Application for admission to the department

The departments specify admission requirements in their doctoral degree regulations. In principle, the following are required

• a qualifying degree
• a suitable topic for the dissertation that follows on from the degree course
• Supervision at the department (“supervision commitment” or “supervision agreement”)

Find out what other information and documents are required for admission from the doctoral offices of the departments.

Please note that admission to a doctoral program does not anticipate admission to the doctorate by the department. The application and selection procedure of the program and the admission procedure at the department are independent of each other.

You may apply and be admitted at any time. However, you should bear in mind that the relevant departmental doctoral committees do not meet regularly during the lecture-free periods between mid-February and mid-April and between mid-July and mid-October and that delays may therefore occur.

Acceptance by the department

The doctoral board of the respective department decides whether the necessary requirements for admission to doctoral research have been met.

Please note: Admission to a doctorate at a department of Freie Universität does not include any commitment to finance the doctoral thesis or to provide a doctoral position.

Once you have been admitted by the department, you must enrol as a doctoral researcher at the Enrollment Office. Employees of Freie Universität are requested to enroll, but are not obliged to do so.