Information on doctoral studies for international students

It is possible to earn a doctoral degree in any field of study offered at the University of Freiburg. To qualify for admission to a doctoral program, you must complete an initial university degree with good grades. You may pursue a doctoral degree (Dr.) after completing a diplom, magister artium, state examination, or master’s degree.

Please note that while it is possible to have non-German degrees recognized at the University of Freiburg, you might have to fulfill other prerequisites to receive admission to a doctoral program, such as passing a placement test or taking additional courses.

To have your foreign degree recognized, please contact the International Admissions and Services Department at the Student Service Center:
international@service.uni-freiburg.de
Phone: +49 (0)761 203 9093, +49 (0)761 203 4271, or -4371
International Admissions and Services
Please contact the International Graduate Academy responsible for your field of study to find out whether you need to fulfill any additional prerequisites in order to receive admission to a doctoral program.

You must find a professor at your faculty to supervise your dissertation. Your dissertation supervisor will either suggest a topic for your dissertation or agree to supervise a dissertation on a topic of your choice. However, no professor is obligated to supervise your dissertation, even if you have fulfilled all other preconditions for admission to doctoral studies.

As doctoral candidate you will be expected to produce new findings in a particular field of research. In some fields it is possible to earn a doctoral degree within the context of a research training group, in which a group of doctoral candidates work on dissertation projects in a related subject area and meet regularly to present their findings and exchange ideas in colloquiums or conferences. Some of these groups offer scholarships to provide financial support for their members.
Many departments offer open doctoral colloquiums, which provide a valuable opportunity to receive input from other doctoral candidates.
As a rule, doctoral candidates must take an oral examination, the “rigorosum,” after completing their dissertation.