jena university phd programs

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Doctoral Programs and Graduate Schools

The Jena Graduate School "Human Behaviour in Social and Economic Change" (GSBC), funded by the Federal Programme "ProExzellenz" of the Free State of Thuringia and hosted by the Friedrich-Schiller University Jena (FSU Jena), is an interdisciplinary doctoral school aiming at providing the best research environment. The research approach together with other disciplines including psychology, economics, sociology, applied ethics and law, offer deeper insights into how individual behaviour and structural changes are related.

The Graduate College 'The Economics of Innovative Change' is a distinguished PhD programme in Economics, offered by the Department of Economics of the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany. The programme results from the former DFG Research Training Group 1411 which has been financed by the German Research Foundation from 2006-2017. We offer a comprehensive PhD-level training to 10-15 outstanding young graduates. The programme is international and highly committed to quality in teaching and research. All academic activities of the PhD programme are conducted in English.

The graduate college 'The Economic Impact of Digital Transformation' is an interdisciplinary doctoral program with extensive doctoral training. PhD students are expected to complete their PhD projects within 3 years. The first year is devoted to improving theoretical knowledge and skills, while the second and third years focus on dissertation research. The program offers a structured course program including a 2-week summer school per year. The program serves as a platform for collaboration, as an intermediary for joint scientific activities and as a forum for the exchange of knowledge. In addition, it provides senior expertise for the training of young scientists in all necessary fields of competence: thematic, methodical and transferable skills such as networking, science management, time management and career planning.

The aim of the programme is to stimulate the scientific debate on the basic ideas of the social market economy and to stimulate their creative further development against the background of the current challenges facing politics, society and the economy.

The Jena Doctoral Program in Economics is designed for doctoral candidates aiming for a successful career in academia or institutions that require high-quality doctoral training, including international organizations, think tanks, research institutes, government agencies, central banks, and financial institutions.

The international Jena School of Molecular Medicine (JSMM) is a graduate school for life science and medical doctorands, who work towards a doctoral degree in different fields of molecular and experimental medicine. It offers an interdisciplinary programme in an inspiring research environment with a unique combination of expertise in molecular and cellular biology, biophotonics, molecular medicine and clinical research. JSMM is a member of the Jena Alliance Life in Focus supported by the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung, a member of the Jena Graduate Academy and comprises six graduate programmes.

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Doctoral studies

Main building of the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy Max-Wien-Platz 1 07743 Jena

• [email protected]
• +49 3641 9-47003
• +49 3641 9-47002

Opening hours: 7:30 - 11:30 Uhr and 14:00 - 15:30 Uhr Consulting for doctoral study: Ms. Dr. Unkroth +49-3641-9-47003 Ongoing doctoral procedures: Ms. Ullrich +49-3641-9-47001

Mailing adress:  Dekanat der Physikalisch-Astronomischen Fakultät                              Max-Wien-Platz 1                              07743 Jena

email:                  [email protected]

General advice on Ph.D. studies :                  Dr. Angela Unkroth,  Tel.: +49-(0)3641-9-47003

Consultancy on ongoing Ph.D. procedures: Nicole Ullrich,  Tel.: +49-(0)3641-9-47001

• Doctoral Examination Regulations dated November 20, 2018 pdf, 447 kb  · de
• Implementing Provisions on the PhD Regulations pdf, 106 kb  · de

Please, register under https://doc-in.uni-jena.de External link .

Please, complete the form "Application for Acceptance into the Doctoral Program"  and the " Supervising agreement docx, 17 kb  · de of the PAF " ( pdf pdf, 121 kb  · de ).

Submit both signed documents together with copies of your grades in the Dean's office of the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy please.

The doctoral regulations of the PAF provide for a supplementary subject so that knowledge beyond the topic of the doctoral thesis can be acquired during the doctorate. According to the doctoral regulations, the dean decides on the admission of a supplementary subject. To establish a transparent and comprehensible approval process here, there were several rounds of talks with the responsible status groups and the results were laid down in the implementation regulations for doctoral studies and made known to all those responsible for supervision in our faculty. In the interests of fairness and comparability with all doctoral students in our faculty, the regulations listed below are therefore absolutely binding for all doctoral students.

