Milestone I - Admission to the doctoral program
You may apply for admission to the doctoral programme once you meet the following requirements:
- A qualifying university degree with a final grade of at least 2.5 (German grading system) or an equivalent qualification
- A defined research topic
- Supervision by a professor at Hochschule Geisenheim University
- Secured funding for your doctoral project
Additional requirements for applicantes with international university degrees
If you obtained your university degree outside Germany, your academic qualifications must be assessed and formally recognized before admission to the doctoral programme. Certified translations of your documents will also be required.
Please note: We recommend applying for degree recognition through the Doctoral Office as early as possible, as the evaluation process may take several months in individual cases.
Language requirements
Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in German or English at CEFR level B2 (recommended: C1).
Accepted proof of English proficiency includes, for example:
- an English-taught degree or qualification from an English-speaking country,
- recognised language certificates (e.g. TOEFL iBT ≥ 80, IELTS ≥ 6.0, Cambridge FCE, UNIcert II),
- or equivalent evidence of English language proficie
How to apply
Please contact the Doctoral Office and submit your application for admission to the Doctoral Committee. We recommend applying at the beginning of your doctoral project, but no later than within the first six months after commencing your research.
Which Doctoral Path Is Right for You?
At Hochschule Geisenheim University, you can choose between two doctoral pathways. Depending on your research project, you may pursue your doctorate in cooperation with one of our partner universities or with a university of your choice.
You will be supervised by a professor at Hochschule Geisenheim University. A second supervisor will be appointed by either Justus Liebig University Giessen or Philipps University Marburg.
The doctoral examination procedure is governed by the doctoral regulations of the respective partner university.
Upon successful completion, you will receive a joint doctoral certificate issued by the participating institutions.
You will be supervised by a professor at Hochschule Geisenheim University. The second reviewer is a professor at a university of your choice, including international options.
The doctoral examination procedure is carried out in cooperation with the participating university.
Upon successful completion, you will receive a doctoral certificate from Hochschule Geisenheim University indicating the involvement of the cooperating university.
Milestone II - Research Phase
Seeking a doctoral degree is a challenging adventure that requires good planning, discipline and a huge amount of time. That is why rights and responsibilities should be respected right from the start. The general legal framework for pursuing a doctorate is outlined in the doctoral regulations.
Milestone III - Examination Process
Congratulations! Once the dissertation is finished, has been scrutinized together with the supervisor and all other requirements within Graduate School have been fulfilled and documented in FIS as well, you are ready to take one of the final steps of your doctoral journey.
The following documents have to be submitted to the Doctoral Office:
- Request letter including the title, type and language of dissertation
- Names and contact details of first and second reviewers as well as nomination of a third external reviewer
- Confirmation of Graduate School regarding mandatory attendance record and FIS documentation
- Application/disclosure of bibliographical data of scientific contributions for approval of a publication- / manuscript-based dissertation
- Information and proof of first authorship
- 8 hard copies of your dissertation as well as one digital copy (data stick)
The three reviewers are asked to assess the dissertation within two months of its submission.
Once all reviews are received, the Doctoral Office will inform all parties involved of the reviews and proposed grades.
In case of a positive grading the display phase begins. Otherwise, the Doctoral regulations will come into effect.
Once the three reviewers recommend that the dissertation be accepted, it shall be available for reading to academic members of Hochschule Geisenheim University at the Doctoral Office for three weeks (within the semester) and six weeks (partially or completely outside the semester). These entitled academic members of Hochschule Geisenheim University - and, if applicable, the respective academic faculty of the partner university - may at their own discretion submit an additional unsolicited review within the specific period. Such a review will have no influence on the grading, but must be taken into account by the Examination Committee. The doctoral student must be granted access to read the reviews prior to the oral defense.
In accordance with the doctoral regulations, only the doctoral student, the supervisors and members of the Doctoral Committee of Hochschule Geisenheim University or - in case of a doctorate with a partner university - the academic faculty of the partner university are entitled to inspect both the dissertation and the reviews.
! Upon the end of the display phase and receipt of all reviews, the doctoral student must file a written request for scheduling the oral defense and for the appointment of the Examination Committee.
Upon written request of the doctoral student and after proposal of the Chair, the Doctoral Committee shall appoint the Examination Committee - in accordance with the partner university, if applicable.
After the Committee Chair has set a date for the oral defense, it shall be announced to all members of the university.
ORAL DEFENSE
In general, an oral defense takes 90 minutes. The doctoral student starts with a 30-minute presentation of the dissertation. The following oral examination – which may last up to 60 minutes - focuses primarily on questions relating to the research topic and its latest developments. Moreover, the discussion may also be extended to include issues related to the research topic.
This is also an opportunity to take up any remarks, questions or criticism mentioned in the reviews.
After the defense, the Examination Committee assesses the candidate's performance in a closed session and informs the doctoral student of the result and the grade.
The Examination Committee also decides if any corrections or amendments have to be made to the dissertation before publication. If no corrections are required, the Chair of the Examination Committee or a delegated member of the Committee authorizes the printing. If amendments or corrections have to be made, permission for printing is issued after submission of a revised version.
Upon successful completion of the doctoral studies, the dissertation has to be published. This is a prerequisite for awarding the doctoral certificate entitling the doctoral student to bear the respective academic title. The deadline for publication of the dissertation is one year from the date of examination. This deadline has to be met under all circumstances.
Depending on the type of publication selected, the number of required copies to be submitted may vary (10 copies on average). The series “Geisenheimer Berichte” supports doctoral students in Geisenheim to publish their work quickly and in a high-profile manner.
Alternatively, all doctoral students have the opportunity to publish their dissertation electronically. Comprehensive information can be found on the OPUS Geisenheim webpage.
If, for publication purposes in a journal, publication series or book, changes have to be made in a dissertation that has already been accepted (e.g. texts have to be shortened or extended), prior approval of the supervisor(s) and the Doctoral Committee must be obtained.
