Registration and matriculation 

Application for doctorate and registration/matriculation/enrolment as a doctoral student

Step 1 fo M&B doctoral candidates: Application for the official acceptance as a doctoral candidate with the faculty's Doctoral Committee / Dean's Office


In order to be recognized as a doctoral candidate and for a doctorate, candidates will have to hand in a formal doctoral project proposal (with signatures by supervisors) to the Doctoral Committee / Dean's Office of their preferred faculty (Fakultät) at their preferred university (see also Status). This process should be completed by the end of the first semester (i.e. by the end March). This will also be the faculty that will confer the doctoral degree (see Doctoral degree). Please check with your supervisor/faculty/university for the exact requirements.

Step 2 for M&B doctoral candidates: Either matriculation (enrolment) or registration as a doctoral student at the enrolment office of a university


Candidates will also have to matriculate (enrol) or register as a doctoral student at that university by the end of the first semester (see also Status). The institution at which enrolment will take place will depend on (a), and enrolment can only happen once the registration as recognition as a doctoral candidate [see (a)] has been achieved.

Documents needed


For the matriculation or registration, candidates will need to show all their original school leaving certificates, university certificates, transcripts, or certified copies of these documents.

Which faculty and university?


The acceptance as a doctoral candidate with the official Doctoral Committee / Dean's office a particular faculty at a particular university, and the subsequent matriculation or registration at that university, usually, but not invariably, depends on the main affiliation of the main supervisor. This can be Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, or Magdeburg, Leipzig, or Potsdam.
 

Example: How the process works at HU Berlin

Note: This is an excerpt only. Read more Q&A on: https://www.hu-berlin.de/de/studium/bewerbung/imma/promotion


I have been admitted to the M&B doctoral programme. What are my next steps?


First: You can apply for matriculation as a doctoral candidate only after you have received approval for your doctoral project from the Dean's Office / Doctoral Committee of your faculty. So, in order to be recognized as a doctoral candidate by the Dean's Office, you will have to hand in a formal doctoral project proposal (with signatures by supervisors) to the Doctoral Committee / Dean's Office of your preferred faculty (Fakultät) at their preferred university (see also Status). This process will have to be completed by the end of the first semester (at the lastest!). This is also the faculty that will confer the doctoral degree (see Doctoral degree). See (a) above.

Second: Once you have received that confirmation from the Doctoral Committee / Dean's Office, please submit the application for enrolment for doctoral studies or, if you are employed in a salaried position at HU, the application for registration for doctoral studies) with all required documents to the HU Enrolment Office (Immatrikulationsbüro) no later than four weeks after admission.

The four-week deadline for enrolment / registration after receipt of admission has been met if the application is received by the Enrolment Office within this period.

You can submit the required documents by post or via the letterbox drop (opening hours: Mon-Fri, 8.00-19.00) in the main building of the university in front of the Student Service Centre.
 

What documents do I have to submit for enrolment for a doctorate?


You can apply for enrolment for doctoral studies after you have received approval from the Dean's Office / Doctoral Committee of your faculty.

Matriculated doctoral candidates receive student status, a doctoral student HU e-mail account and have the option to create the Campus Card and activate the semester ticket. The semester fee must be paid for enrolment.

Enrolment for doctoral studies is possible even if you have a (salaried) employment relationship with HU. If you are employed at HU, you have two options to choose from: You can enrol or register for the doctorate for a maximum of the duration of your employment. When you register, you do not receive student status, a student HU account and you do not have the option of receiving the Campus Card with or without a semester ticket. There are no fees for the registration.

Important:
After receiving the matriculation number, you should report it to the doctoral office of your faculty. Many doctoral candidates forget to do this and, to their regret, there is not yet an HU-wide solution for the exchange of such data.
 

What documents do I have to submit to the Enrolment Office (Immatrikulationsbüro) to register for my doctorate?


If you are employed (i.e., on a salaried contract) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, or if you are on a stipend and work with a HU supervisor, you can register for doctoral studies at HU. Please submit the following documents for registration:

  • Application for registration for doctoral studies incl. information on educational biography,
  • For people of salaried contracts: Proof of employment at the HU showing the beginning and end of the employment relationship (e.g. a copy of the employment contract),
  • Previous university degree certificates in single copy (domestic and/or foreign),
  • University entrance qualification (e.g., school-leaving certificate) as a single copy,
  • Single copy of exmatriculation certificate from the last German higher education institution attended (if applicable),
  • Letter of admission from the dean's office / doctoral committee as a single copy.
     

I have submitted my documents to the Enrolment Office (Immatrikulationsbüro). How do I find out that I have been matriculated/registered?


After your application has been received by the Enrolment Office, your documents will be carefully checked. If any documents are missing, we will inform you by e-mail or by post and, if necessary, give you a deadline for submitting the documents later.

When your documents have been received in full, you will be informed of your enrolment/registration by e-mail. In addition, you will receive information on the further steps you need to take (e.g. activation of the Campus Card, student account).
 

During the doctorate: re-registration, fees and questions about the semester ticket


I am enrolled for my doctorate. Do I have to re-register every semester?
 
Yes, in order to retain your status as a doctoral student and to complete your doctoral project, you must re-register within the re-registration period. Please refer to the information on the main re-registration deadlines in your AGNES account and here.
 

I am employed at HU and registered as a doctoral student. My employment contract will end soon. How should I proceed?
 

Since registration for doctoral studies is only possible for the duration of your employment at the HU, you must enrol after the end of your employment. Please submit the application for enrolment for doctoral studies to the Enrolment Office. In addition, please submit proof of payment of the semester contribution, proof of health insurance and an informal letter informing us that you are currently registered for doctoral studies.


Why are there so many different fees within one semester on the application for enrolment for doctoral studies? Which applies to me?

 
The amount of the semester fee depends on two factors: whether you would like to use the semester ticket and the date on which you apply for enrolment for doctoral studies.

If you wish to use the semester ticket and apply for enrolment within the first month of the semester (April or October), the semester fee must be paid in full, including the semester ticket fee.

If you apply for enrolment after the end of the first semester month, the semester ticket fee only has to be paid proportionately from the month of enrolment.

If you waive the semester ticket, the semester fee for the current semester is constant regardless of the month of enrolment.

If you enrol in the last three month of a semester (these are: July to September and January to March), we ask you to transfer the re-registration fee for the respective following semester in addition to the semester fee for the enrolment semester.
 

Note: This is an excerpt only. Read more Q&A on: https://www.hu-berlin.de/de/studium/bewerbung/imma/promotion: https://www.hu-berlin.de/de/studium/bewerbung/imma/promotion

This page last updated on: 31 August 2023