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Pursuing a Doctorate at Europa-Universität Flensburg

A doctoral degree is proof of the student's particular aptitude for independent academic work. The dissertation is an independent research study that delivers essential knowledge and promotes scholarship. 

At Europa-Universität Flensburg, doctoral candidates do not enroll in a structured doctoral program with coursework or preliminary exams. After developing a suitable dissertation topic and setting up a doctoral supervision arrangement, students simply enroll as doctoral candidates and start working on the dissertation straight away.

EUF welcomes scholars from all over the world and is especially committed supporting early-stage researchers. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions about pursuing doctoral research at Europa-Universität Flensburg.

The essential information about doctoral study at Europa-Universität Flensburg can help you decide whether pursuing a doctorate at EUF is right for you.

Please Note!

Europa-Universität Flensburg founded three faculties on March 1, 2023. On September 22, 2023, the doctoral regulations of the three faculties came into force (you can find them here). The three doctoral committees of the faculties are expected to be elected on October 11, 2023. The dates for the constituent meetings will be announced shortly.

The central doctoral committee at Europa-Universität Flensburg remains responsible for doctoral procedures that have already been admitted for examination. The doctoral committees of the faculties are now responsible for all new applications, e.g. for admission to the doctoral procedure or admission to the doctoral examination.

Please continue to address applications and inquiries to the management of the doctoral committees, which is now centrally responsible for all doctoral committees (contact details can still be found under the "Contact" tab).

Subject profile of the EUF

Research at Europa-Universität Flensburg centers on the educational sciences, European studies, and sustainability / transformation studies. A relatively young and dynamically growing university, EUF has a solid infrastructure with dedicated resources for each of its core research areas. Serving as central hubs for scholarship on education and European studies are the university’s signature research centers—the Center for Research on Education, Teaching, Schooling and Socialization (ZeBUSS) and the Interdisciplinary Centre for European Studies (ICES). For the broadly interdisciplinary area of sustainability / transformation studies, the Jackstädt Center for Entrepreneurship and SMEs Flensburg, the Norbert Elias Center for Transformation Design & Research (NEC), and the Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (ZNES) provide vital support.

EUF confers the following degree titles:

  • Doctor of Philosophy (Dr. phil.)
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
  • Doctor of Economic Sciences (Dr. rer. pol.)

Doctoral candidates at EUF benefit from numerous targeted resources and programs, including interdisciplinary colloquia, training opportunities, and academic advising.

The university welcomes the chance to work intensively with the scholars from other universities who serve as dissertation reviewers on doctoral projects

The doctoral procedure

The doctoral procedure

There are several steps to pursuing a doctorate at Europa-Universität Flensburg (EUF). Together they constitute the so-called "doctoral procedure" – that is, the phases of doctoral work leading up to the doctorate.

1. Doctoral supervision

Finding a doctoral supervisor and signing the supervision agreement is the formal first step to beginning your doctoral studies at Europa-Universität Flensburg develop a dissertation topic.

If you already have a specific dissertation topic in mind but lack the doctoral supervisor, you can research the various institutes listed on the EUF webpages to find a professor whose expertise and work presents a good match with your proposed topic. Both you and your supervisor then sign the supervision agreement. The agreement must be submitted as Annex B of your application for admission to doctoral study (see Forms / Downloads). You can then contact that person directly to ask about setting up a supervision agreement.

Please note that EUF does not assist with supervision arrangements. Finding a doctoral supervisor and setting up the supervision agreement are entirely in your hands.

2. Admission to doctoral study

Following this, your next step is to apply for admission to doctoral study at EUF. The application forms and required attachments are available under Forms / Downloads. You can either mail the completed application to the address shown on the application form, or email it to the doctoral committee (promotionsausschuss-PleaseRemoveIncludingDashes-@uni-flensburg.de) as single pdf file containing your scanned signature. Important: degree certificates must be submitted as originals or notarized copies—simple scans or photocopies are not acceptable.

The EUF doctoral committee reviews applications for doctoral study at its regular meetings. Your application must have arrived least two weeks before the meeting, and it must be complete. The committee generally notifies applicants of its acceptance decision within one week of each meeting. Kindly refrain from inquiring about the status of your application.

If you hold a foreign university degree, your admission will be subject to a degree check to determine whether the degree entitles you to pursue the doctorate.

3. Enrollment as a doctoral student

Admission to doctoral study at the university marks the start of your official doctoral procedure. At this point, you are required to enroll as doctoral student at Europa-Universität Flensburg and to remain enrolled for the duration of your doctoral studies at the university. Doctoral students can request exemption from the enrollment requirement by sending an informal statement justifying their case to the chair of the doctoral committee (see "contact").

After you have enrolled as a doctoral student, you can begin researching and writing the dissertation straight away.

4. Admission the doctoral examination

Once you have completed your dissertation, it is time for the doctoral examination procedure. This final step in your doctoral studies consists of three phases: review, defense/disputation, and the official acceptance or rejection decision and grading of the dissertation (see Doctoral examination). You can find the application form for the doctoral examination under Forms / Downloads.

