Doctoral programme
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As part of the graduate centre, doctoral candidates are supported in acquiring professional and methodological skills as well as further academic qualifications. The doctoral programme is aimed at graduates of Master's programmes in Education and other fields of study with an interest in empirical educational research. Teachers in the school context can also build on their professional experience to address questions of school and teaching development scientifically and deepen their knowledge through doctorates.
The programme consists of regular colloquia in which research and doctoral projects are presented and discussed. Specific workshops enable further education in basic methodological areas. Some of the events are organised in blocks so that participation is possible despite working.
Weekly colloquium
In the weekly colloquium, doctoral students are given the opportunity to present the status of their dissertation project and put it up for discussion.
Discussion and learning platform
There is a Moodle room of the graduate centre where materials on the colloquium and the block courses as well as information on external training courses and conferences are collected. If you would like to have access to this Moodle room, please contact Professor Dr Gerd Mannhaupt.
Personalised advice
If you are interested in doing a doctorate as part of this programme, please contact Professor Dr Gerd Mannhaupt at ese.bildungsqualitaet@uni-erfurt.de .
If you would like to specify a specific research question, please contact one of the participating lecturers.
Block events
Both doctoral students who work full-time at the university and doctoral students who are writing their dissertation part-time work at the Centre. For this reason, the graduate centre regularly organises block events and workshops in addition to the weekly colloquium.
Financial support
As part of membership of the graduate centre, it is possible to apply for funding for research-related material, travel and further training costs.
Information on ways to finance your doctorate can be found here.
How can I finance my doctorate?
There are various ways to finance a doctorate:
- Scholarships are regularly awarded by foundations, the BMBF, etc., but also directly by the university. With a scholarship from the University of Erfurt, you usually have a maximum of four years to work full-time on your dissertation. The application for a scholarship requires a very good exposé, a letter of recommendation and, as a rule, social commitment.
- Doctoral positions or project positions at the university: Look out for advertisements or approach your supervisor about projects.
- Doctorate alongside employment: The graduate centre's programmes are designed to enable doctorates to be completed alongside full-time employment outside the university. The target group for this are doctoral candidates in the preparatory service or teaching profession.
Scholarships at the University of Erfurt
The University of Erfurt offers a scholarship programme for early-stage researchers in various qualification phases. You can find an overview of the opportunities for graduate services via the University of Erfurt's Research and Graduate Services staff unit here.
Admission to the graduate centre
How do I apply for admission to the graduate centre?
Early-stage researchers who wish to pursue a doctorate within the framework of the (certified) graduate centre for educational quality can apply for a place on the EPPP-certified structured doctoral programme. The prerequisite is that the supervisor isa member of the programme.
The written application must include
- a curriculum vitae,
- a six- to eight-page synopsis of the research project and
- certificates.
Admission to the EPPP-certified doctoral programme "Educational Quality" is possible at the beginning of each semester.
Admission is based on a two-stage selection and admission procedure:
- After reviewing the written application documents and a positive assessment by the professors of the graduate centre, two professorial members of the doctoral programme (the university lecturer responsible for the supervisor and the spokesperson of the research group) conduct an interview with the prospective candidate.
- On this basis, the professorial members of the doctoral programme make a joint decision on admission to the graduate centre. The spokesperson of the graduate centre issues the successful application with a written declaration of acceptance on behalf of the research group.
- At the beginning of the second semester of the doctoral programme at the latest, a written supervision agreement is concluded with a member of the graduate centre who is authorised to conduct examinations. In this agreement, the authorised member of the graduate centre agrees to provide intensive personal supervision and to be available as the first supervisor in the doctoral procedure of the respective faculty.
Please send your documents to the spokesperson of the graduate centre:
University of Erfurt
Professor Dr Inga Glogger-Frey
Hauspostfach 50
Postfach 90 02 21
99105 Erfurt
FAQs on doctorates at the University of Erfurt
Current
Introduction
The University of Erfurt educates around 300 students per year on teacher training Master's programmes. In order to utilise the academic potential of these graduates, to promote school and teaching research as a whole, to provide the Thuringian school system with academically qualified teachers and to increase the University of Erfurt's performance, a doctoral college was established at the University of Erfurt School of Education. On the basis of interdisciplinary research fields, teacher trainees (or graduates from neighbouring disciplines such as Educational Science, Psychology or Sociology) are guided in their academic studies and supported in acquiring subject and methodological expertise.