The doctoral regulations of the PAF require proof of knowledge in a supplementary subject to acquire knowledge in a broader area. According to the regulations, the dean decides on the admission of a supplementary subject. In order to establish a transparent and comprehensible approval procedure, after several rounds of talks the results were laid down in the Durchführungsbestimmungen (implementation regulations for the doctorate) pdf, 106 kb  · de and all supervisors in our faculty were made aware of them. In the interests of fairness and comparability with all doctoral students in our faculty, the regulations listed below are therefore absolutely binding for all doctoral students.

1.       The supplementary subject must be a course for advanced students. This is a special or in-depth lecture for master’s students. It is strongly recommended that approval be obtained from the Dean prior to taking the course.

2.       In order to ensure the breadth, courses from the subject area of ​​the doctoral thesis are excluded. The subject area of ​​the doctorate corresponds to one of the four specializations available at the faculty: optics/photonics, materials science/solid state physics, astronomy/astrophysics and gravitational and quantum theory. The assignment of the doctorate to a subject area results from the assignment of the first supervisor. All courses that are listed in the Friedolin course catalog as specialization of this area are therefore excluded. For optics/photonics it should be noted that courses from the M.Sc. Physics with a focus on optics/photonics and M.Sc. Photonics are excluded. It is assumed, that the teachers or the Dean of Studies have made this assignment for good and understandable reasons, and therefore the Dean does not question this assignment.

3.       Proof of knowledge of the supplementary subject is provided in a discussion between the doctoral students and the responsible lecturer and fixed in a protocol pdf, 83 kb  · de . The requirements for admission as “examiners” are like those for reviewers of a doctoral thesis:

·         Authorization for independent supervision of doctoral theses

·         Exclusion of conflicts of interest; this includes, among others, belonging to the same university or non-university institute/facility as the doctoral candidate or primary supervisor.

4.       According to the doctoral regulations, the council of the faculty deals with objections to the decision of the dean. A corresponding application must be submitted to the council of the faculty.

Please, contact the Dean's office before submission of the doctoral thesis. There you will get further information pdf, 20 kb  · de and help.

Here docx, 15 kb  · de you find the requestion form for the opening of the doctoral conferral procedure. ( pdf pdf, 145 kb  · de ) Please, keep in mind that at the date of opening the doctoral procedure the colloquium in the supplementary subject (protocol) pdf, 83 kb  · de has to be passed.

If the examiners do not live or work in the European Economic Area you have to submit the " Unbedenklichkeitserklärung für die Exportkontrolle (wiss. Publikationen) pdf, 168 kb  · de " for each of them.

After the doctoral degree has been successfully conferred, you are obliged to publish the dissertation and to deliver the required copies to the university library, the Thüringer Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek (ThULB) .

Here you find a checklist External link for submitting a doctoral dissertation at the ThULB.

Ph. D. students of the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy can prepare for the oral examinations according to the Ph. D. regulations within graduate studies.

Over a time period of some terms the faculty offers  lectures in the following  key areas of research on a regular basis:

• Optics/Laser Physics
• Solid State Physics / Materials Science
• Astronomy /Astrophysics
• Gravitational and Quantum Theory

The Vorlesungsverzeichnis External link (Friedolin) provides information on the ongoing lectures in the actual term.

Here you find a mailing list for networking with other Ph.D. students of the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy :  https://lserv.uni-jena.de/mailman/listinfo/phd-paf External link

Recommendations of the Konferenz der Fachbereiche Physik ( pdf, 461 kb  · de KFP)

The public disputations (defenses) of the doctoral thesis  generally take place at 16:15 in the lecture hall 2, Helmholtzweg 5.

• M.Sc. Marta Gilaberte Basset
• M.Sc. Mona Nissen
• M.Sc. Resad Kahvedzic
• M.Sc. Harsh
• M.Sc. Athira Kuppadakkath
• M.Sc. Pawan Kumar
• M.Sc. Anna Rühl (geb. Fedotova)
• M.Sc. Philipp Kellner
• M.Sc. Fang Liu
• M.Sc. Wilhelm Eschen
• M.Sc. Mustafa Kemal Döner
• M.Sc. Anindita Dasgupta
• M.Sc. Alexander Kirsche
• M.Sc. Christopher Evan Aleshire
• M.Sc. Jiři Zak
• M.Sc. Ayşe Tuğça Mina Yesilyurt
• M.Sc. Gontalo Palma Vega
• M.Sc. Tino Morgenroth
• M.Sc. Esther Menz
• M.Sc. Paul Schmitt

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Welcome to the homepage of the Graduate College 'The Economics of Innovative Change'

The Graduate College 'The Economics of Innovative Change' is a distinguished PhD programme in Economics, offered by the Department of Economics of the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany. The programme results from the former DFG Research Training Group 1411 which has been financed by the German Research Foundation from 2006-2017. We offer a comprehensive PhD-level training to 10-15 outstanding young graduates. The programme is international and highly committed to quality in teaching and research. All academic activities of the PhD programme are conducted in English.

