Infos
PhD student representation
The PhD student representation ("Doktorandenvertretung") represents the interests of doctoral students at RPTU vis-à-vis the university's bodies and committees and advises on matters concerning doctoral students.
Click here for the website of the doctoral student representation.
Supervision agreement for doctoral candidates
At RPTU, doctoral candidates and supervisors must jointly conclude a supervision agreement as part of a doctoral project. This is intended to make the supervisory relationship transparent for both parties in terms of content and time. You are welcome to use our sample supervision agreement as a template or suggestion, which is based on the DFG's recommendations:
Download sample supervision agreement at the Website of TU-Nachwuchsring.
The doctoral ombuds committee
The doctoral ombuds committee is available to all doctoral candidates who are experiencing problems with their doctorate as an initial, low-threshold point of contact.
Click here for the website of the doctoral ombud committee.
RPTU funding programmes
You can find information the funding programmes for all scientists at RPTU on our site: fundings
Additionally you can find further information regarding fundings for doctorale canidates on the website of TU-Nachwuchsring.
Interested in a PhD?
This page will be filled in gradually and is intended to simplify the beginnings of your research. It is not legally binding. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: zgapl[at]rptu.de or TU-Nachwuchsring gf[at]nachwuchsring.uni-kl.de
In principle, a PhD requires:
- A Master's degree or equivalent.
- A person to supervise the doctoral project.
- The criteria of the PhD guidelines must be fulfilled (you can find the PhD guidelines here: Examination regulations of the departments of the RPTU)
There are several financing options for living expenses, which are described under ‘Financing’.
Under the following link you will find a further test that can give you an idea of whether a doctorate suits you: Test: Sind Sie der Typ für eine Promotion? - academics
There are different types of PhDs
On the one hand, a distinction can be made between a monographic and cumulative doctorate.
- Monographic means that a complete text is written on a (doctoral) topic.
- A cumulative doctorate consists of several articles that are published in recognised journals.
A further distinction can be made in the type of care provided:
- Individual PhD
This form of PhD means that future doctoral candidates look for a supervisor for their PhD project independently. - Structured doctoral programmes
In these programmes, there are often additional offers in the interdisciplinary and ‘soft skills’ area for an additional qualification. - External PhD
In this case, the doctoral students do not have an employment relationship at the chair where they are doing their doctorate. They usually have another job. This means that they often have fewer ties to the university.
There are several ways to finance a PhD:
- Jobs at the university are usually linked to another activity (e.g. teaching)
(You can find offers here: Stellenangebote und Karriere - RPTU Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau) - Third-party funded positions or scholarships (usually PhD supervisors can help you here)
- Reasearch Training Groups
( current research trainings groups of the RPTU can be found here: Coordinated Research) - Scholarships
You can find general information about scholarships on the following pages. You can use the scholarship database to find out which scholarships are suitable for your subject.
General information: homepage (stipendiumplus.de)
Scholarship databases:
http://www.mystipendium.de
Scholarship database by e-fellows.net - So-called external doctoral studies: Financing your livelihood through another activity
- Cooperation in the free enterprise
When financing a doctorate, please note that scholarships are usually not subject to social security contributions. It is best to inform yourself in advance about the topic of ‘social insurance’ in order to make a good decision.
Your contact persons at the RPTU...
Dr. Jörg Hansen, Office for Research
The Department of International Affairs at RPTU provides advice on international study and research programs and supports international students, lecturers, researchers and employees before, during and after their stay at RPTU.
German courses at the RPTU
The “Verein zur allgemeinen Förderung von Völkerverständigung, Kultur und Bildung an der RPTU e.V. (VKB e.V.)” offers various language courses for RPTU students and staff, including German courses.
Young researchers can apply to the TU-Nachwuchsring for a refund of the participation fee. More information can be found on the website of the TU-Nachwuchsring.
The Department of International Affairs at RPTU provides advice on international study and research programs and supports international students, lecturers, researchers and employees before, during and after their stay at RPTU.
PhD Pathfinder
You’re planning your PhD or supervising a PhD? This tool will guide you through the process of planning your PhD in Germany. Learn more here:
PhD Pathfinder tool