5. Publishing the dissertation

Once you pass the exam, you will receive a certificate proving that you hold the doctorate. However, you may not use the doctoral title until you have received your doctoral diploma and published your dissertation—either digitally, or through a traditional publishing house (per § 22 of the EUF doctoral regulations).

Doctoral supervision

Doctoral supervision

At Europa-Universität Flensburg, doctoral students carry out doctoral their research under the guidance of a faculty member who serves as the doctoral supervisor. Incoming students set up the supervisory agreement at the start of their doctoral studies, right after they choose and develop the dissertation research topic.

Supervisors play a key role in guiding and supporting doctoral students throughout their studies. Traditionally in Germany, both parties in the supervisory relationship develop a unique academic bond marked by intense scholarly exchange, collaborative research, and close mentoring. While doctoral students are –of course—solely responsible for their own work on the dissertation, the supervisor nevertheless guides and helps steer the direction of this research to ensure a fruitful final contribution. Because of this close involvement, normally student and supervisor normally decide together when the dissertation is ready to be submitted. Doctoral students are expected to retain the same supervisor throughout their doctoral studies. Nevertheless, supervisors can be changed in the case of a conflict.

Doctoral supervision is a core responsibility of every university professor. As such, it is always free of charge.

Doctoral examination

Applying for the doctoral examination

In Germany, doctoral study culminates in a final phase called the doctoral examination procedure. The procedure consists of three phases: review, defense/disputation, and the official acceptance/rejection and grading of the doctoral dissertation. The application form for the doctoral examination can be found under Forms / Downloads.

You should apply for admission to this procedure once you have finished writing the dissertation. The following documents must be submitted together with your application form (see Forms / Downloads):

  • Three identical, bound copies of the dissertation, in compliance with the conditions stated in section 13, paragraphs 2 - 6 of the EUF doctoral regulations
  • Three anonymized copies of the dissertation, submitted in electronic form (SD card, USB stick or CD-ROM)
  • A currently valid police clearance certificate for private persons (not the one required by German state or federal agencies) 
  • Proof of enrollment as a doctoral student at EUF, in accordance with paragraph 12 of the EUF doctoral regulations.

Please send the completed form and required documents to the chair of the doctoral committee at the address shown on the application form.

The doctoral examination

After you gain admission to the doctoral examination, scholarly experts in your field will receive copies of your dissertation for review. Reviewers have 8 weeks to submit their reports, during which time the doctoral committee will forward you copies of the reviews as they arrive. The university public also has free access to the reviews for a period of 4 weeks, two of which must fall within the semester lecture period. Certain people (listed in section 4, paragraph 1 of the doctoral regulations) are allowed to submit comments and feedback on the reviews during this university evaluation period. You should also be contacting reviewers at this time to set up a tentative disputation date.

Based on the reviews and comments, the doctoral committee will then grade the dissertation, make its final acceptance decision, set a date for the disputation (if one has been proposed), and designate a disputation chair.

The disputation is an academic talk (maximum 45 minutes) followed by a discussion. During the disputation, the doctoral candidate formally presents the scholarly results set forth in her or his dissertation and then places those results within a disciplinary context during the discussion phase that follows.

Disputations must last between 90 to 120 minutes, and they must take place during the semester lecture period. This rule is only waived in exceptional circumstances, and for good reason.

Doctorate by publication

Doctorate by Publication

Pursuant to the Senate resolution of May 31, 2017 (available below), doctoral students who wish to obtain the doctorate by publication must submit certain additional documents beyond those listed in § 14 of the EUF doctoral regulations dated January 30, 2017. These additional documents include the following:

  • List of peer-reviewed articles included in the paper, with evidence of acceptance by the publisher (please number and sort by peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed).
  • Note of confirmation from the doctoral supervisor stating that the article designated as peer-reviewed has appeared in a medium classified in this way or has been accepted for publication (informal)
  • Calculation of the point value (download "Excel spreadsheet to determine the P-value")
  • Declaration that none of the submitted contributions have been taken from a previous qualification work
  • If more than two of the articles are co-authored: confirmation for each of the articles of all involved authors that these were not or will not be part of a dissertation procedure (download "Co-authorship declaration").

At Europa-Universität Flensburg it is currently only possible to pursue the doctorate by publication in the subjects listed below.

Criteria lists for individual subjects

Filename Category Date Size / type
Erziehungswissenschaften 09/28/2021 608 KB (PDF)
Energiewissenschaften 09/28/2021 646 KB (PDF)

Binational doctorate

Binational doctorate

Europa-Universität Flensburg doctoral students have the option to work jointly with another university, college or institution in Europe or elsewhere while pursuing their doctoral degree. This may take the form of a simple collaborative arrangement, or it may be formally set up as part of a joint doctorate.

A partnership agreement for the doctoral student in question must be must negotiated and signed by both partner institutions, taking into account the legal framework of each institution and country.

Europa-Universität Flensburg regulations for the binational doctorate are mainly set forth in the university’s doctoral regulations and for binational doctoral procedures.

If you have any questions about binational doctoral studies, please contact the chair of the doctoral committee (see Contact).