The programme

The PhD group hosts doctoral candidates from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena which are financed by the university or by external scholarships e.g. DAAD, CSC. The PhD students are expected to complete their PhD projects within around 3 years. The first year is devoted to improving the theoretical knowledge and competences, while the second and the third year concentrate on the dissertation-related research. The programme offers a 2-week summer school each year. The programme serves as a platform for collaboration, as a facilitator of joint scientific activities, and as a forum for knowledge exchange. It also provides senior expertise for junior research training in all necessary areas of competence: thematic, methodological, and transferable skills such as networking, scientific management, time management, and career planning.

Research Topics

Allowing for a broad concept of "innovation" we address a wide range of topics: industrial dynamics; entrepreneurship; innovation decisions and behaviour; competition, cooperation and strategic interaction in innovation; innovation in the development of consumption and consumer behaviour; human capital, skills and employment; innovation and regional development; innovation and economic dynamics of developing countries; energy, environment and innovation; innovation policy, and innovation management. The analytical approaches we pursue range from theoretical and empirical modeling, game theory, simulation analysis to experimental economics.

Through methodological and theoretical courses the programme deepens the capabilities of our PhD students to conduct a world-class research in economics. The courses are proposed both by the faculty and by the PhD students. Additionally, we allow our PhD students to participate in methodological and theoretical courses offered by the Central German Doctoral Program in Economics ( CGDE External link ) a joint programme by the universities of Dresden, Halle, Jena, Leipzig and Magdeburg.

Wednesdays are seminar days. Our PhD students are welcome to invite distinguished scholars from all over the world to present their current work and discuss it with the group. At least once a year the PhD students present their own dissertation progress. Their work is then discussed and refereed by peers and senior researchers. Please visit our calender with external-guest seminars (JERS) and PhD-student Seminars (JERW).

Research environment

The PhD group shares the capabilities, the resources, and the facilities of the University in Jena  de . Additionally it is integrated in an environment of related graduate programmes in social sciences. The Graduate Academy External link is further dedicated to supporting PhD students with additional advice, courses, and financial aid.

You are not the first historically important person who decided for the educational excellence of the 450-year old University of Jena. Philosophers such as Shelling, Hegel, Schopenhauer, and Schiller, mathematicians such as Leibniz and Frege, and physicists such as Abbe studied and worked in Jena.

Today Jena is a lively city with a strong presence of students and researchers. Besides the University, Jena hosts 3 Max Planck Institutes, a Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering, a Leibniz Institute for Age Research, and a University of Applied Sciences. The historical presence of companies such as Carl Zeiß and SCHOTT make Jena a world center of optics research. Check what Jena can offer for you today External link .

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Graduate Programme 'The Economic Impact of Digital Transformation'

The Graduate Programme 'The Economic Impact of Digital Transformation' is an interdisciplinary PhD programme of the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany. The programme is financed by a grant from the State of Thuringia and started in 2020. We offer a comprehensive PhD-level training. The programme is international and highly committed to quality in teaching and research.

• 14 February 2023 Mentoring-Programme for Female Postdocs Application deadline 28.02.23
• 12 January 2023 Crisis during the doctorate? Typical forms of crisis and psychological stress factors
• 12 January 2023 Wanted! We are looking for student assistants 

The programme

The PhD group hosts doctoral candidates from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena which are financed by the University or by external scholarships e.g. DAAD, CSC. The PhD students are expected to complete their PhD projects within 3 years. The first year is devoted to improving the theoretical knowledge and competences, while the second and the third year concentrate on the dissertation-related research. The programme offers a structured course program including a 2-week summer school each year. The programme serves as a platform for collaboration, as a facilitator of joint scientific activities, and as a forum for knowledge exchange. It also provides senior expertise for junior research training in all necessary areas of competence: thematic, methodological, and transferable skills such as networking, scientific management, time management, and career planning.

