PhD & Early Career Program
Registration and enrollment as doctoral researcher
Membership in the IRTG is mandatory for doctoral researchers within (AC)³, they are enrolled in both the graduate program of their own university and in the (AC)³ IRTG. Doctoral researchers, who are not officially part of the (AC)³ framework, can join the IRTG as associate members. However, the process to become an IRTG member is the same, regardless of your funding source.
How to join the IRTG?
- Form your Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC)
- Complete and sign the »supervision agreement together with all the members of your TAC
- Please also prepare a research plan of about 5 pages
- To join the IRTG, please download the »registration form below, complete it, and return it to the IRTG office together with a copy of your »supervision agreement and the research plan.
How to register with the faculty as doctoral researcher?
In order to begin your doctoral studies, you must register with the faculty of your primary supervisor, the formal start of your doctorate is the acceptance by the doctoral commission of the faculty. This is where you will defend your thesis and receive your degree from.
This step is mandatory, so be sure to check the admission requirements carefully in advance. The faculty has the right to reject your application or require you to attend in preparatory courses if you do not fulfill the required qualifications. You should apply for the registration in good time (i.e. during the first few months of your doctoral studies). Admission requirements are specified in the faculty’s doctoral regulations (“Promotionsordnung”). Be aware that your registration as doctoral researcher with the faculty may automatically expire after a certain period of time, or that you may be required to take an interim exam at some point.
The application process varies from faculty to faculty, but in most cases the following documents are required:
Links to the Doctoral Examination Regulations, including contact information for the Dean’s Offices and all application forms:
Leipzig University, Faculty of Physics and Earth System Sciences
University of Cologne, Doctoral candidates at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
University of Bremen, Doctorate at the Faculty 1: Physics / Electrical Engineering
University of Potsdam, Doctoral Studies at the Faculty of Science (for AWI-P PhD candidates)
Do we have to and how to enroll as doctoral student at the university?
While registration with the faculty is mandatory, it is optional to enroll as a doctoral student at most universities (only mandatory at the University of Cologne!). If you choose to enroll, you will receive a student ID card that entitles you to a wide range of financial benefits. The only cost is the semester fee. Note that you must be registered with the faculty as doctoral researcher (» ‘Registration with the Faculty’) in order to enroll. You can only enroll as a doctoral student at the university where you are registered as doctoral researcher.
Information on enrollment at the universities can be found here:
Do we have to and how to register with a local graduate program?
In addition, you may want to or need to register with a local graduate program or graduate academy. This depends on where you work:
Leipzig
The Leipzig Graduate School for Aerosols, Clouds and Radiation (LGS-CAR) aims to combine the expertise of the partners at the Leipzig University and the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS). Doctoral researchers will be offered an interdisciplinary teaching and research environment focusing on a common scientific field. More information about the LGS-CAR can be found here:
Cologne
When you register as a doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, you automatically also register for one of the graduate programs, for (AC)³ researchers most likely at the Graduate School of Geosciences (GSGS). More information about the GSGS can be found here:
The Graduate Academy Leipzig is the central institution for the support of doctoral researchers and early postdocs at Leipzig University. The GA Leipzig offers a wide range of support for doctoral researchers and postdocs in their orientation phase. You can also register there:
In addition, you automatically become a member of the central Albertus-Magnus-Center:
Bremen
The MARUM graduate school GLOMAR serves as a central platform for the interdisciplinary training for doctoral researchers in the marine sciences at the University of Bremen and its partner institutions. Information on how to become a member can be found here:
In addition, you automatically become a member of the central graduate center BYRD:
AWI
The graduate school POLMAR offers all PhD students at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) a structured qualification program to complement their individual research work. Participation in a structured PhD program is mandatory for all PhD students at AWI. Registration with the AWI PhD Office at the beginning of your PhD project work at AWI includes admission to POLMAR, AWI PhD Office (AWI internal link).
