Doctoral studies

Selecting a suitable doctoral topic is essential. As your doctoral project will span four to five years, your topic ought to be well-chosen, substantial, and relevant.

Many professors provide suitable topics. If you would like to realize your doctoral thesis as an individual project, we recommend that you discuss your plans with your doctoral supervisor.

Write a research proposal, including a research and time plan as well as a preliminary outline, and submit it to your doctoral supervisor for approval.

Universität Hamburg offers individual doctorates and various types of doctoral programs:

• individual doctorate
• doctoral programs

Once you have a topic, you probably know which department is responsible for you. Can you think of a potential doctoral supervisor whose research focus corresponds to your doctoral project?

Please make an appointment and be well-prepared for your first meeting!

Your goal for the second meeting, should be to obtain a written declaration of consent from your doctoral supervisor. Without this certificate you cannot enroll as a doctoral student at Universität Hamburg.

Universität Hamburg and Macquarie University in Australia are now offering PhD students the opportunity to benefit from both of their institutions and to do their doctoral work as part of a joint PhD program.

Students in this program are enrolled at both universities and supervised by faculty members from both institutions. If you would like more information about this joint program, just click here:

More information (pdf)

Doctoral students have to pay a semester contribution of EUR 285. This includes payment for the semester public transport pass which entitles you to use Hamburg’s entire public transportation network.

There are no tuition fees at Universität Hamburg.

Doctoral students may apply for various kinds of financial assistance.

See: doctoral funding.

The respective schools, i. e. the doctoral supervisors, the doctoral committee, or the deans will answer all specific questions concerning doctorates.

For information on doing a doctorate and contact data of doctoral advisors at UHH's  schools see:

• School of Law: www.jura.uni-hamburg.de/postgraduierte
• School of Business, Economics and Social Sciences: www.wiso.uni-hamburg.de/graduate-school
• School of Medicine: www.uke.de/aerzte-wissenschaftler
• School of Education, Psychology and Human Movement: www.epb.uni-hamburg.de/de/Studium/Promovieren
• School of Humanities: www.gwiss.uni-hamburg.de/Promotion.html
• School of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences: www.min.uni-hamburg.de/promotion

The respective Doctoral degree regulations provide formal guidelines.

Universität Hamburg's Career Center offers classes and workshops for young researchers and doctoral students. We focus on teaching interdisciplinary skills.

Check out our current course offerings.

The University offers several networks for doctoral students. Get in touch with students from outside your graduate school or research training group through:

• PIASTA (intercultural living and studying): Meet international graduates, doctoral students, and fellows of the University through our intercultural living and studying program for all students and alumni.
  

• Alumni Universität Hamburg (ALUHH): The University’s alumni network connects people within the University and offers a broad range of events, e.g. AlumniZirkel, AlumniSport, AlumniKultur, exclusive on-site visits, discussions, lectures, etc.

• Alumni Universität Hamburg (ALUHH) also on XING: Almost 10,000 alumni of Universität Hamburg use the premium group ALUHH for interdisciplinary and discipline-specific exchange.

For more information about academic career options upon obtaining your doctorate see: postdoctoral career options.