Dates and Deadlines

Doctoral candidates and prospective doctoral researchers who are pursuing (or intend to pursue) a doctorate within one of the Doctoral School NRW programs are required to observe various dates and deadlines to ensure a smooth progression of their doctoral studies. Here you will find further information on the relevant dates and deadlines.

Termine und Fristen
Semesterzeiten am PK NRW
Allgemeine Fristen am PK NRW
Weitere Fristen am PK NRW

Semester Periods at the Doctoral School NRW

Summer Semester: 01.03.–31.08.
Winter Semester: 01.09.–28./29.02.

General Deadlines at the Doctoral School NRW

Please note that failure to meet the deadlines listed below may result in deregistration from the Doctoral School NRW and/or your university of applied sciences.

Deadlines are subject to change.

Applications must be submitted via our Doctoral School Information and Management System (KISS).

Admission as a doctoral candidate

The application for admission as a doctoral candidate at the Doctoral School NRW must be submitted no later than three months after enrollment at the Doctoral School NRW.
The Doctoral Examining Committee of the respective department generally decides within three months after the application has been submitted. The meeting dates of the Doctoral Examing Committees are published on the “Bodies and Offices” page of the respective departments.
Please note: Successful admission is a prerequisite for enrollment/re-registration at both the Doctoral School NRW and the UAS. Conditional enrollment is possible for a limited period.

Enrollment at the Doctoral School NRW

The application for enrollment at the Doctoral School NRW must be submitted within four weeks after enrollment at the university of applied sciences (UAS).

Re-registration at the Doctoral School NRW

Application period for re-registration for the winter semester: 01.07.–31.10
Application period for re-registration for the summer semester: 01,01–30.04.
Re-registration at the Doctoral School NRW is based on your re-registration at your UAS. Please make sure to observe the specific requirements for enrollment and re-registration at your UAS.

Leave of Absence

Applications for a leave of absence must be submitted to your university of applied sciences in accordance with the deadlines set there.
Before applying for a leave of absence, you are welcome to seek advice from the coordination of your department. This consultation can be helpful especially for clarifying questions regarding deadlines set by the Doctoral Examining Committee and the completion of examination requirements.

De-registration

Applications for de-registration can be submitted at any time.
De-registration takes effect at the end of a semester, on the date of application, or retroactively to the same date as the de-registration at your UAS.

Additional Deadlines at the Doctoral School NRW

Recognition of Achievements

Applications may be submitted at any time.
All achievements required as part of the doctoral program must be recognized before the application to initiate the doctoral examination process.
Recognition of external achievements is granted by the responsible Doctoral Examining Committee. The meeting dates of the Doctoral Examining Committees are published on the “Boards and Bodies” page of the respective departments.

Erfüllung von Auflagen

Applications may be submitted at any time.
The deadline for fulfilling a requirement is specified in the admission notice.
The responsible Doctoral Examining Committee checks whether the requirement has been fulfilled. The meeting dates of the Doctoral Examining Committees are published on the “Boards and Bodies” page of the respective departments.

Initiation of the Doctoral Examination Process

Applications may be submitted at any time, provided that you have:
- Completed your dissertation and submitted at least five printed copies to the Doctoral School NRW,
- Fulfilled all achievements from the doctoral program and had them recognized by the Doctoral Examining Committee,
- Fulfilled all requirements specified in the admission notice and received confirmation from the Doctoral Examining Committee,
- Documented that all achievements specified in the supervision agreement have been completed,
- Submitted the annual progress reports.
The decision on the application is made by the responsible Doctoral Examining Committee. The meeting dates of the Doctoral Examining Committees are published on the “Boards and Bodies” page of the respective departments.
Withdrawal of the application to initiate the doctoral examination process may be requested once, in writing, within four weeks after the appointment of the reviewers. Withdrawal is not possible if a review has already been submitted.

Compensation for Disadvantages

The application must be submitted at the latest with the application to initiate the doctoral examination process.

Protection Periods

On request, maternity protection periods may be granted by the responsible Doctoral Examining Committee. These suspend all deadlines according to the Framework Doctoral Degree Regulations (RPO).
On request, deadlines for parental leave may be granted. The request must be submitted to the responsible Doctoral Examining Committee at least four weeks before the start of parental leave.
We recommend consulting the coordination of your department in advance. This consultation can clarify questions regarding deadlines, completion of examination requirements, and, if applicable, applying for a leave of absence.

Extension of Admission

The application must be submitted at least three months before the expiration of your admission as a doctoral candidate.

Hinweise zur Antragsellung

Applications for enrollment, re-registration, leave of absence, or de-registration

Applications for enrollment, re-registration, or de-registration can be submitted at any time. Please observe the deadlines listed on this page.

Applications for a leave of absence must be submitted to the university of applied sciences (UAS) in accordance with the deadlines set there.

Applications to the Doctoral Committee

Applications for admission, recognition of achievements, fulfillment of requirements, initiation of the doctoral examination process, compensation for disadvantages, protection periods, extension of the dissertation publication deadline, or extension of admission may be submitted at any time. If the application is submitted on time, it will generally be considered at the next meeting of the responsible Doctoral Examining Committee. The current meeting dates can be found on the “Boards and Bodies” pages of the respective department.

Starting from the summer semester 2026, the following deadlines apply for timely submission. Only applications submitted by these dates can be considered at the next meeting:

1. October
15. December
1. April
15. June

Applications submitted after these dates will be considered at the following meeting.

Important note: The binding deadlines for fulfilling requirements are stated in your admission notice. These deadlines may differ from the dates listed above.