How it works and how long it takes
The individual doctorate is heavily dependent on a candidate’s organisational abilities and on their motivation to keep pushing forward.
Before beginning work on the dissertation, doctorate candidates must first:
- ensure that they are familiar with the demands of a dissertation (which are generally dependent on rules established by the institution in question)
- identify a topic for their dissertation
- find an adviser
- establish a rough timeline and financial plan
It is difficult to come up with a universally applicable summary of the process and structure of an individual doctorate. Each candidate must organise their own path forward, with planning and research projects heavily dependent on:
- potential employment
- subject of research
- scope of the research project in question
- financing and amount of work involved
- individual living conditions
All these factors ultimately influence the duration of the individual doctorate.
How long does the doctorate take?
The time it takes to earn a doctorate is generally not predetermined for individual doctorates, unless specific universities have established applicable rules. It is virtually impossible – for both individual and structured doctorates – to calculate an average time candidates require to complete their degrees. Using statistics pertaining to the number of doctoral candidates and to exams, the BuWiN has calculated an average duration of 5.7 years, a result that does not include those pursuing degrees in medicine and health.
Finding a doctoral adviser
For those pursuing an individual doctorate, it is absolutely necessary to find an university professor or another qualified person such as a group leader or private lecturerto act as an adviser. Finding an appropriate adviser can be difficult, but it is essential to ultimate success. Advisers are responsible for accepting the topic to be pursued in addition to acting as consultant, mentor and, in many cases, supervisor – and they also evaluate the dissertation once it is completed.
Once an adviser is found, a doctoral committee or specific faculty in question must confirm the adviser’s decision to accept the candidate. At some universities, this is also the moment in time when candidates must also apply for admission to pursue their doctorate. Candidates should inform themselves about the precise conditions for their specific university or research institute well ahead of beginning their pursuit of a doctorate.
At German universities, each faculty has its own rules pertaining to doctorates, including admission, advising, procedure and exams. Candidates may freely choose where they wish to perform their research – whether at a university, non-university institution or at a cooperating institution (e.g. university of applied sciences, HAW). Depending on the topic, a candidate’s dissertation can also be completely written at home. This multitude of possible approaches to an individual doctorate provides candidates with plenty of freedom, on the one hand. But it also requires independence, stamina and a high degree of motivation.
Monographic or cumulative dissertation?
All doctoral candidates – including participants in both individual and structured programmes – have the choice between two forms of dissertation: the monographic and the cumulative.
A monographic dissertation is the classic variety – essentially a “book” or long paper on a specific research topic that is written as a standalone work. A cumulative dissertation, by contrast, is largely made up of individual articles published in scientific journals and supplemented with an introduction, transitions and a conclusion.
Individual doctorate – internal or external?
The term individual doctorate refers to programmes where candidates are employed by the university where they are pursuing their degree. There are generally two such employment arrangements, a so-called “Promotionsstelle” or a position as a research assistant.
There are many reasons why landing a Promotionsstelle is advantageous for doctoral candidates. A key one is that candidates are paid for at least some of the work they do in the pursuit of their own doctorate. Those interested in this route are well-advised to establish close ties with professors early on and inform themselves about open positions several months in advance. In some cases, such a position must be newly established. When planning the pursuit of their doctorates, candidates should consider the significant amounts of time the process can take.
Candidates who hold a Promotionsstelle while pursuing a doctorate frequently have the advantage of close ties with their adviser, which makes communication far easier. In addition, candidates enjoy much stronger connections with their university network.
The situation is slightly different for those with positions as research assistants. In such instances, research on one’s own dissertation is not part of the position, which means that it must be done on the side. That can be a disadvantage if it takes away from the time available to work on one’s own research project.
Those who decide to pursue an individual doctorate may also elect to do so externally. In these cases, candidates write their dissertations without a paid position at a faculty. They can work alone from home or can affiliate themselves with a non-university institution or, in the case of an industrial doctorate, with a company. These forms of individual doctorates also come with their own advantages and disadvantages. Candidates must structure their daily work themselves, which – depending on personal preference and character – can be helpful or harmful.