Those interested in a doctorate
How to start
As a university of applied sciences (HAW), the FH Aachen enables a very strong application orientation in research and for accompanying doctoral projects after successfully completing a Master's degree. The smaller number of doctoral students compared to large universities offers a more interdisciplinary exchange among each other and close supervision by the university's specialised professors.
The doctoral degree demonstrates the ability to work independently and in depth.
In future, there will be two options for doing a doctorate at the FH Aachen following the Master's degree:
- The doctorate in a structured doctoral programme according to the own doctoral law of the doctoral college NRW (PK NRW). Registration will probably be possible from spring 2023.
- The doctorate in cooperation with a university/university entitled to award doctorates (cooperative doctorate).
Both ways of doing a doctorate combine theory and application-oriented research in an excellent way.
FAQ | Basic questions and answers about doing a doctorate at the FH Aachen
A doctorate is a time-, cost- and labour-intensive project. The decision to do a doctorate is therefore a fundamental one. A doctorate is usually a prerequisite for an academic university career in teaching and research. How meaningful a doctorate is depends decisively on your career goals.
In the following, we provide you with assistance and information on the "path to a doctorate".
What is a doctorate? What types of doctorates are available at FH Aachen?
A doctorate is the award of the academic doctoral degree with the completion of the doctoral examination process. The doctoral examination process provides proof of the ability to work independently and scientifically. The traditional doctorate (presentation of research results in a monograph) differs from the cumulative doctorate (publication of partial results in publications already during the doctoral phase). At universities of applied sciences (HAWs), i.e. also at FH Aachen, you will in future be able to do both a cooperative doctorate and a doctorate via the NRW doctoral college.
The cooperative doctorate is currently still the most common. Those interested in doing a doctorate look for a professorial supervisor at the FH Aachen and at a university in Germany or abroad. The dissertation is written in a self-organised manner and is usually subject to the doctoral regulations at the university.
In the near future, the doctorate will also be possible via the PK NRW. At the beginning, you will also have to look for a professorial supervisor at the FH Aachen, who must be a member of the PK NRW in order to be able to supervise doctoral projects.
The FH Aachen supports its doctoral students during their doctorate with a doctoral programme consisting of qualification and support offers.
Should I do a doctorate?
You should consider the following before initiating a PhD project:
- Are you enthusiastic about the research/subject area?
- Do you have a high interest in research?
- Do you like to work scientifically and independently?
- Do you aspire to a scientific career?
- Is a doctoral degree helpful in a career in the private sector?
What are the requirements and prerequisites for a doctorate? How do I start the doctorate?
The requirements for a doctorate result from the doctoral regulations of a university or (in future) the corresponding subject group in the PK NRW. As a rule, you must provide proof of an academic degree at Master's level. Some doctoral regulations stipulate milestones during the doctoral project, e.g. in the form of proof of qualifications or the publication of research results.
With the doctorate, the degree, the ability to work independently and in depth scientifically is demonstrated. The doctorate is already initiated independently. A doctorate is a long-term project. The duration of the doctoral project essentially depends on the individual conditions, the type of doctorate and the subject.
Requirements for a doctoral project: Above-average Master's degree or comparable in a subject/research area related to the planned doctoral topic and a pronounced interest in research.
Initiation of the doctoral project:
- Contact a potential supervising professor at the FH Aachen in your field of research.
- In the case of a cooperative doctorate, you will need a doctoral supervisor (professor) at a university with the right to award doctorates. In the case of a doctorate via the PK NRW, you will be supervised by Prof. of the Section.
- In the case of a doctorate via the PK NRW, you should also register in the Section in which your supervising prof. is a member. Furthermore, you have to register in the doctoral programme at the FH Aachen in order to be able to officially register for the doctoral project at the PK NRW afterwards.
- Doctoral topic in consultation with the supervising professor(s).
- Employment at the FH Aachen (exception: industrial doctorate), which primarily provides the doctoral environment (enclosures, laboratories, HiWis, locking authorisation, workplace, etc.). Financing: During the doctorate, both living and research expenses must be financed.
In the case of a cooperative doctorate, the access rules result from the doctoral regulations of the respective university / faculty; in the case of a doctorate via the Doctoral College NRW, they result from the doctoral regulations of the sections or the framework doctoral regulations.
Financing a doctorate
In addition to living costs, the doctoral project involves expenses for semester fees, publication costs, conference travel and more.
In addition to financing through a position at the university or in industry, it is possible to apply for doctoral or research scholarships. The advantage of scholarships is the focus on the doctorate and the research project during the usually three-year term. In Germany, there are 13 funding organisations that award scholarships to students and doctoral candidates. With their non-material and financial support, the BMBF-supported organisations for the promotion of the gifted contribute to the development of highly qualified and responsible individuals who give something back to society.
Click on the following link to find out more about funding a doctorate:
Initiation of a cooperative doctorate
You have been asked by your professor whether you are interested in doing a doctorate. Or you have already developed ideas for a doctoral topic with your final thesis. The doctoral topic is usually related to your Master's programme. After considering a research topic, you should contact a professor to discuss whether he or she will supervise the doctorate. If the supervising professor agrees to supervise your doctoral project, you should look for a university professor for the research project in the case of a cooperative doctorate. The personal network of the FH supervisor can be helpful here. If all parties agree to start the research project, this should be recorded in a supervision agreement.
