We welcome all students interested in pursuing a doctoral degree in management, economics and social sciences. To make sure that you receive support and advice for the challenging endeavour of completing a doctorate at CGS successfully, we want students to find first an academic supervisor that is a member of the Faculty even if you have been admitted to the CGS-E or hold a CGS scholarship. The next step is admission to doctoral studies and enrolment in the doctoral study programme. During the first year of your doctoral studies a second supervisor has to be named and a supervision agreement documented in a contract between the doctoral student and supervisors. After having completed your doctoral study programme, you start working on your dissertation. The dissertation is submitted to be reviewed by at least two reviewers. The doctoral procedure continues with an oral exam (defens). Finally, the dissertation has to be made publicly available, i.e. published.

The CGS offers an annual Welcome Event for new doctoral students of the Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Cologne in the first week of each winter semester. The event provides information on everything concerning the doctoral procedure.

Finding an academic supervisor

We want our doctoral students to receive support and academic advice during their doctorate. Hence, we require doctoral students to get in touch with a potential supervisor that is a member of the Faculty and to agree on a letter of consent before admission to doctoral studies. Having been admitted to CGS-E or holding a CGS scholarship is also considered as base for such a supportive environment.

Doctoral Study Programmes and Courses

Each doctoral student is required to accumulate a minimum of 30 ECTS (more ECTS may be required in particular programmes). Here you find an overview of the study programme and a list of doctoral courses, for Economic Research please see the M.Sc. Economic Research. If you are unsure which courses may suit your needs, please do not hesitate to consult your main supervisor.

Supervision Agreement

During the first year of your doctoral studies, you will discuss the supervision of your academic work with your main supervisor and a second supervisor that is fixed in a supervision contract signed by all parties. It comprises a time and work plan and determines the rights and obligations of all parties. It hast to be sent to the Central Doctoral Office within the first twelve months of admission.

Dissertation

Your dissertation may be cumulative consisting of several papers or a monograph. One of the papers should be a single-author paper. (Please note: it does not necessarily have to be published.)

Dissertation Submission

Upon completing your dissertation, you must hand in the “Application for PhD examination“ essentially stating that you are ready for the final steps, i.e. that you have finished your doctoral study programme and completed your dissertation to be submitted for review.

Since no personal consultation hours can be offered at present, the procedure has changed. Please upload all documents (including the application) to Docfile and send them in paper form to the doctoral office. Doctoral certificates must be submitted in the original.. Applications according to the Doctoral Regulations 2015 only need to send Bachelor's and Master's certificates and diplomas if they were not Doctoral certificates must be submitted in the original.available at the time of application for admission to the doctoral programme. You will be notified when the application has been reviewed and you will be admitted to the doctoral examination. Then send the copies of the dissertation to your reviewers. Ask them beforehand whether a bound copy and/or a digital version is required.

For the submission of the application in December, a large number of preliminary enquiries have been received, so that a processing time of up to four weeks can be expected. You can therefore send your dissertation copies to your examiners in advance, stating that they will be sent with reservations as you have not yet been admitted to the examination.

You find the list of necessary document and forms here:

• PromO 2015
• PromO 2005 and 2008

see also Section 6 of the Doctoral Regulations. These documents have to be handed in to the Central Doctoral Office to Mrs. Mundorf.

Defens (oral exam)

The defens involves defending the scientific findings of your dissertation in front of three professors and to discuss it in a broader context.

• Oral examinations can be held at any time.

• Reports and registration for the defens must be received 4 weeks in advance (deadline).

Award of Degree (Dr. rer. pol.)

Doctoral students are awarded their degree during a public ceremony. Parents, partners, friends and colleagues are welcome guests at doctoral ceremonies.
Please note: You must have published your work to be entitled to bear the title Dr. rer. pol.