Doctorate Supplement

  © Stefan Hense  

What is a Doctorate Supplement?

The Doctorate Supplement is an addition to the doctorate certificate which documents the doctoral candidate’s portfolio of achievements, qualifications, and experience acquired during the doctorate. It includes, for example:

• acquisition of specialist skills
• acquisition of transferable professional skills
• teaching activities
• project work
• talks and poster presentations
• visits to conferences
• publications

Courses you successfully completed that were not part of the Doctoral Academy program are also recognized in the doctorate supplement. Courses you take through faculties or other providers can be certified just like work experience at your institute or department. The only requirement to keep in mind is that your supervisor needs to recognize these courses. Evidence for the recognition through the faculty is provided by the signature of your supervisor on the draft version/outline of the doctorate supplement.

The doctorate supplement is useful, for example, in complementing your application documents, as it highlights your non-subject-specific and transferable skills.

Please note that the doctoral supplement is issued only after receipt of the doctoral certificate and is valid only in combination with it.

How to Get Your Doctorate Supplement

1. Towards the end of your doctoral studies, provide a draft version (outline) of your Doctorate Supplement using the Doctorate Supplement form.
2. Please complete the form carefully and pay attention to the instructions in it.
3. You can continue editing the form at any time during your doctoral studies. Please submit it once you have entered all your qualifications.
4. After having entered all relevant qualifications (courses completed and skills achieved), please submit a print-out of the form, which is signed by your supervisor, to:
   
   Doctoral Academy
   Abteilung 12.1
   Kackertstraße 9
   52072 Aachen
   
   By signing the form, your supervisor confirms that you have successfully completed the listed qualifications. This signature is required for the doctorate supplement to be created. Alternatively, you can scan the document and send it as a PDF file by email to the Doctoral Academy.
5. Please inform the Doctoral Academy that you have finished your doctoral studies and received your doctorate certificate.
6. Your doctorate supplement will then be printed and signed by the Vice-Rector for Human Resources Management and Development as well as the dean of your faculty.
7. The form for the doctorate supplement must be completed no later than 12 months after the doctorate certificate has been issued.

English Version of the Doctorate Supplement (English Transcript)

If you would like, you can also prepare an English language doctorate supplement using the form, which we will issue as well. 

For your Application: The “Preliminary Certificate on Qualifications”

You can receive a preliminary certificate stating your achievements, qualifications and experience acquired during doctoral studies before formally completing the degree. This is useful, for instance, if you want to apply for a position before completing the doctorate. Please fill out the doctorate supplement form and contact the Doctoral Academy team. You will then obtain a preliminary certificate which will be signed by your supervisor.

Any Questions?

If you have any questions, please write us an email at Doctoral Academy. We will be happy to assist you!

 

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