Research Topics

Allowing for a broad concept of "digital transformation" the Graduate Programme is structured into five research areas:

• Digital Methods and Data
• Law and Regulation
• Organizations and Individuals
• Markets and Regions
• Education and Competences

Through methodological, theoretical and empirical courses the programme deepens the capabilities of our PhD students to conduct a world-class research. The courses are taught by the Faculty of the programme as well as by external scholars.

Wednesdays are seminar days. Our PhD students are welcome to invite distinguished scholars from all over the world to present their current work and discuss it with the group. At least once a year the PhD students present their own dissertation progress. Their work is then discussed and refereed by peers and senior researchers.

The participating scientist work at various departments of the Friedrich Schiller University e.g. Economics and Business Administration (including Statistics, Business Educational Studies), Law, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Philosophy (esp. Intercultural Communication), Chemistry and Earth Sciences (esp. Economic Geography) as well as Mathematics and Computational Sciences.

our faculty members

Research environment

The PhD group shares the capabilities, the resources, and the facilities of the University in Jena  de . Additionally it is integrated in an environment of related graduate programmes in social sciences. Th e Graduate Academy is further dedicated to supporting PhD students with additional advice, courses, and financial aid.

You are not the first historically important person who decided for the educational excellence of the 450-year old University of Jena. Philosophers such as Shelling, Hegel, Schopenhauer, and Schiller, mathematicians such as Leibniz and Frege, and physicists such as Abbe studied and worked in Jena.

Today Jena is a lively city with a strong presence of students and researchers. Besides the University, Jena hosts 3 Max Planck Institutes, a Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering, a Leibniz Institute for Age Research, and a University of Applied Sciences. The historical presence of companies such as Carl Zeiß and SCHOTT make Jena a world center of optics research. Check what Jena can offer for you today External link .

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PhD program

General information.

The PhD program allows graduates to obtain a doctorate (doctor iuris, Dr. iur.). The doctoral degree can be awarded upon proof that the candidate is capable of in-depth scholarly work in the field of law. This proof is provided by the submission of a written scientific paper (dissertation) and an oral examination (defence).

The PhD program at the Law Faculty is divided into several stages:

1. Supervision and topic search; organising the PhD project

The first step is to find a supervisor and a suitable topic for the dissertation. This is the most important step in determining the course of the PhD program. You should make thorough enquiries in advance as to which university lecturer would be a suitable supervisor for your research project.

Furthermore, you should determine how you want to organise your PhD project. In particular, how you intend on financing the period during which you plan to complete your doctorate (e.g. by means of a scholarship, part-time work, etc.)

2. Admission requirements for the PhD program

Finally, you should clarify whether you meet the formal requirements for a PhD at the Law Faculty:

In order to be admitted to the PhD program, the candidates must have successfully completed a degree in law at a German university. Applicants with an equivalent foreign degree in law must demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the German language and the German legal system. This proof can be provided by successfully completing a postgraduate course (magister iuris, magister legum) at a German university or in an equivalent manner.

As a general rule, candidates are required to have passed the First or Second State Examination in Law with at least the grade "fully satisfactory". In justified cases, the Faculty Council may exempt candidates from this requirement if they obtained the grade "satisfactory" in at least one state examination. Usually, this will be the case if the applicant either completed a seminar at the faculty and received a grade not lower than "good" or is employed as a research assistant at a chair in the Faculty .

3. Enrolling as a PhD candidate

Once the topic of the dissertation has been determined, the candidate applies to the Dean for admission to the PhD program.

The application must be accompanied by copies of the required documents and certificates as proof of eligibility for the PhD program; external applicants must submit certified copies. Applicants must also provide an informal written statement from a full-time university lecturer working at the Faculty confirming their ongoing contact with the candidate in regard to the intended dissertation. The application must also include details of any exemptions that may be necessary (e.g. from the grade requirement).

The Dean decides on admission; in certain cases the Faculty Council must give its consent. The Dean issues a written decision concerning the application for admission to the PhD program.

The supervisor and the doctoral candidate then draw up a supervision agreement. The PhD candidate is required to register for admission via the online portal for PhD and doctoral administration at the FSU Jena ( doc-in External link ).

4. Writing the PhD thesis

The main task for the PhD candidate is to write the dissertation.

The guidelines of the faculty regarding the formal requirements of a term paper, seminar paper or scientific paper apply accordingly.

