Since 2022, Ph.D. students in Baden-Württemberg can do their doctorates at the Universities of Applied Sciences Doctorate Center.
In many countries, a scientific doctoral degree is the highest academic qualification which can be attained. It is achieved by writing and defending a dissertation/doctoral thesis, and is very important for science and research.
The Promotionsverband (doctorate organization) for universities of applied sciences in Baden-Württemberg – a union of 24 universities of applied sciences – offers the chance to conduct innovative and application-focused research and to do a doctoral degree in, for example, behavioral science, social science, economics, law, life sciences, biotechnology, medical engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, or engineering.
It is still possible to do a cooperative doctorate with a doctorate-conferring university, where the main supervisor is generally a member of that university. Alternatively, you can do a doctorate via association – where a professor is associated with a department at a doctorate-conferring university for the purposes of the doctorate.
Steps for doing a doctoral degree at the Doctorate Center
Acceptance by the Doctorate Center is organized by the Promotionsverband (Baden-Württemberg’s doctorate organization). You will find all the information and documents you need on the Promotionsverband website (in German).
1. Make a supervision agreement
Have you decided to do a Ph.D.? The first step is to find a main supervisor who fits with you and your topic, and who can supervise your doctoral project. This would be a professor who is a member of the Doctorate Center (see section “Which professors at THU have the right to confer a doctoral degree?”). Get in touch with them, clarify any queries you may have, and conclude a supervision agreement with the Doctorate Center.
2. Submit an application for admission to the Promotionsverband
So you’ve found a suitable main supervisor among the THU professors, concluded a supervision agreement, and would now like to apply to become a doctoral candidate? Fill out the Application for admission (PDF in German) and submit it – along with the supervision agreement and all other necessary documents – to the Promotionsverband Baden-Württemberg by BOTH post and e-mail.
Please use the subject line “Application for admission” on your e-mail.
Promotionsverband Baden-Württemberg
Hospitalstraße 8
70174 Stuttgart
info@promotionsverband-bw.de.
3. Enrollment at the main supervisor’s university
If the doctoral committee approves your application, you will receive a Notice of Acceptance (Annahmebescheid). You must present this when you enroll at the main supervisor’s university. You are obliged to enroll as per section 38(5) S. 1 of the State Higher Education Act [Landeshochschulgesetz – LHG]. According to section 38(5) S. 1, second half sentence, of the State Higher Education Act [Landeshochschulgesetz – LHG], doctoral candidates may request an exemption from mandatory enrollment if they already work at the main supervisor’s university – that is, if they have an employment contract there which is for at least half the regular working time of a full-time position.
Which professors at THU have the right to confer a doctoral degree?
The quality assurance of the doctoral process in the Promotionsverband is ensured by mandatory processes, legal standards, and university standards. At its heart is a quality-led selection process of professors with the right to award doctoral degrees, based on their track record in research. Depending on their proven research profile and sufficient ongoing research activities, they may be accepted into the Doctorate Center on a time-limited basis. This means that they must submit evidence of their research activities for approval at regular intervals.
Currently, the following professors at THU have the right to confer a doctoral degree:
Research unit II: Life sciences, Biotechnology, Medical Engineering
Prof. Dr. Felix Capanni
Prof. Dr. Martin Heßling
Research unit III: Computer Science and Electrical Engineering – Engineering 2
Prof. Dr. Dietmar Graeber
Prof. Gerd Heilscher
Prof. Dr. Michael Munz
Prof. Dr. Marc-Oliver Otto
Prof. Dr. Christian Schlegel
Prof. Dr. Marianne von Schwerin
Prof. Dr. Reinhold von Schwerin
Research unit IV: Engineering
Prof. Dr. Peter Renze
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Walter
Cooperative doctorate with a university
At THU it is also possible to do a cooperative doctorate with a doctorate-conferring university, where the main supervisor is generally a member of that university. Alternatively, you can do a doctorate via association – where a professor is associated with a department at a doctorate-conferring university, for the purposes of the doctorate.
If you have been accepted for a doctoral degree at a university, you must conclude a supervision agreement (in German) with THU. You will also find more information about doing a doctorate at THU on the Intranet.
