To make sure that you receive support and advice for the challenging endeavour of completing a doctorate at the CGS successfully, all doctoral students need to have an academic supervisor that is a member of the Faculty. Candidates applying via the CGS application system every December-March find potential supervisors during the application process, that means you do not need to contact professors beforehand. Once there is a match between candidate and supervisor, the next step is admission to doctoral studies and enrollment in the doctoral study programme. 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 agreement form signed by all parties. It comprises a time and work plan. 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 (usually first and second supervisor). The doctoral procedure continues with an oral exam (defense). Once the dissertation has been published, doctoral students are awarded their degree (Dr. rer. pol or PhD, depending on the programme).