Doctoral Agreement

Attention: This website is not actively maintained. Consequently, information may be outdated. The last update was in June 2024!

Please note that the following content is intended only as support. The legally binding procedure for the doctoral degree is defined in the version of the doctoral regulations ("Promotionsordnung") applicable to you. 

Within the first six months after starting the doctoral program or after receiving the commitment from the KIT supervisor, a doctoral agreement must be signed. The form for the doctoral agreement can be found here as a Word doc or PDF.

The following additional documents may be helpful for completion of the Doctoral Agreement:

Subsequently, the doctoral candidate must register with KHYS (Karlsruhe House of Young Scientists). Registration is done through the Docata portal. A description of the registration process can be found here.

[Note: There is also a KHYS guide for the formal steps of the doctoral process (see here). This one may differ from the guide described here as other departments handle the process differently.]

Both the copy of the doctoral agreement (including attachments) and a printout of the registration confirmation with KHYS must be attached to the application for registration as a doctoral candidate at the Department of Economics and Management (see Step 2).

Further Comments on the Doctoral Agreement

  • The Landeshochschulgesetz (LHG) has made the signing of a doctoral agreements mandatory. This agreement has been required for acceptance at a KIT department since January 1, 2015. For all doctoral candidates registered prior, the completion of a doctoral agreement is optional and can be arranged in coordination with the supervisor.

  • The Dean decides on the acceptance as a doctoral candidate. Unlike in some other faculties, our faculty does not have a doctoral committee.

  • The doctoral project is described in a topic proposal and a work-time plan. The topic proposal with a brief summary (or, if applicable, a detailed exposé) represents the current planning status and can be adjusted during the doctoral process. Therefore, defining a topic and timeline is not a barrier to completing the doctoral agreement early.

  • Under "§3 Doctoral project" ("cumulative doctoral project"), "no" must be marked for a doctoral program which is under the 2012 doctoral regulations. For a doctoral program which is under the 2018 doctoral regulations, you can decide between yes or no.