Paperwork at Technical University Braunschweig

You need the acceptance as a PhD student by a professor of the Technical University Braunschweig.

You need to be enrolled as a PhD student at the Technical University Braunschweig.

After 1 April 2007 the Faculty is named "Fakultät für Elektrotechnik, Informationstechnik, Physik". The dean is Prof. Dr. Jochen Litterst.

The office of the dean is in Hans-Sommer-Str. 66, 38106 Braunschweig. New home page http://www.tu-braunschweig.de/physik.

PhD matters are handled by Mrs. Zottmann, Tel.: 0531-391-5250, office hours: Mon-Thu 10:00-12:00.

Acceptance of a non-German university degree by the Faculty

At the beginning of their PhD studies, students with a foreign university degree need the acceptance of their university degree by the Faculty. For that you have to file an application to the Dean. Here is a sample letter in LaTeX/pdfLaTeX.

Together with this application the following documents must be enclosed:

Curriculum vitae
Certified copy of you high school diploma
official translation (if not in German or English)
Certified copy of your Master degree together with grades
official translation (if not in German or English)
Letter of your university supervisor of support during your PhD studies
If applicable, evidence of your knowledge of the German language
(not necessary if your supervisor agrees that you write and defend your thesis in English)
If available, comments of the International Office (see below)

Further provide the title and a summary of your PhD project. You can submit your application via your university professor.

Evaluation of a non-German university degree by the International Office

You can assist the above process by asking the International Office to check the equivalence of your foreign university degree in advance. Write an email to phd@tu-braunschweig.de with

Title of your Master degree (English translation and original language)
Name of the university where the degree was acquired (English translation and original language)
Year in which the degree was awarded
Please indicate also whether you have completed a thesis as part of your attained qualifications and state its length.

You may send a scanned copy of your degree together with this email.

Submission of a PhD thesis

Please check the "Promotionsordnung" (doctoral degree regulations) of the Faculty for all details.

Before submission of the PhD thesis, get the approval of your supervisors. Also choose the doctoral committee members and the referees of your thesis with the help of your university supervisor. Further get the agreement of all committee members and of the referees and hand in your

Suggestions for the members of the doctoral committee and of the referees of the thesis (see form attached to the doctoral degree regulations or PDF scan)

at the dean's office at least four weeks before submission.

If you plan the defense in English language, you need the signed agreement of your committee members, and ask accordingly for allowance in your application to the Dean.

For the submission of your PhD thesis you need the following papers:

Application to the Dean (sample letter)
Curriculum vitae (including publications not related to the thesis, signed)
List of pre-publications and presentations of parts of the thesis (see appendix 4 of the doctoral degree regulations, signed by the supervisor)
Certified copy of your high school diploma
official translation (if not in German or English)
Certified copy of your university degree
official translation (if not in German or English)
"amtliches Führungszeugnis (Belegart N)" = certificate issued by the police that the holder has no criminal record; not older than 1 year; apply for it at the "Einwohnermeldeamt" (Government Office for Registration of Residents) at least 2 months in advance
Foreigners only: passport (in original) and xerox copy of passport
Four glued copies of the PhD thesis in A4 with prescribed title page format (see appendices 1 and 2 in doctoral degree regulations),
if applicable a list of pre-publications and presentations (unsigned) after the title page,
and the curriculum vitae (unsigned) as last page,
one-sided printing
"Eidesstattliche Erklärung" = dissertation declaration form (see appendix 3 in doctoral degree regulations or PDF scan)
Suggestions for the members of the doctoral committee and of the referees of the thesis (if not already done, see above), (see form attached to the doctoral degree regulations or PDF scan)
Letter of your supervisor, signed by all members of the doctoral committee, about their agreement of the defense held in English language (see above)

Ask already for the form of the defense date.

Defense of a PhD thesis

After acceptance of the PhD thesis, the date of the defense will be agreed upon the committee members and the form of the defense date, signed by all committee members, needs to be send to the Faculty.

The disputation is open to the public. It consists of a 30 minutes presentation of the PhD thesis by the candidate, followed by a colloquium of about 45 minutes. During the colloquium the candidate shall proof a solid knowledge of the field of research, of related fields, and of modern developments.

The result of the disputation is announced to the candidate thereafter by the chairperson of the doctoral committee.

Publication of a PhD thesis

The PhD thesis must be published within 1 year after the defense. Only minor corrections like typographical errors and mistakes are allowed. The supervisor has to agree to the revised version by signing a revision paper "Revisionsschein". There are various options of publication, see "Hinweise" page 4, attached to the doctoral degree regulations.

The PhD document, dated with the day of the defense, is handed over after publication of the thesis. Only then you are allowed to use your doctor title.