Frequently Asked Questions
In case you could not find an answer to your question, please check our pages for doctoral candidates and documents before you write an email to the GAUSS or GGNB office or your programme office/deanery.
Q: I have collected all signatures on my Application for Admission (supervision agreement - approval by supervisors (TAC) and head of programme) in GAUSS resp. GGNB. What are the next steps?
A: You should get in touch with the Office of Student Affairs (for students from Germany) / Incoming Office (for students from abroad) in order to get enrolled as a doctoral student. This should happen no later than 3 months after the start of the work on your project. Please note that it is mandatory to be enrolled as a student during the whole course of your doctoral studies!
Enrolment at the University of Göttingen is a fully digital, location-independent process. Documents to be submitted are accepted as simple digital copies (scans), unless the admission regulations for individual programmes stipulate otherwise (e.g. submission of certain documents in the original).
A: Only students who indicated in the online application for admission (Lucom form) that they wish to receive our monthly newsletter will be informed about courses (methods & soft skills) and other relevant events. If you would like to receive our newsletter and additional information related to your doctoral studies please contact the GAUSS office.
A: Yes, we offer family support for students with children and emergency scholarships. Activities organized by your program such as retreats, symposia and excursions can also be funded. You can find more information here. Note, GGNB offers further funding opportunities to its students.
A: ALL our doctoral students have received this extension automatically in case they belonged to a program in GAUSS (incl. GGNB) on 31 March 2020. Please write us an email, we will let you know about your new deadline for submission.
A: Please use the template „Application for thesis extension“. You can apply for one extension for maximum 6 months at a time, unless different options are indicated in the program specific regulations for your doctoral degree programme. If with the extension your doctoral studies exceed 4 years, the application has to be approved by the head of programme or dean/dean of studies of your faculty as well.
GGNB: Please use the template „Application for thesis extension“. You can apply for one extension for maximum 6 months at a time. Extensions beyond 4 years require approvel by the program speaker and the GGNB Board.
A: You should state the actual beginning of your PhD related work (usually start of work contract), not the start of a semester from which you have been enrolled as a student. This is the same date you stated on the supervision agreement.
A: Here you can find the credit requirements of your program. Please contact your programme office or deanery if you have questions concerning courses other than the ones offered by GAUSS/GGNB, since the Thesis Advisory Committee may allow other courses to be taken in place of the modules mentioned in the list of modules/performance records (credit requirements) in order to obtain the corresponding credits.
A: Good Scientific Practice courses, mandatory for all doctoral students in GAUSS, incl. GGNB, are offered several times per semester. Please monitor our webpage and check the monthly newsletter (which also can be found online).
A: In general, if your main supervisor had an examination accreditation, he/she can still supervise you for the next 3 years. However, you can also try to find a new supervisor. Please contact your programme office/deanery for help and inform the GAUSS resp. GGNB office about any changes.
A: You find all information on the requirements and guidelines for publishing your thesis via the eDiss server of the SUB following this link Electronic dissertations at the SUB.
A: You should hand in the original signed document of the revision certificate (Revisionsschein). In times of COVID-19 pandemic, a scan or copy is sufficient to issue the certificate. Additionally, we will need the confirmation of the SUB that you have uploaded your thesis – in case you have chosen this option. This document is usually sent to the GAUSS Office directly by the SUB. If you have published your thesis elsewhere we would need a confirmation from the publisher.
A: To collect your doctoral certificate please make an appointment. Alternatively, we can send it to you by mail if you provide us with a large envelope as registered mail (Einschreiben). Please contact us for further details.
A: You need to be matriculated for all parts of your examination (dissertation & disputation). You can exmatriculate at the earliest the day after your oral examination (disputation).
A: From May 2022 on, graduation ceremonies are held in the Aula building again, two times per semester. Unfortunately, the graduation ceremonies from 2020 and 2021 cannot be postponed. Due to the high number of graduates, it is not possible to accommodate the graduates registered for these ceremonies at the upcoming events.
A: You are allowed to use your title only after you have received the original doctoral certificate – not directly after the disputation!