Graduate Services at the University of Erfurt

[Translate to English:] Beratungssituation

The University of Erfurt offers its doctoral and postdoctoral researchers a comprehensive range of services across all institutions. To this end, it creates instruments for the financial and non-material support of (academic) career paths and supports its academics in the qualification phase in the realisation of their own research. These include the provision of information materials, the possibility of individual counselling on questions relating to doctoral studies or research applications, the reimbursement of research-related material and travel expenses, the provision of extended services by the Erfurt University Library or the Gotha Research Library and free access to an academic and interdisciplinary further education programme.

Further information can be found in the individual sections on this page.

Announcements on events and interdisciplinary workshops as well as funding and support programmes can be found on the News for Early Stage Researchers page. You can also register for the Newsletter of the Graduates Service there.

For general enquiries please contact the staff members of the Research and Graduate Services.

For Early Stage Researchers

General Doctorate-degree Regulations

The general doctorate-degree regulations at the University of Erfurt as well as the doctorate-degree regulations of the faculties and the Max-Weber-Kolleg can be found here(in German only).

Acceptance as a doctoral candidate at the University of Erfurt & Docata

Acceptance as a doctoral candidate takes place via one of the faculties or via the Max-Weber-Kolleg and is possible at any time. Further information on the acceptance requirements, documents to be submitted and individual contact persons can be found on the websites of the respective faculties:

Faculty of Philosophy
Faculty of Economics, Law and Social Sciences
Faculty of Education(in German)
Faculty of Catholic Theology(in German)
Max-Weber-Kolleg
The application for acceptance is made online via Docata - the web portal for doctoral candidates at the University of Erfurt. Further information on Docata and the data protection information can be found on the Docata website.
Please note that before starting the registration process, you must obtain confirmation that your dissertation will be supervised by a professor at the University of Erfurt. Only then can the registration process be successfully completed.

Enrolment as a doctoral candidate

After acceptance as a doctoral candidate at one of the faculties or the Max-Weber-Kolleg, doctoral candidates can enrol in order to acquire student status and thus membership of the university. Enrolment is possible at any time and may apply retroactively for the current semester. Further information on enrolment and the documents to be submitted can be found on the page on enrolment for doctoral studies.

The fees and contributions (semester contribution) for the current semester for full-time or part-time doctoral studies can be found on the page for contributions and fees at the University of Erfurt.

Supervision Agreement | Information and Sample Templates

Structured PhD in the Erfurt Doctoral and Postdoctoral Programme (EPPP) | Leaflets and Forms

The Erfurt Doctoral and Postdoctoral Programme (EPPP) forms the constitutional framework for structured doctoral and postdoctoral studies at the University of Erfurt. As part of this programme, the university creates idealistic and financial support for academics in the qualification phase and at the same time ensures a high quality of education for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. The requirements of the EPPP are implemented in a diverse subject-specific and interdisciplinary programme within the individual EPPP-certified Graduate Centres and the Max-Weber-Kolleg. The uniform principles for all Graduate Centres are set out in the Framework Regulations for the Erfurt Doctoral and Postdoctoral Programme (EPPP-RO).

Doctoral candidates who have been accepted as full members as doctoral candidates or postdoctoral researchers at one of the EPPP-certified Graduate Centres or in the EPPP-certified graduate funding programme of the Max-Weber-Kolleg are entitled, among other things, to reimbursement of research-related material and travel expenses as well as extended terms of use of the research and university library.

To become a full member, please contact the respective Centre. Information on the thematic focus, requirements and contact details can be found on the page of the EPPP-certified Centres.

Here you can find the Framework Regulations for the Erfurt Doctoral and Postdoctoral Programme (in German)

Further documents:

Bestätigung über die Aufnahme in das EPP-Programm(Admitting Form for the EPPP)

Claim for Reimbursement of Travel and Material Expenses from EPPP Funds

Information on Submitting a Claim for Reimbursement of Travel and Material Expenses from EPPP Funds

Scholarships and funding opportunities for research

The University of Erfurt regularly offers scholarships for doctoral students from budget funds and from the Thuringian State Graduate Funding Programme. Further information on the university's internal scholarship programmes can be found on the page on Career Funding | Scholarships.

Leaflet Proof of Health Insurance for Scholarships

Claim for Reimbursement of Travel and Material Expenses

Information on Submitting a Claim for Reimbursement of Travel and Material Expenses

Leaflet on reporting for interim and final reports for scholarships

Information on the offers and possibilities of internal university project and structural funding for all status groups can be found on the page In-house Research Funding.

The Research and Graduate Services supports doctoral researchers in advising on third-party funding applications. Information on this and other important documents on third-party funding applications can be found under Research Application Management and Third-party Funding. You can also find overviews of funding providers and information on funding formats for postdoctoral researchers and beyond under Research Promotion and Funding.

The University of Erfurt also regularly advertises vacancies for academic staff, which can be viewed under Job Offers at the University of Erfurt.

In addition to internal university funding for doctoral projects, there are numerous external institutions and foundations with different subject orientations, focal points and funding conditions. The search for suitable funding organisations can be simplified by using various scholarship databases. On the page Fundings during the Doctorate you will find a list of databases for searching for interdisciplinary and subject-specific funding as well as information on the organisations for the promotion of gifted students.

The News for Early Stage Researchers page regularly provides information on current external offers, calls for proposals and events.

The Research and Graduate Services is happy to provide support in selecting suitable funding bodies and programmes. Contact us at nachwuchsfoerderung@uni-erfurt.de.

Research Stays abroad

Extended Services at the Erfurt University Library

Doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers, who are full members in an EPPP-certified Graduate Centre have access to the following extended services of the Erfurt University Library and the Gotha Research Library:

  • 28-day grace period after the regular loan period (except for reservations and interlibrary loans)
  • 1st reminder free of charge if loan period and grace period are exceeded
  • Free use of the University Library's scanning service
  • Borrowing books from the textbook collection

In order to make use of the extended services, please contact the Research and Graduate Services.

Information on internal and external publication and funding opportunities for academic publications can be found on the page Publishing.

Childcare in Erfurt

The University of Erfurt is characterised by a high level of commitment to reconciling an active family life with everyday university life and has therefore been awarded the "family-friendly university audit" since 2005. The University of Erfurt's Equal Opportunities Office provides information about the wide range of childcare options for doctoral candidates and postdocs with children on its website.

Competence-oriented personnel development for academics

Competence-oriented personnel development for academics

The University of Erfurt's Competence-oriented personnel development for academics is aimed at academics and teaching staff at all stages of their career. It includes four fields for the acquisition of skills:

  •    a university didactics programme with the option of completing a certificate and a community of practice "good university teaching",
  •    a variety of workshops for the acquisition of interdisciplinary key competences,
  •    a mentoring programme for doctoral candidates, postdocs and career track professors,
  •    coaching for postdocs and (junior) professors as well as programmes for academic managers

The aim is to provide academics and teaching staff with the best possible support in developing their skills and in their career (planning). All offers within the framework of the programmes are free of charge, but are aimed exclusively at members and affiliates of the University of Erfurt.

Further information can be found on the pages of the Competence-oriented personnel development for academics.

For Supervisors / Potential Supervisors