Graduation and completion of the IPAG Programme
In order to successfully complete the IPAG program, the doctoral student must have acquired at least 180 credits. After the required modules and the dissertation are successfully completed the student can register for the graduation.
Graduation dates
The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences offers four PhD Graduation dates per year. One in the beginning and one at the end of each semester. The dates for graduation within a term are published at the end of the previous term.
The way to graduation
1. Registration of the dissertation at the Examination Office
Students should register the dissertation and submit the documents listed on the Instruction Sheet to the Examination Office eight weeks before the regular submission date (link: dates of graduation) for the dissertation (approx. 4 months before the date of graduation). If all documents aren’t available at this early date the Examination Office will in individual cases allow students to hand them in later.
It is possible to withdraw the registration at any time before the date of submission of the dissertation.
2. Appraisal of the Dissertation and Disputation
At the submission of the dissertation about seven weeks before the Graduation date the student receive the letter of “admission for graduation” and all documents needed for the graduation are placed in a file. It is the duty of the students to make sure that their files are brought forward and back between the Supervisors and the Examination Office before the respective deadlines. The supervisors have four weeks for the appraisal of the dissertations. Then, all the dissertations must be displayed at the Examination Office for 1 week. This follows the week of Disputations. The file is also needed at the time of the disputation (see dates of Graduation). The last week before the Graduation day is needed to finalize the administrative matters and the provisional certificates.
3. Graduation ceremony
At the graduation ceremony the students receive preliminary certificates. This certificate doesn’t allow the student to call himself a PhD or Dr. See below: Publication of the Thesis.
After the graduation ceremony it is an old custom in Göttingen that the graduates go to the “Gänseliesel” fountain by the old town hall at the market place. The graduates climb onto the fountain and give Gänseliesel bouquets of flowers and symbolic kisses, while they are targeted by water balloons tossed at them by their colleagues and cheering audiences
4. Revision of the Dissertation
Before the publication, the students have chances to revise their thesis according to the suggestions and the comments provided by their supervisors. The first supervisor must sign a “Revisions Schein” before the publication of the dissertation.
5. Publication of the results of the thesis
The examination regulations 2004, 2006 and 2008 allow different possibilities for publication in the form of cumulative dissertations with publications in scientific journals or publication in the form of a dissertation either online or in the form of a book (monograph). Each student should elaborate this issue with his/her supervisor and may ask at the student advisory office or examination office in case more information is needed.
6. Completion of the IPAG Programme
With evidence of publication documented at the examination office, the Graduate will be awarded with the original certificate, the transcript of records with the results of the modules, the dissertation and the disputation along with the diploma supplement. The Graduate is allowed to call himself/herself a PhD or Dr. now onwards.
New PhDs should allow for at least two weeks after the publication for the preparation of the exam papers. Don’t book your flight to home too early!
In order to successfully complete the IPAG program, the doctoral student must have acquired at least 180 credits. The IPAG program is completed at the end of the semester in which the doctoral certificate has been presented.
7. Legalization of the certificates
It is needed, for some of your home countries, to get the certificates certified by the Lower Saxony Government for the recognition. Please contact your country’s embassy to get information on what your own country needs. If it is needed, allow one day to go to Braunschweig to get the certification stamps.