The Way to your PhD

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If you are at the beginning of your doctorate or still considering whether a PhD could be the next career step for you, you will find some important information here.

The first step: Find your topic and your supervisor(s)

It doesn't matter whether you obtained your Master's degree at another university or at the H-BRS: Your first consideration should be your doctoral topic. Then look for a professor to supervise your doctoral project. Make use of contacts from your studies or find out more about the research interests of our professors on the websites of our departments.

The German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat) has recommended to the State Ministry of Culture and Science that the HAW located in NRW be granted their own right to award doctorates in future via the PK NRW. If the Ministry agrees, there will be two options for doing a doctorate at the H-BRS in future:

1. doctorate with the PK NRW

You carry out your research project at the H-BRS. Supervision is provided by a professor from the H-BRS and two other professors from the corresponding subject group of the PK NRW. The doctoral degree is awarded by the Doctoral College NRW.

2. cooperative PhD with a university with its own right to award doctorates

You carry out your research project at the H-BRS. Supervision is provided by a professor at the H-BRS and a second person from a university with a right to confer doctoral degrees. The doctorate is awarded by the cooperating university.

Guide to memberships and agreements

Membership at the H-BRS Graduate Institute (GI)

- recommended for all doctoral students who are supervised at the H-BRS, as soon as topic and supervisor have been determined.
- provides access to services, counselling, workshops, scholarships

GI Membership

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Membership at the Doctoral College NRW (PK NRW)

- useful for all doctoral students who are supervised at the H-BRS
-obligatory for doctoral students who are doing their doctorate with the PK NRW
- offers additional access to the services of the PK NRW

PK NRW membership

User Agreement

-Useful as a legal basis for all doctoral researchers who do not (or no longer) have an employment contract with the university.
- regulates individually which services of the university may continue to be used, e.g. library, access to offices and laboratories, e-mail address
-Valid for one year, extendable

User Agreement

Registration as a PhD Student

- Voluntary for all doctoral students, compulsory for doctoral students via the PK NRW.
- Doctoral students pay the same semester fee as students and benefit from the semester ticket, cafeteria services, etc.

Registration as PhD student