Who is the offer aimed at?
The programme is aimed at graduates of teacher training programmes with very good university degrees who have already gained an academic interest in researching schools and teaching during their studies. However, it is also aimed at graduates of related degree programmes such as Educational Science, Psychology, etc. who wish to do a doctorate in the field of empirical educational research. Doctoral students must be supervised by a member of theresearch group.
How difficult is a doctorate?
Above all, writing a doctoral dissertation requires openness to scientific thinking, an examination of theories and methods, intensive discussion with like-minded people and the ability to carry out your own scientific research and present it in writing. In the graduate centre, many doctoral candidates work together and are supervised by professors in a structured manner. Both the structured supervision and the exchange among other doctoral candidates offer good conditions for a successful doctorate.
You may also be able to find out whether you are the right type for a doctorate by taking a test. Link to the doctorate test fromAcademics.de.
Why should I pursue a doctorate?
You want to teach well, you want to carry out projects to help your pupils progress and you want to keep developing and modernising your school. Knowledge of scientific studies, but also the ability to proceed methodically and evaluate your own projects will help you to do this. You will acquire such knowledge and skills as part of a doctorate. A doctorate also offers you the opportunity to pursue an academic career.
On which topic can I write a doctoral dissertation?
In principle, everything related to school and education can be scientifically investigated, from the structure of the school system and its effects on participation in education to the motivation and motivation of learners.
If you already have an idea for a doctoral topic - perhaps one that you are already working on in your master's thesis - you should present this idea to one of the lecturers involved. If you do not yet have a concrete idea, find out about ongoing research projects by members of the graduate centre.
How is it all organised?
If you decide to do a doctorate and if the graduate centre lecturers accept you, you will receive regular advice and further training. These include weekly colloquiums in which you discuss your current projects or method workshops. You will regularly exchange ideas with other doctoral candidates, discuss with experts and have constant contact with your supervisor.
The following formalities are part of the doctorate:
An individualised supervision relationship
The first step towards a doctorate is to find a supervisor for your dissertation. Professors and, as a rule, habilitated persons are eligible for examination. This search is carried out individually. If you wish to take advantage of the graduate centre's services, the supervisor must be a member of the graduate centre. Prior participation in a colloquium or a block event can be helpful in the search.
The topic is determined in consultation with the supervisor. Once you have decided on a supervisor and a topic, you must prepare an exposé. This usually contains the scientific question, the research relevance of the topic, the current state of research, a theoretical approach and a preliminary idea of the methodological approach. Finally, you draw up a concrete time and work plan.
Acceptance as a doctoral candidate at a faculty
Once you have found a supervisor and a topic, you should apply to a faculty to be accepted as a doctoral candidate. What this application involves depends on the doctorate-degree regulations of the respective faculty (see box on the right). Please read the regulations carefully.
You are doing your doctorate at the faculty of which your supervisor is a member. With regard to the members of the graduate centre, the Faculty of Education or the Faculty of Philosophy are currently eligible.
Matriculation and registration as a doctoral student
As a doctoral candidate, you have the option of enrolling as a full-time or part-time doctoral student. You can enrol for the first time or change your existing matriculation and registration.
You can download an enrolment form from Studies and Teaching. It contains all the information you need for your application. Among other things, you will need a declaration from a supervisor and notification of acceptance as a doctoral candidate at a faculty.
If you are doing your doctorate on the topics mentioned with one of the supervisors, you can be accepted as a doctoral candidate at the graduate centre. The prerequisite is an application and the obligation to actively participate in the weekly colloquia. In return, you can benefit from the support services of the graduate centre.
How can I finance my doctorate?
You can find information about funding options for a doctorate here.