Doctoral Studies: The Thesis Committee (Betreuungsausschuss)

The thesis committee supervises and supports the doctoral candidate. The candidate must regularly, at least once a year, report in detail to the thesis committee on the status of the doctoral project and, if applicable, the academic achievements to date (annual report requirement). [§ 6 II of the doctoral degree regulations (PromO)]

The members of the thesis committee and the doctoral candidate conclude a doctoral contract (“Doktorand*innenvereinbarung“) within three months of the appointment of the thesis committee. In this agreement, the members of the committee undertake to supervise the dissertation in an appropriate manner, i.e. to assist the doctoral candidate in choosing (and later modifying) the topic, in the regular joint review of the progress of the work and by providing timely feedback on submitted parts of the dissertation. Those members of the thesis committee who are also reviewers also undertake to propose, accept, reject or return the thesis for revision within three months of submission and to prepare a full review of the thesis within six months. The date of the disputation shall be no later than six months after the submission of the dissertation. [§ 6 III + appendix III PromO]

The management board at the Graduate School of Humanities Göttingen (GSGG) is entitled to order modification of the legal statutes applicable to the doctoral contract; the doctoral committee shall rule in the event of any disagreement. The doctoral candidate must submit to the thesis committee a preliminary schedule for the doctoral project by no later than upon conclusion of the supervision agreement. [§ 6 III PromO]

The thesis committee makes the decision on a possible extension of the doctoral phase beyond 6 years. Insofar as the thesis committee does not agree to the extension, the doctoral committee shall make its decision based on a statement by the thesis committee on the end of the doctoral studies as defined in § 7 section 7. A new thesis committee must be appointed if the doctoral studies are not ended. [§ 7 IV PromO]

The thesis committee prepares a proposal for the doctoral committee regarding the waiver of sole authorship in the case of a cumulative dissertation in which the contributions used were written together with co-authors. [§ 11 VI 6 PromO]

At least one member of the thesis committee, in most cases the first academic advisor, is appointed by the doctoral committee to assess the dissertation. [§ 12 I PromO]

Besides the evaluators, the examination board shall consist of the members of the thesis committee who are authorised examiners and may include other members who are authorised examiners. [§ 12 II 1 PromO]

Special regulation for doctoral candidates in the doctoral programme Behavior and Cognition: The research work should be completed within 3 years after admission to the doctoral programme with the submission of the dissertation. In justified exceptional cases, the completion time may be extended up to four times by half a year each time; the doctoral committee decides on this after receiving the statement of the thesis committee on the basis of an application by the doctoral candidate that must be justified at least in text form. [§ 3 II Regulations for the doctoral programme Behavior and Cognition (BeCog-ProgrammO)]

The committee is appointed by the management board at the Graduate School of Humanities Göttingen (GSGG) after hearing the doctoral candidate once they have been accepted as a doctoral candidate. [§ 6 I 1 PromO]

The appointment of the thesis committee can take place up to 3 months later if the candidate has not previously been at the University of Göttingen. [§ 6 I 1 PromO]

All members must hold a doctoral degree. [§ 6 I 2 PromO]

The members of the thesis committee who are authorised examiners must not be in a dependent relationship to each other. [§ 6 I 2 PromO]

If there is an important reason, the management board at GSGG may make changes to the membership of the thesis committee, subject to application by a member of the thesis committee or the doctoral candidate. [§ 6 IV PromO]

Minimum number of persons in a doctoral degree programme: Three academics with at least a doctorate, including the authorised first reviewer.

Minimum number of persons in an individual doctorate: Two academics with at least a doctorate, including the authorised first reviewer.

Minimum number of persons in the doctoral programme Behavior and Cognition: Three academics with at least a doctorate, including the authorised first reviewer. The first reviewer and one of the other members of the thesis committee must be authorised examiners of the doctoral programme Behavior and Cognition.