Doctoral Research at TU Berlin

Following the Bachelor and Master degree, the doctoral dissertation – a treatise based on your individual and original research contributing to the advancement of your discipline – and its oral defence in an academic discussion lead to the conferral of a doctoral degree.

In Germany (as elsewhere) the first and most important condition for admission as a doctoral candidate is academic excellence in combination with a keen interest in research work. In addition a Master's degree (or equivalent) is required. Students with a Bachelor degree can apply directly to the fast-track doctoral programme of the Berlin Mathematical School.

In contrast to other universities (especially in the United States or the United Kingdom) doctoral education is free of charge in Berlin. Candidates who are not employed at the university should register as doctoral students, thus being formally linked to the university and receiving free public transport for a small administrative fee. Details regarding registration are available from the Office for International Admissions.

Please note that the registration as a doctoral student does not lead to automatic admission as a doctoral candidate – this process lies in the responsibility of each school and is conducted separately.

The Regulations Governing the Conferring of Doctorates at the Technische Universität Berlin – Berlin Institute of Technology provide details of the relevant procedures on the way to a doctorate and should be read carefully.

In 2008, 419 candidates successfully completed their doctoral research at the TU Berlin, a third of them women. Corresponding to the main focus of the university most degrees were awarded for research in the fields of Natural Science and Engineering.