Financing your doctoral studies

Academic staff positions

The university has a very limited number of paid staff positions for qualified doctoral students. Funded from the university’s basic budget or third party funding, these competitive doctoral jobs offer excellent basic funding to cover all living expenses. Each position carries specific research and teaching duties, which may contribute to the work of a larger research project.

  • Schleswig-Holstein doctoral fellowships
    The university also offers a limited number of doctoral fellowships sponsored by the state of Schleswig-Holstein.
  • Foundation scholarships, fellowships and grants 
    In addition to the above two options, EUF is well represented by nearly all of the major grant-giving foundations and agencies in Germany. These private foundations offer a range of merit-based doctoral fellowships to gifted individuals. To learn more about a specific funding opportunity, please contact the designated faculty representative (Vertrauensdozent*in)

Student Guidance and Counseling Service

The university’s Student Guidance and Counseling Service assists and advises doctoral students who are EU-citizens about financial matters. The advisors there may also point you towards other resources that can provide further financial assistance.

Self-financing

Some students use their own personal funds or job income to pay for their doctoral studies. While these options are always possible, you may find that the impact of this double burden is greater than anticipated. Please consider carefully!

Hardship fund

Europa-Universität Flensburg has a hardship fund for students who are nearing the end of their doctoral studies. The goal of the fund is to ensure that no advanced doctoral student has to leave the dissertation unfinished due to financial worries. The funding is for approximately three months, and must be repaid. To apply for hardship stipend, just send an informal request directly to the chair of the doctoral committee (see contact).

FAQ

FAQ

You can submit your application in one of two ways:

  1. Postal mail – Send the application to the address listed on the application forms (see "Form/Downloads")
  2. Email – Sign the application form and then email it as a scanned PDF file to promotionsausschuss-PleaseRemoveIncludingDashes-@uni-flensburg.de.  In this case, be sure to send your diploma(s) separately by mail.

Diplomas and degree certificates must be sent as paper documents. Please send only originals or notarized copies via postal mail--not simple photocopies.

Please address your application to the chair of the doctoral committee, Ingmar Matzen. He can also answer any questions you may have about doctoral study at EUF.

Europa-Universität Flensburg
Vorsitzende/r des Promotionsausschusses
- z.Hd. der Geschäftsführung -
Gebäude DUB, Raum 013
Campusallee 3
24943 Flensburg

Herr Ingmar Matzen:
Tel.: +49 461 805 2393
E-Mail: promotionsausschuss-PleaseRemoveIncludingDashes-@uni-flensburg.de

The EUF doctoral committee and doctoral regulations give no specific rules or guidelines concerning the format and layout of your dissertation. Talk to your dissertation supervisor if you have questions about such as these:

  • Should my dissertation include personal information about me other than my name (such as my title, date of birth, or degrees)?
  • Where should I put the date?
  • Should I list the names of my reviewers? If so, where?
  • Should the dissertation pages be double-sided or single-sided?
  • Which type of binding is required—hardcover or softcover?
  • Should the dissertation show the Europa-Universität Flensburg logo?
  • Should it state my EUF affiliation (e.g., department, seminar, or institute)?

Before the doctoral examination, the university will check your dissertation using anti-plagiarism software. For this, you will need to submit three of the dissertation (on USD stick or CD-ROM/DV; PDF format preferred). To anonymize the file, remove any information that could identify you as the author—for example, on the cover sheet or signature—as stated in § 13.5 of the EUF doctoral regulations.  If your dissertation cites other works written by you, please do not anonymize these references.

You must remain enrolled as a doctoral candidate at Europa-Universität Flensburg until you have applied for and gained admission to the doctoral examination.

However, you need not be enrolled during the disputation or when you publish your dissertation. Not being enrolled during the disputation/publication phases of your studies will not negatively affect your doctoral procedure.

Contact

Phone
+49 461 805 2393
E-mail
ingmar.matzen-PleaseRemoveIncludingDashes-@uni-flensburg.de
Building
Gebäude Dublin
Room
DUB 006
Street
Campusallee 3
Post code / City
24943 Flensburg
Show details

Forms / Downloads

Application forms - Doctoral procedure

Filename Category Date Size / type
Antrag Zulassung Promotionsverfahren - Anlage A 09/28/2021 1 MB (PDF)
Antrag Zulassung Promotionsverfahren - Anlage B 09/28/2021 970 KB (PDF)

Application forms - Doctoral examination

Filename Category Date Size / type
Antrag Zulassung Promotionsprüfung 09/28/2021 3 MB (PDF)

Doctoral regulations

Filename Category Date Size / type
EUF Doctoral Regulations (English version) 09/28/2021 652 KB (PDF)
Promotionsordnung der EUF 09/28/2021 153 KB (PDF)

Statutes for binational doctoral procedures

Filename Category Date Size / type
Satzung der Europa-Universität Flensburg für binationale Promotionsverfahren 09/28/2021 169 KB (PDF)

Resources for doctoral students

Filename Category Date Size / type
Angebote für Doktorandinnen und Doktoranden 01/16/2024 87 KB (PDF)