Applying for Doctoral Studies
Our information brochure (de) contains the most important aspects of applying for doctoral studies. Here the specifics of doctoral studies at RWTH Aachen, the process for recognition of international university degrees, the various contact persons, funding possibilities, and different ways of finding an advisor are all described in detail.
The formal recognition of international university degrees, if you are a graduate of a foreign university, and enrollment for doctoral studies take place through the International Office. You must apply for doctoral studies there. If you are not applying from your home country, you must be certain that your degree is formally recognized. You must absolutely remember to bring the documents necessary for enrollment.
If you acquired your university degree at a German university and it authorizes you to begin doctoral studies, then you enroll through the Registrar's Office.
Applying for Doctoral Studies
When applying for doctoral studies at RWTH Aachen University, please submit the following documents to the International Office:
- Application Form, completely filled in and signed
- Statement from the RWTH Professor who is willing to supervise your doctoral research project PhD (Supervision Confirmation Form - "Betreuungsbestätigung Promotion")
- Tabular CV
- Copy of your University Degree Certificate
- Translation of your University Degree Certificate into German or English by a certified translator
- Copy of your transcripts / Academic Record, including grades obtained
- Translation of your transcripts / Academic Record into German or English by a certified translator
- For applicants from China: Certificate of Authenticity ("Echtheitsbestätigung") issued by the Academic Evaluation Centre (APS) in Beijing for all submitted university certificates
Please submit your documents in person at the International Office. Alternatively, you can send them by mail. Upon approval of your application, the International Office will send you a letter of acceptance.
Please note
If you wish to be enrolled as a doctoral candidate later on at RWTH Aachen, you must submit your original university diplomas and certificates to the International Office. Please remember to bring your original university documents with you to Germany.
Recognition of your Qualification for Doctoral Studies
You would like to undertake a PhD project at RWTH Aachen University and apart from having a Master's (or equivalent) degree you have already found a professor who is willing to act as your supervisor ("Doktormutter"/"Doktorvater"). In order to be able to obtain a doctoral degree, you also need to be accepted by the faculty in which you wish to undertake your PhD project (i.e. the faculty assesses your technical qualification for doctoral studies). It is not sufficient that your supervisor has accepted you as a PhD candidate, and neither is employment at the institute of which your supervisor is chair or director.
If you possess an international degree, the technical recognition of the doctoral study prerequisites must also be handled in addition to the formal recognition through the International Office. The faculty, in which you are completing your doctoral studies, performs this review: The contact persons are the so-called docotral studies delegates (de) of the faculties, to whom you must submit the application for recognition of doctoral studies prerequisites.
We recommend submitting this application at the beginning of the doctoral studies process. In the event that recognition takes place with certain requirements, we recommended fulfilling these as soon as possible.
Therefore you have to apply for formal acceptance by the responsible faculty. This application is called "Antrag auf Zuerkennung der Promotionsvoraussetzungen" (Application for recognition of the PhD candidate's technical qualification for doctoral studies). As the requirements and regulations concerning admission to a PhD programvary from faculty to faculty, please contact the dean's office of your prospective faculty to obtain further information (please refer to the list of faculty members responsible for prospective PhD candidates).
After you have submitted the application form "Antrag auf Zuerkennung der Promotionsvoraussetzungen" to the faculty, your application will be evaluated. In case of a favourable decision you will receive a letter confirming that you fulfil the entry requirements for the PhD programme of your choice. It may be possible, however, that you will be accepted under the condition that you complete a few additional exams at RWTH before starting on your PhD project. If you have to complete any further exams or fulfil any other requirement, the letter of the faculty will be called "Zuerkennung der Promotionsvoraussetzungen unter Auflagen" (Conditional approval for admission into a PhD programme). In this case the letter will contain detailed information on the exams you have to take and the requirements you will have to fulfil prior to becoming a PhD student.