Cooperative Doctorate
Whether you decide to do your doctorate at the Doctoral School NRW or in the form of a cooperative doctorate, the Doctoral School NRW will support you throughout the process. Should you decide to do a cooperative doctorate, supervision will be provided by both a supervisor of the Doctoral School NRW and a supervisor at the cooperating university.
Cooperative Doctorate at the Doctoral School NRW
Throughout the doctorate, supervision is provided by both the supporting UAS of the Doctoral School NRW and the cooperating university the doctoral candidate is enrolled at. Professors from both universities work together in a team as supervisors, reviewers and examiners. However, the doctoral degree is awarded by the cooperating university the doctoral student is enrolled at. Therefore, the doctoral degree regulations of the respective faculty set the requirements that must be met to successfully complete the doctoral degree.
The Doctoral School NRW supports doctoral candidates who pursue a cooperative doctorate at one of its supporting UAS. Doctoral candidates benefit in particular from
- the subject-specific expertise and input of experienced scientists at the Doctoral School NRW
- participation in a doctoral program, including training programs and networking formats
- cross-university networking with doctoral candidates and professors at the Doctoral School NRW
- cross-university exchange of experiences and research activities of the respective department
- individual counseling, support and further training
- diverse contacts in business and industry resulting from research collaborations of the scientists at the Doctoral School NRW
- excellent career prospects within and outside academia
Step 1: Finding a Supervisor
Check out the webpages of our departments to see which of our professorial members or associate professors will be a good fit for your doctoral project.
To get in touch, we recommend contacting the professor via email, asking for an appointment. Please introduce yourself briefly, give a short outline of your doctoral project and attach an exposé, if possible.
To find a suitable supervisor at the cooperating university, please consult your supervisor at the UAS. Please also reach out to the relevant departments at the cooperating university where you wish to pursue your doctoral studies, alongside contacting the professor who could potentially be suitable to supervise your work.
Step 2: Applying for Membership at the Doctoral School NRW
Submit an application for membership at the Doctoral School NRW as soon as you
- have received written confirmation of supervision from a professorial member or associate professor at the respective department of the Doctoral School NRW and
- have prepared an initial exposé (short exposé).
The application can be submitted via our Kolleginformations- und Steuerungssystem (KISS) for the duration of the entire doctoral phase.
Step 3: Acceptance as a Doctoral Candidate at a Cooperating University
The decision of acceptance as a doctoral candidate will be made by the cooperating university you have chosen to pursue your doctorate at. The respective doctoral degree regulations define the doctoral procedure and the details of acceptance and enrolment.
Step 4: Getting a Supervision Agreement
You will sign a supervision agreement with your supervisors at the cooperating university and the UAS. This agreement is meant to make sure the relationship between you and your supervisors is clear, on time, and binding. The agreement can be updated and changed if need be.
If the cooperating university provides a mandatory template for the supervision agreement, this should be used. The contents of the agreement should be agreed upon with your supervisors at both the cooperating university and the UAS.
The process described above merely depicts an example of a best-case scenario. The order of the steps may vary in reality.
Downloads
Betreuungsvereinbarung
für kooperativ Promovierende des PK NRW (Muster) (.docx)
Ordnung zur Sicherung guter wissenschaftlicher Praxis
und zum Umgang mit wissenschaftlichem Fehlverhalten am Promotionskolleg NRW in der Fassung vom 19.04.2022 (.pdf)
Confirmation of Supervision
Confirmation of Supervision for Cooperative Doctoral Procedures (informal) (.docx)
On specialised aspects of the doctorate
Please contact the coordinators of the respective department.
Click here for an overview of the department coordinators.
Janina Obermeyer
Doctoral counselling, funding issues, support measures
+49 234 32 10134