- Association
- According to section 38 (6a) LHG, university lecturers can be “associated” on a temporary basis for the purposes of the doctoral degree process. The Baden-Württemberg universities have set up association regulations for this, but additional regulations often apply in the relevant university departments as well. Association can be arranged upon application. Acceptance of the application is linked to the applicant’s relevant required scientific qualification (publication activity, procurement of external funding). With association, professors from universities of applied sciences have the same rights in the doctoral process as university professors. The Baden-Württemberg Universities of Applied Sciences have put together the relevant association regulations for universities.
- Co-optation
- Co-optation, the official form of cooperation for equal rights regarding supervision of the doctoral process, continues to be possible as per LHG section 22(4). Here, a university lecturer is co-opted as a member of a department and also receives the right to vote in that department
- Joint supervision / cooperative doctorate
- A person with the right to confer a doctorate performs the first review of a dissertation, and the university of applied sciences professor performs the second review. This arrangement should be clarified before any planned supervision.
Cooperative Post Graduate School Data Science and AI (THU – Ulm University)
The use of data science methodologies (in particular artificial intelligence and machine learning) has become a part of everyday life in many areas of science, business, medicine, and society. Increasingly, data science methodologies and the associated analytics procedures are used for decision-making. Systems and algorithms are taking decisions which have previously been made by human beings – even those with far-reaching consequences or which are irreversible.
This demonstrates the urgency of putting data science methods, processes, and algorithms on a solid foundation. Terms such as explainability, traceability, transparency and freedom from discrimination are some of the things discussed intensely in the field of artificial intelligence. The Cooperative Post Graduate School (KPK) between THU and Ulm University tackles this issue.
Explainability and traceability are prerequisites for trust in data science processes. These terms are primarily focused upon the period after data science methods have been applied. However, trust in a process generally demands guarantees about the expected behavior of the methods before and during application. This means a quantitative investigation of the process is necessary: the specification of significant influencing factors, their sensitivities, and dependencies. This also permits the control of processes and algorithms so that, depending on the application, their monitoring and control is, in turn, managed by processes and algorithms.
The combination of fundamental and application-oriented research is, on the one hand, formed by the methods to be used and, on the other hand, by the applications under consideration. The Cooperative Post Graduate School uses methods from business information systems, computer science, mathematics, and statistics which are all advocated by experts at Ulm University and THU. These are algorithms, optimization procedures, as well as machine and statistical learning. These methodologies are universal in the sense that they are not application-specific. Due to the professors involved, at the Cooperative Post Graduate School our focus is on automation, business analytics, medicine, and life sciences.
In the Cooperative Post Graduate School "Data Science and Analytics: Trust in and Control of Algorithms", THU and Ulm University have been awarded doctoral grants for doctoral projects in the field of Data Science and AI.
Contact at THU: Prof. Dr. Kathrin Stucke-Straub
Doctoral degrees already completed at THU
The following doctorates were conducted with scientific supervision by THU professors in cooperation with a university:
2024
Fehler, Nicole
Universität Ulm
Investigation on Potential Retinal Risk of Visible Light in Terms of Photochemical and Thermal Hazards according to National and International Guidelines Using Ex-Vivo Porcine Eyes during Intraocular Illumination with Ophthalmic Fibers for Diaphanoscopy and Endoillumination with Respect to Iris Color
Pabst, Valerie
Universität Ulm
Thermal Energy Storage with Zonal Fixed Beds of Phase Change Material - A Simulative and Experimental Investigation
2023
Akermann, Kevin
RWTH Aachen