In addition, the principles of good scientific practice must be observed when writing the thesis.

5. Steps of the doctoral process

Upon completion of the thesis, candidates must submit an application to the Dean's Office to initiate the doctoral process. The application must include a number of documents, the details of which can be found in the information leaflet.

The Faculty Council decides on the application to initiate the doctoral procedure; concurrently, the members of the PhD Commission are appointed upon proposal of the Dean. The Dean notifies the PhD candidate that the PhD procedure has been initiated and provides the names of the members of the PhD commission.

The examining members of the commission provide a first and second report and recommend that the thesis either be accepted or rejected (non sufficit) and, if the former, a grade. The following grading scale applies:

• summa cum laude = an outstanding achievement (0),
• magna cum laude = a very good achievement (1)
• cum laude = a good achievement (2)
• satis bene = a satisfactory achievement (3)
• rite = an achievement meeting average requirements (4).

The members of the commission can also require the work to be rectified or corrections to be made. If both reports recommend the PhD thesis be accepted by the PhD commission, this is considered to constitute a decision by the commission to accept the thesis. When the thesis has been accepted, university lecturers and members of the Faculty Council holding a doctoral title have a three week period during which they can read the thesis and the reports in the Dean's office.

The Dean notifies the PhD student that the thesis has been accepted as well as the date for the oral defense (disputation).

6. Conclusion of the doctoral process

Once the doctoral process has been successfully completed, the doctoral candidate is obliged to publish the dissertation in an appropriate manner. Depending on the chosen method of publication, the required number of mandatory copies must be submitted to the Thuringian University and State Library.

If desired, candidates can apply to the Dean for permission to use their title provisionally. If no such request is made, the right to use the doctoral title only begins once the doctoral certificate has been issued. The certificate is awarded on Feuerbach Day (approx. mid-November each year).

Doctoral candidates are required to submit a written paper (dissertation) and deliver an oral defense (disputation).

The dissertation must deal with a legal topic and must demonstrate the PhD candidate's ability to carry out independent scientific research and to contribute to the further development of jurisprudence, its theories and methods.

The dissertation may not be identical or partially identical to a paper submitted to the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena or another university for the purpose of obtaining an academic degree or as a credit for a state examination. The dissertation must have been written at least in part under the supervision of a professor, university lecturer or private lecturer of the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena.

The typewritten and bound dissertation must be submitted in German. The Faculty Council may allow a different language in justified cases. In such cases, candidates must also submit a summary of their dissertation in German.

The oral part of the PhD examination consists of the public defence of the dissertation (disputation) in front of the PhD commission. Generally, the defence takes no longer than 60 minutes.

The purpose of the defense is for the candidate to present the dissertation's main findings to the most part without notes. In the subsequent oral discussion, the candidate is then expected to defend their arguments. The third examiner who is from another discipline will assess the PhD candidate's understanding of areas of law unrelated to the subject matter of the dissertation, insofar as there is any relevance to the content of the dissertation.

After the PhD process has been successfully completed, the PhD candidate is obliged to publish the dissertation in an appropriate manner. Depending on the chosen method of publication, the mandatory number of copies must be submitted to the Thuringian University and State Library.

Information regarding depositing the required deposit copies can be found here External link .

We recommend consulting the ThULB checklist External link before submitting the deposit copies.

PhD regulations External link

Supervision agreement (model) pdf, 258 kb  · de

Application for Admission to the PhD process pdf, 90 kb  · de   Ι  Data protection notice pdf, 90 kb  · de

Please note the information regarding the collection of personal data (> data protection notice).

PhD candidates can register as doctoral students at the University of Jena (Friedrich Schiller University). The student status comes with a variety of benefits such as student prices in the canteens and the free use of rail transport in Thuringia and local transport in Jena, Weimar, Erfurt and Gera. External link

• For further details as well as information regarding PhD scholarships please refer to the Graduate Academy website External link .
• The contact person for PhD candidates is Dr. FSU External link , the FSU PhD candidate council.

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Applications for PhD/doctoral positions are possible anytime!

• APPLY NOW - Online Application System External link

Open calls and application deadlines

In general, unsolicited applications for PhD/doctoral and postdoctoral positions are accepted at any time and all over the year. Sometimes we are offering specific positions and calls, where certain deadlines may apply. Please review this information at www.asp.uni-jena.de/open-positions . 

