Frequently Asked Questions
Regulations 2006 vs. 2020
| Regulations 2006 | Regulations 2020 |
|---|---|
| Dr. rer nat. / Dr. sc. ed. (Didaktik) | Dr. rer. nat. / Ph.D. |
Papers and manuskripts can be included in cumulative dissertations only. This requires an application submitted at least 4 month before submission of the Thesis. | Publications (published and accepted) and manuscripts (but no reviews) can be included in any dissertation. This needs to be discussed with the Thesis Advisory Committee (GradSchool members) or all supervisors (non-GradSchool members). |
| A cumulative dissertation requires application. | A thesis is considered cumulative as of 3 included publications. |
| A summary in German and in English is required | A summary in German or in English is required. |
Included publications remain part of the public dissertation (the doctoral student needs to clarify the copy right regulations). | Upon publications of the dissertation, included papers can be replaced by literature references. |
| Supervisors usually are reviewers. | Supervisors can be reviewers. |
| Certificate and diploma in German only. | Certificate and diploma in German and English. |
Registration as a doctoral student at the University is required by law of the state North Rhine-Westaphalia. | Registration as a doctoral student at the University (students/international office) is required until all examinations are completed. |
Valid only upon application for ongoing doctoral projects (application with submission of the doctoral thesis, but by 12.03.2022 at the latest). All doctoral students affected by this regulation will be informed in time before 12th March 2022. | Applicable for all doctoral students. |
Doctoral regulations 2020: How can published and accepted articles and manuscripts be included in the dissertation?
According to the doctoral regulations of 12.3.2020 the dissertation is a written doctoral thesis, which must prove the ability to carry out independent scientific work including its presentation and must contain scientifically significant results (§7, 1).
Articles published in professionally recognized, peer-reviewed media, such as specialist journals and books and articles accepted for publication as well as manuscripts may be included as chapters in the dissertation, provided that the own contribution is substantial. These included publications and manuscripts must be preceded by a comprehensive, comprehensible explanation in which their significance in connection with the dissertation is explained. In the case of articles and manuscripts with several authors, this explanation must clarify which specific contributions were made, both in terms of the results and in the writing of the article itself (§7, 3).
For dissertations in the field of physics, the inclusion of each individual publication and unpublished manuscript, as well as the use of content from publications, must be approved by the Thesis Committee (for members of a graduate school) or the supervisors (for doctoral students who are not members of a graduate school) (§7, 6).
In general, it is strongly recommended to discuss the form and content of the dissertation with the supervisors and the mentors of the Thesis Advisory Committee well in advance of submission (§7, 6).
There is no general answer to the question of whether or not a particular publication can be included in the thesis. Rather, this must always be discussed in each individual case. This question can therefore only be clarified with the supervisors and mentors of the Thesis Advisory Committee. The question cannot be answered by the Faculty’s Doctoral office.
Doctoral regulations 2020: Is it necessary to prove that a course of "good scientific practice" has been completed?
Yes, all doctoral students who wish to complete the doctoral degree according to the regulations of 12. March 2020 must provide evidence of participation in a course on good scientific practice.
However, for doctoral students who are a member of the department's graduate school, proof of active participation in the graduate’s school program is sufficient. This is confirmed by the graduate school coordinator by signing the ‘application for admission to the doctoral examinations’. The signature is sufficient and no additional proof is required.
2-Feb-2022: If you have been admitted as a doctoral student according to the doctoral regulations of 2006, complete the doctorate according to the regulations of 2020, and submit your dissertation by 19.09.2022 at the latest (2nd examination phase WiSe 2022/23), you will not be required to provide proof of a course of "good scientific practice".
Proof of participation in the program of the Graduate School
All doctoral candidates who are members of a graduate school must prove active participation in the graduate program when submitting the application for admission to the doctoral examinations. Active participation is confirmed by signature of the graduate school coordinator on the application for admission to the doctoral examinations. No additional certification is required. This is independent of whether admission was granted according to the doctoral regulations of 2006 or 2020.
Email accounts (UoC)
When signing your work contract AND when registering as a PhD student, you should have received documents, each with a PIN, to install a University email address. We would like to inform you today, that it is recommendable to activate BOTH these University email addresses.
The reason is that both email addresses are listed for different mailing lists with important information that you should not miss. Apart from those mailing lists, you may also be directly contacted by the Personnel Department or by the Student Registration Office/ International Office via these email addresses, especially now during the pandemic, when a lot of documents are being sent electronically.
Finally, you can log in to KLIPS with both your student and your employee email address and get access to two different accounts with different functions! So e.g. if you need a student certificate, you would have to use the student email address and password to enter your student account in KLIPS.
So please install and check both University email addresses! There is the option to forward emails from these accounts to other ones, so that you only have to check one of them, if that is helpful for you.