Large-Eddy Simulation of Turbulent Heat Transfer and Particle Deposition in Helically Ribbed Pipes
Blender, Timo
Universität Ulm, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Informatik und Psychologie
Variability management in a robotics software ecosystem based on dependency variability graphs for modeling, composing and resolving multi-dimensional variability spaces
Mittmann, Benjamin Johannes
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Medizinische Fakultät
Entwicklung computergestützer Assistenzmethoden für die Thrombektomie
Werner, Denis
Technische Universität Ilmenau, Fakultät für Maschinenbau
Validierung der Schallleitungsberechnung bei PKW-Getrieben
2022
Hoenes, Katharina
Universität Ulm, Medizinische Fakultät
Die antimikrobielle Wirkung sichtbarer Strahlung basierend auf natürlich vorkommenden endogenen Photosensitibilisatoren
Iberle, Johannes
Universität Ulm
Radarzielsimulator zur Generierung von mikro-Doppler-Signaturen verletzlicher Verkehrsteilnehmer
Lutz, Matthias
Technische Universität München, TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology
Composable Coordination for Service Robots:A Model-Driven Approach
Maurer, Christian
Technische Universität München, TUM School of Engineering and Design
Charakterisierung und Modellierung von Lithium-Schwefel-Zellen
2021
Breckle, Theresa
Universität Siegen
Digitale intervallbasierte Planung und Bewertung manueller Montagesysteme in der Konzeptplanungsphase
Dötzel, Eugen
Universität Ulm
Eine klinische Studie zur Untersuchung der Biomechanik Vorfußamputierter beim Tragen einer individuell angepassten Carbonprothese sowie einer (Standard-)Silikonprothese
Narayanan, Muthalagappan
Budapest University of Technology and Economics
Investigation of model predictive controllers for maximum renewable energy utilization in single-family houses
Vidal Lorbada, Ricardo
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Characterization and simulation of CIGS thin-film solar cells and interconnects
2020
Lavrenko, Tetiana
Martin-Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg
Electrical characterisation, modelling and simulation of Cu (In, Ga), (Se, S)2 Solar Cells
Lissek, Fabian
Technische Universität Ilmenau
Beitrag zum Verständnis der Zerspanung nachgiebiger Strukturen aus kohlefaserverstärkten Kunststoffen: Charakterisierung, Modellierung und Bewertung instationärer Bohrprozesse
2019
Hepner, Christopher
Universität Nürnberg-Erlangen
An IEEE 802.11 Based Wireless Mesh Disaster Recovery System with Lifetime Enhancement
Kölbl, Philipp
Universität Ulm
Neuartige LED basierte Intra- und extraokulare Beleuchtungskonzepte unter photonischen, biomechanischen und chirurgischen Aspekten
Ott, Thomas
Universität Ulm
Langzeitstabilität von Cu(In,Ga)Se2-Dünnschichtsolarzellen
2018
Stampfer, Dennis
TU München
Contributions to System Composition using a System Design Process driven by Service Definitions for Service Robotics
Falkenberger, Stefan
Universität Ilmenau
Optimierung der Berechnung der Schallabstrahlung von Getriebegehäusen: experimentelle und analytische Untersuchungen zur Geräuschentwicklung von Fahrzeug-Schaltgetrieben
Kalkbrenner, Christoph
Universität Ulm
Novel Sleep Screening Based on Tracheal Body Sound and Actigraphy
Lotz, Alex
TU München
Managing Non-Functional Communication Aspects in the Entire Life-Cycle of a Component-Based Robotic Software System
2017
Piro, Neltje Emma
Universität Ulm
Konzeption, Entwicklung und Evaluation eines interoperablen Telemonitoringsystems für Patienten mit Morbus Parkinson
2016
Haide, Manuel
Universität Kiel
Durchflussmessung mit Ultraschall-Phased-Array-Sensoren
Pflugrad, Andreas
Universität Ulm
Developing an Automated Bibliometric Analysis System for Finding Rare Disease Experts
Predeschly, Michael
Universität Ulm
Entwicklung einer Infrastruktur zum Selbstmonitoring unter Nutzung sozialer Netzwerke für die Bewältigung von Krankheiten
Ruf, Holger PhD
Agder, Norwegen
Computation of the Load Flow at the Transformer in Distribution Grids with a Significant Number of Photovoltaic Systems using Satellite-derived Solar Irradiance Data
2015
Lutz, Steffen
Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
MIMO-Radar Systemarchitektur und Parameterschätzung für komplexe Mehrzielszenarien
2013
Krammer, Sandra
Universität Ulm
Konzeption, Realisierung und Bewertung eines spielbasierten Ansatzes für E-Learning in der Medizin
Contact
Prof. Dr. Christian Dettmann
Vice President for Research
prorektorat-forschung@thu.de
Tel. +49 731 96537 203
Franziska Lampert
Research Management Officer
fm@thu.de
Tel.: +49 731 96537 499
