Doing a doctorate in Vechta

Since 2020, all faculties (I, II, III) have their own doctoral degree regulations with a few changes compared to the doctoral degree regulations in 2010.

You can submit a written application, which will be examined according to the new regulations. This applies if you started your doctorate in one of the faculties before 2020. You can find the relevant form on the download page under the item Doctorate_Regulations.

To access the doctoral degree regulations, please follow the button which will take you to our download page.

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”. In addition, as a rule 300 ECTS must be presented (exceptions are listed in the doctoral regulations § 4).

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). To do so, please contact us.

Sie können einen Antrag auf Zulassung zur Promotion entweder via E-Mail oder postalisch senden. Einen Antrag auf Promotion kann jederzeit gestellt werden.

The complete application for admission includes the following documents (you can only start your doctorate after we have received them):

1.  the completed Application for admission to doctoral studies and matriculation
2.  a complete curriculum vitae in table form officially certified copies of the certificates of the university degrees entitling you to a doctorate (Master's/Diploma/Magister)
3. Approving statement by a professor of the University of Vechta (usually the future supervisor)
4. Name(s) of the intended supervisor and, if applicable, of the second supervisor
5. In the case of a collaborative doctorate, please state the cooperating university (with department/institute and intended supervisor) (if applicable, a corresponding Cooperation agreement to regulate a cooperative doctorate must be concluded with this university in advance: Please get in touch with the Graduate Centre)
6. Description of the project (exposé) with the signature of the supervisor (instructions for writing in the appendix of the application for admission)
7. Declaration on pending or failed doctoral procedure
8. Declaration on the notice of the regulations for doctoral studies
9. Supervision agreement for doctoral candidates (this can be concluded with the supervisor up to two months after admission and submitted later for the file).

All these documents can be found on our download page, which you can reach by clicking on the button.

If your documents are all complete, and they meet all the requirements, you will be admitted to the doctorate in writing by the Doctoral Degree Representative of the respective faculty.

The doctoral degree regulations of the University of Vechta stipulate that you must be enrolled at the university for the duration of your doctorate, i.e. from the time you are accepted as a doctoral candidate until the time of the disputation. After admission to the doctoral programme, your application will automatically be forwarded to the Admissions Office. You will receive further information on enrolment from there, in particular on paying your semester fee. If nothing else has been noted in the application for admission, you will be enrolled in the current semester.