Doctoral studies
The eight faculties of Universität Hamburg are in charge of the doctoral application and admissions procedure. All formal matters are laid down in the Faculties' doctoral regulations.
Admissions procedure
Your application for admission to doctoral studies must contain the following documents:
- university degree certificate
- tabular CV
- exposé of your doctoral project
- further documents in accordance with the faculties's regulations
Please download detailed info from the respective faculty:
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Education (in German only)
- Faculty of Humanities (in German only)
- Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences
- Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science (in German only)
- Faculty of Business Administration (Hamburg Business School)
If your application is approved, you will be admitted to doctoral studies and allowed to enroll at Universität Hamburg.
Enrollment
After receiving your admission to doctoral studies, please submit the corresponding online application form in our application portal STiNE (registration at www.uni-hamburg.de/online-application) with the following documents for enrollment:
- university degree certificate (simple copy)
- current confirmation from your doctoral supervisor at Universität Hamburg
- doctoral studies at the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Studies require an admission confirmation from the respective graduate school: http://www.wiso.uni-hamburg.de/en/einrichtungen/graduate-school/
- doctoral studies at the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences require an admission confirmation from the respective Academic Office: https://www.promovieren.uni-hamburg.de/en/min/promotion/voraussetzungen.html
- doctoral studies at the Faculty of Humanities require an admission confirmation from the doctoral studies office of the faculty (Dr. phil.) or the doctoral studies office of the department of protestant theology (Dr. theol.). As an interim measure, a supervisory commitment may be submitted, and the admission confirmation submitted later: www.gwiss.uni-hamburg.de/en/studium/promotion.html
- doctoral studies at the Faculty of Business Administration require an admission confirmation from the faculty: https://www.bwl.uni-hamburg.de/en/forschung/promotion
- doctoral studies at the Faculty of Medicine in the area of medicine or dentistry require a confirmation of registration for doctoral studies from the faculty.
- doctoral studies in the PhD programs at the Faculty of Medicine require an admission confirmation from the faculty.
- All doctoral students must pay the full semester contribution for the first semester of their enrollment at Universität Hamburg, regardless of the date of enrollment. Even if the semester is well underway at the time of enrollment, a partial refund is not possible.
- Please note that there may be a deadline in your letter of admission for doctoral studies, by which you should have enrolled. Make sure that you meet this deadline. Please inquire with the doctoral committee at your department or faculty whether your doctoral regulations also permit enrollment for the following semester, if you would prefer to enroll for the following semester.
- The Campus Center reserves the right to request a current project confirmation from your doctoral supervisor at appropriate intervals.
Procedure after enrolling
I have never been enrolled at Universität Hamburg.
Roughly 4 weeks after the enrollment deadline, you will receive your provisional semester documents (public transport pass, student ID, your new STiNE login details) and a TAN list separately. Be aware that once you have been assigned a student ID number, you will not be able to access your STiNE account until you receive your new login details. The payment form for the semester contribution can be found under “Application > Documents.” Be sure to pay this without delay.
Enrollment is considered complete once you have completed and submitted all documents and the semester contribution has been received.
I am / have been enrolled at Universität Hamburg.
If you were not enrolled for at least one semester between your previous studies and your new studies, you will receive new provisional semester documents.
Roughly 4 weeks after the enrollment deadline, you will receive your provisional semester documents (public transport pass, student ID, your new STiNE login details) and a TAN list separately. Be aware that once you have been assigned a student ID number, you will not be able to access your STiNE account until you receive your new login details. The payment form for the semester contribution can be found under “Application > Documents.” Be sure to pay this without delay.
Enrollment is considered complete once you have completed and submitted all documents and the semester contribution has been received.
If you are currently enrolled, you will not receive provisional semester documents. You can view your new degree program in STiNE under “Courses” as soon as the change in enrollment has been made. You do not need to withdraw: as a student of Universität Hamburg, your enrollment will be converted automatically.
Receiving your provisional semester documents and/or the documenting of your new degree program in your STiNE account means that you have successfully enrolled. Enrollment is considered complete once you have completed and submitted all documents and the semester contribution has been received.
Transfer the semester contribution by the deadline under your existent student ID number, even if no payment form has been uploaded to your STiNE account (for amount, account details, and deadlines, see www.uni-hamburg.de/semesterbeitrag).
Tip: If you were enrolled at Universität Hamburg in the previous semester, wait until you see the new degree program in STiNE under “Courses” before reenrolling. However, do not risk missing the reenrollment deadline! This means that you should pay 2 weeks before the end of the reenrollment deadline at the latest—even if you do not yet see the new degree program in your STiNE account.
Doctoral students with disabilities or chronic diseases
Funding sources for doctoral students with disabilities or chronic diseases are very limited, particularly if you are in need of special assistance. We recommend that you seek advice at the Office of Affairs for Students with Disabilities or Chronic Diseases (information in German only).
Visa
Are you an international doctoral student who needs an entry visa for Germany? If that be the case, please apply timely for your visa at the responsible German consulate or embassy; visa processing may span two to three months.
Important note: three-months Schengen visa (tourist visa) cannot be extended for study or research periods in Germany!
Further visa information: