Please note the former Center for Doctoral Studies (CDS) has been renamed and is now known as the RWTH Doctoral Academy.
RWTH Doctoral Academy
The RWTH Doctoral Academy – formerly known as the Center for Doctoral Studies, CDS – offers doctoral students a wide range of transversal skills development courses as well as coaching and advising for systematic career planning. In addition to equipping you with professional competencies, we support you in developing your career – specifically tailored to your talents and your life situation.
Launching Your Academic Career
By completing a doctorate, you provide evidence your ability to undertake independent, innovative research. Doctoral studies thus represent a decisive building block for your further academic or professional career. In addition to the technical and methodological challenges of a doctorate, you will typically have to perform other activities in your everyday work – in research, teaching, and science management. You can acquire the transversal skills required for these activities with the help of our varied range of continuing education and skills development courses.
Continuing Education
In addition to teaching professional skills, the Doctoral Academy also seeks to familiarize you with additional topics with relevance for science and research, such as scientific integrity, research data management, interdisciplinarity, and teaching skills.
- Doctoral Academy Program
- Doctoral Academy Seminars and Events with Spots Available
- RWTH Online Course: Scientific Integrity
Advising Services
You have completed your doctorate. What's the next step? The Doctoral Academy offers one-to-one appointments to support you with your career planning.
Networking
By participating in the various networks at RWTH, you can exchange ideas with other doctoral candidates and make contacts outside your peer group. Benefit from the know-how of others and share your own experiences.
Other Offerings for Doctoral Candidates at RWTH
Information on starting your doctorate at RWTH
How to proceed in your search for a supervisor, what to consider when enrolling in doctoral studies, and answers to other important questions about doctoral studies at RWTH Aachen University can be found in the FAQ section. You can find subject-specific information at: Faculty-Specific Contacts and Information.
Family Services
If you need childcare in order to be able to participate in one of our courses or workshops, please get in touch with RWTH's Family Services Center at least one week before the course date.
Teaching Skills Course Offerings
The Center for Learning and Teaching Services, CLS for short, offers a wide range of offerings for you to develop your teaching skills. It supports you in conveiving and designing your courses.
Mental and Emotional Stress
The Center for Mental Health provides professional support for students and doctoral candidates.
Mentoring for Women Doctoral Candidates
The interdisciplinary TANDEMDok mentoring program supports women researchers who want to systematically reflect on their career plans and be encouraged and empowered in their personal and professional development
Mailing List for Doctoral Candidates
Stay up to date with our mailing lists:
- For news about events and seminars, please subscribe to the Doctoral Academy mailing list.
- The Doc-infos list has been created to provide you with Interesting information and tips and advice.
Good to Know
The following groups of individuals are eligible to register with the Doctoral Academy:
- All doctoral candidates in Faculties 1 through 8
- Doctoral candidates in the Faculty of Medicine pursuing a “Dr. rer. medic.” or a “Dr. nat. med.” degree
- Participants in the TANDEMmed mentoring program
- Doctoral candidates participating in structured doctoral programs and DFG Research Training Groups at RWTH
- Doctoral candidates from other universities who are working at Forschungszentrum Jülich.
Further Information: Conditions for seminar participation, RWTH Kodex for Doctoral Studies (de), FAQs.
RWTH doctoral candidates are eligible to participate in selected transversal skills trainings offered by Forschungszentrum Jülich.