PhD & Doctoral Process in Göttingen - Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

PhD in Göttingen

With nearly 30,000 students (25% of all habitants) Göttingen is a classic example for a university town giving the city a young and dynamic atmosphere.

The University and world-class non-university research institutions including three Max Planck Institutes, the German Primate Center / Leibniz Institute for Primate Research and the German Aerospace Center form an alliance in research and doctoral training, creating a highly collaborative and inspiring atmosphere - the Göttingen Campus.

At GAUSS, we are offering a wide range of support and services not only to make your start here in Göttingen as easy and smooth as possible but also of course your entire stay.
Check out the webpage of Göttingen International designed especially for international doctoral students and the "Guide for international students". Additional information on family & diversity services, the University’s Welcome Center, and a wide range of work and life resources on the Göttingen Campus can be found on the respective websites.

GAUSS is committed to provide its doctoral candidates with the best possible support and training to successfully complete their research work and dissertation but also to gain important key skills to qualify for careers within and outside of academia.

Doctoral Process

Throughout the three to four years of your PhD, you are focusing on independent research and writing a dissertation. You will be guided by a thesis advisory committee (TAC) consisting of three academics: the main supervisor and two others (see Compose TAC).
During the course of the PhD, certain elements and performances are mandatory, as for example:

annual reports and performance records (checklists are available here), are documenting active participation in scientific communication, topic related seminars, teaching and professional skills. The annual reports should be presented during the yearly meetings with the TAC (see Handout TAC Meeting , Template progress report ).
a Course on Good Scientific Practice (ideally) during the first year of your PhD!

An overview of the different phases of the doctoral process in GAUSS including the corresponding required tasks and obligations by both, the doctoral candidate as well as the supervisor and thesis advisory committee, can be found in our Roadmap to a GAUSS Doctorate .

Doctoral degree regulations

Forms and Information leaflets

Rules of good practice for doctoral supervision (English , German )
Information on supervision and examination (English , German )
Regulations regarding good scientific practice of the University of Göttingen (English , German )
Research data policy of the Georg-August University Göttingen including the UMG (English, German)

Thesis Advisory Committee Meetings (Handout )
Progress Report (Template Form )
Thesis Extension (Handout , Application form )
Countdown to doctoral degree (Handout/Checklist)