Doing a Doctorate at Technische Universität Berlin

An individual doctorate is completed by a candidate employed at Technische Universität Berlin in a position funded by the University budget or by third-party funding, or who is receiving a doctoral fellowship, or earning their money outside of the University.

• If you choose to do an individual doctorate, you will be supervised by one doctoral advisor.
• You will work independently and are free to organize your own time. How you use your time will determine how long you need to complete your doctorate.
• You have the opportunity to discuss your work with other doctoral candidates via colloquia and conferences.
• You have the option to do an “internal doctorate”, as part of which you undertake teaching duties as a teaching and research assistant in one of TU Berlin’s institutes. The other alternative is to do an “external” doctorate, in other words not employed at Technische Universität Berlin .

Technische Universität Berlin offers an increasing number of graduate schools, graduate programs and research training groups. Candidates in these programs receive specialist and interdisciplinary training and continuing education and are supervised by more than one doctoral advisor. In addition, a graduate program also includes interdisciplinary trainings and further education.

• Candidates completing their doctorate in a research training group are supervised by several doctoral advisors and have the possibility to discuss their research with other members of their group.
• The doctorate is completed within a structured curriculum with compulsory courses offering specialist and inter-disciplinary training and continuing education.
• You enjoy professional and interdisciplinary training and further education.
• Duration: three to four years (if completed within the regular period)

The structured doctoral programs include the highly regarded Berlin Mathematical School, the Berlin International Graduate School of Natural Sciences and Engineering at the Einstein Center of Catalysis as well as the Doctoral Program in Science of Intelligence, funded within the Excellence Strategy. Technische Universität Berlin also enjoys a close connection to the numerous research institutes, such as the Helmholtz Centers and Max Planck Institutes, that form a key part of Berlin’s “Brain City” and contribute to the capital’s status as a center of science and research.