duties.

You can find out about open doctoral positions under Stellenausschreibungen (vacancies) of the University of Vechta.

The Graduate Centre will advise you on further options for financing doctoral studies.