Graduating
We are pleased to be able to offer you appointments by prior arrangement (Mon, Wed and Thu
09:00 - 15:00). You are also welcome to contact us by phone or e-mail.
Registration for the disputation - Please note our instructions -
- No registrations are possible from 19.12.2025 to 02.01.2026 -
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Your Performance records (Leistungsnachweis)
Once you have fulfilled all the requirements in the performance record, please submit it directly to the Dean of Studies, Prof. Dr. Martin Wenderoth, for review and signature.Your Dissertation (Thesis)
You can write your dissertation in English or German.The dissertation can be written in monographic form with a detailed classification of the topic in the scientific context and a sufficient discussion.
Furthermore, one or more scientific manuscripts for which the PhD student is a co-author may form part of a dissertation. In this case, a summary of the topics covered must also be included, together with a detailed discussion section and a clear description of the student's own contributions to the manuscripts.
Submission of your Dissertation (Thesis)
The application for admission to the doctoral examination is made online via a single Lucom form (eCAMPUS) and takes place on the agreed application date.- The following data and documents are requested in the submission form:
- - Final title of your dissertation
- - Specifying your desired doctoral degree (Dr. rer. nat. or PhD)
- - Members of the examination board, including two reviewers, and the email addresses
- - Date, time and location of the thesis defense
- - One electronic version of your dissertation (thesis)
- - Curriculum vitae
- - Promovierendenerklärung (doctoral students declaration)
- - Performance records signed by the Dean of Studies Prof Dr Martin Wenderoth
- - for video defence: consent of the doctoral candidate or consent of the examination committee (dean's office)
- - Other documents (optional): application for restricted online publication, publications
- eCampus) with a PDF of your "Application for doctoral examination" in which all data of the application are listed and summarised. This document must be printed, signed in a legally binding manner and must be submitted to the Dean's Office on the application date (to meet the deadline for submission).
- in good time, you have to distribute them yourself on the application date.
The examination procedure can only start once the Dean`s office has received the submission of your signed application meets the submission deadline. After reviewing all documents, you will receive written confirmation (or rejection) of your application from the GAUSS Examination Office.
Please note that you can only receive a “summa cum laude” for your dissertation with an external third-party review requested through the Dean's Office. For more information, please refer to § 12 of the examination regulations.
The Oral Defense (Disputation)
The date and place of your oral defense will be determined by the "Prüfungsausschuss" and shouldn't be later than 6 weeks after you have received the confirmation (PO §15 3).The "Disputation" (PO §16) lasts at least an hour and no longer than 90 minutes (PO §16 6). At least 2/3 of the "Prüfungskomission" must be present, including the two referees of the thesis (PO §16 1). It consists of a 30 minute presentation (in German or English), open to the public, followed by an open discussion of at least 30 minutes and at most 60 minutes, during which anyone can ask questions about the thesis or any related topic. If there are adequate reasons, you can ask the Prüfungskommission to exclude the public from the oral defence (talk and discussion; PO, Appendix 7A).
In the old PO, there followed a closed session during which 2 oral exams on separate topics occured: the PO of 2012 removes this requirement entirely. Note, however, that you can still be asked questions not directly related to your thesis (PO §16 (5) 4).
After a successful examination, your dissertation will be given a grade: "rite", "cum laude", "magna cum laude" or, in exceptional cases, "summa cum laude". In order to receive a "summa cum laude", your committee must have asked for a report from an external examiner (see above).
You have the right to examine the written documents related to your examination for 4 weeks after the defense (PO §23).
The Graduation Ceremony
The official part of the graduation process is held four times per year in the classical "Aula" building with much pomp and ceremony. However, the best part comes thereafter: when you exit the Aula, you are picked up by your fellow students, transported through the old city on a wildly decorated wagon, and have to wait in line in order to climb the fountain in the old marketplace and kiss Gänseliesel, the famous statue of a goose-girl. Look at "News, Dates & Links" for the dates of this ceremony.Publishing your Dissertation
You have to submit a definite number of printed copies of your dissertation (obligatory copies) for the respective form of publication free of charge to theexamination management of the programme as follows:
- a) one copy of the fully approved version in the event that substantial sections of the dissertation were published in academic journals; at least 10 off-prints or printed copies; each of these must be submitted as proof of publication; only 10 off-prints must be submitted if the work is published in full; or
- b) three copies of the retail edition if a commercial publishing house manages distribution to booksellers and a minimum edition of 100 copies is proven; one copy of
the complete approved version must also be submitted; or - c) exclusively one copy of the complete approved version, together with proof of publication on the SUB Göttingen document server.