Doctorate degree in Germany – Prerequisites
With or without a master's: Who is eligible for a doctorate in Germany?
In order to be admitted to a doctorate degree in Germany, a university degree with good grades is essential © Ralph Geite / iStock.com
In some fields, a doctorate is beneficial, while in others it is even mandatory for career advancement. But who is eligible to pursue a doctorate in Germany? Is a master's degree always a necessary first step? In the following, we discuss the qualifications prospective candidates must have before beginning a doctoral programme.
Updated: 2024-12-10
Grade point average and master's degree? These are the prerequisites for a doctorate
In principle, anyone who holds a master's degree is eligible to pursue a doctorate – provided that a doctorate is possible in the respective field of study and the university in question has the right to award doctorates. Other degrees that serve as a stepping stone to a doctorate include the diplom and magister – both of which were largely phased out in Germany when the bachelor’s and master’s system was introduced as part of the Bologna process – and, in some disciplines, the Staatsexamen, or state examination. Departments generally stipulate a required grade point average for prospective doctoral candidates, a threshold that is determined by the respective doctoral regulations. Often, a minimum average of 2.5 is required (which roughly corresponds to a 3.0 GPA in the U.S.), but depending on the subject or department, this hurdle can be significantly higher.
Because doctoral regulations vary from university to university and from field to field – there are, indeed, approximately 700 different doctoral regulations in the country – it is impossible to provide a comprehensive list of requirements here. There are differences pertaining to grade point average, application procedures, language certificates, aptitude tests and more. In general, however, prospective doctoral candidates need:
- A suitable dissertation topic that is thematically related to their studies
- A doctoral supervisor (“Doktorvater” or “Doktormutter” in German)
- The ability and willingness to engage in in-depth scientific work, in addition to some experience in doing so
Those interested in pursuing a doctorate should read the doctoral regulations for their field and chosen university. To determine whether pursuing a doctorate is right for you, take the academics Doctorate Test.
In exceptional cases, it is also possible to pursue a doctorate in a field different from the one the candidate has thus far studied. Such a dissertation project, however, must be approved in advance by the doctoral committee and additional requirements may be imposed.
Doctoral title: Requirements for graduates of universities of applied sciences
Although universities of applied sciences (called “Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften” or HAWs in German) are equivalent to universities in Germany, they do not always have the right to award doctorates. However, more and more states in Germany are granting this right to at least some HAWs or to particularly outstanding faculties or research associations. Those who have obtained a master’s degree at these institutions can pursue a doctorate directly.
If the HAW where the degree was obtained does not have the right to award doctorates, graduates can apply to doctoral programmes at another university. To do so, however, they must usually pass special aptitude tests. The exact requirements are also specified in the respective doctoral regulations.
Another way for HAW master's graduates to obtain a doctoral title is through cooperative doctoral programmes. As in other doctoral programmes, the prospective Ph.D. student needs a supervisor who teaches at the university awarding the doctorate. But the candidate’s HAW professor, already familiar from the master’s programme, also acts as a supervisor during the doctorate and as an examiner and reviewer.
Fast-Track: Doctorate without a master's
In exceptional cases, a bachelor's degree is sufficient to start a doctorate. This is made possible by a resolution in the year 2000 by the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs, which regulates access to doctorates. The resolution decrees that particularly qualified students can begin their doctorate directly after earning their bachelor's degree via the "Fast-Track” programme.
Depending on the doctoral regulations of the university in question, the master's degree can either be skipped entirely or completed in parallel with the doctorate. The latter model is recommended so that students do not end up without an advanced degree should they not complete their doctorate. Whether a student is suitable for such a fast-track doctorate is determined through tests and preparatory courses.
Doctorate in Germany with a degree from abroad
It is also possible to pursue a doctorate at a German university with a degree obtained abroad. The target university makes the final determination as to whether the foreign degree can be recognised. But the website of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs includes a database provides some orientation (www.anabin.de). Here, you can find out with just a few clicks how your foreign degree is valued in Germany. Further information is available in the article "Recognition of foreign university degrees in Germany".
Translation: Dacha Media