Documents required for the PhD/doctoral application

Please prepare the following documents as single PDFs for the online application:

• A copy of your  Passport/ID.
• Advice: Please list all stages of your education chronologically, starting with your high school graduation or equivalent. You should also give a clear statement as to your current status and/or occupation. Chronological order also means that the CV should not leave any open or unidentified time slots. Any prizes, scholarships or extraordinary social, cultural, or sportive activities may also be listed.
• Advice: The letter should describe your background, interests, and reasons for wanting to enroll in the program. Particularly, in this letter you may express your personal preferences concerning your prospective research project. Please make a clear statement which call, which projects, which professors or which research groups are of interest for you.
• Advice: For the PhD/doctoral program, we accept the usual certificates (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge Certificates, statement from your previous University confirming English as medium of instruction, native speaker exemption). Note that German language skills are beneficial to support your application, but not mandatory to do a PhD with us.
• Advice: You can specify one or two postgraduate (typically a Master) as well as one or two undergraduate (typically a Bachelor) higher education studies. If you have not completed your studies (yet), please indicate the intended date of completion. To be eligible for applying at the PhD/doctoral program, you need at least a Master of Science (M.Sc.) comprising significant exposure to physics fundamentals, or an equivalent or higher degree in the same areas.
• Advice: Academic Letters of Recommendation should be signed, stamped and dated (and, if possible, no older than 2 years).

If you have all these documents ready, the application process takes only 10 minutes!

We are curios about you! Looking forward to finding your PhD topic with us!

• APPLY NOW - online application system External link

• Admission/enrolment
• Supervision
• Downloads (pdf)
• Equal opportunities
• Good scientific practice and conflict management

The PhD Program

The International Max Planck Research School for the Science of Human History (IMPRS-SHH) is a joint PhD program of the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and Jena University (Friedrich Schiller University – FSU). Doctoral researchers have a primary affiliation with one of the research groups of the MPI-GEA or one of the participating research groups of FSU.

The IMPRS-SHH is decidedly focused on interdisciplinarity and emphasizes independent research carried out by the doctoral researchers. Its training program rests thereby on a largely flexible, yet structured curriculum which is based on three pillars of learning:

• The “Mentoring Program,” which supports the doctoral researchers’ research.
• The “Scientific Program,” which allows doctoral researchers to deepen their knowledge in their particular area of research, while on the other hand broadening the students’ horizons with regard to the research field of the Science of Human History.
• The “Transferable Skills Program,” which provides skills for a future career in academia and beyond – including training for presentations, applications for third-party funding and project management.

The study programs are certified on an equivalent basis to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), i.e. all doctoral researchers receive a certificate detailing their coursework and corresponding number of ECTS equivalents earned.

The language of the PhD program is English.

• News & Events
• Successful defences
• Call for award nominations and applications
• Open positions

• IMPRS concept
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• Managing Board
• PhD students’ representatives
• List of doctoral researchers and alumni/alumnae
• Coordinator
• City of Jena
• How to get to Jena
• Accommodation
• Useful info

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Doctoral studies / Habilitation office

Please note that the Doctoral Studies and Habilitation Office will not be staffed from 22 July 2024 to 9 August 2024 . Enquiries can only be answered to a limited extent during this time.  The office hours will be cancelled. 

Personal appointments are only offered by prior arrangement by email to [email protected] !

Please specify your request as precisely as possible when making an appointment. We will then offer you an appointment in one of the following time slots:

Monday between 10:00 and 12:00 Thursday between 14:00 and 16:00

Outside office hours, there is a letterbox next to the door of the Doctoral studies and Habilitation Office (Room 113) where you can hand in your documents.

Dean's office, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Room 113, 1st floor Bachstraße 18k 07743 Jena Google Maps site plan External link

• [email protected]
• +49 3641 9-49017
• +49 3641 9-49002

Office hours: Monday: 10:00 to 12:00 Thursday: 14:00 to 16:00 by arrangement only

Postal address: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena Fakultät für Biowissenschaften Promotions- und Habilitationsstelle Bachstraße 18k 07743 Jena

Dates and Deadlines

Deadlines for submission of documents for opening doctoral and habilitation examination procedures are two weeks ahead of the respective Faculty Council meeting. The next dates are as follows:

Doctoral processes

Phd regulations.

• English version of the doctoral regulations: Doctoral examination regulations of the Faculty of Biological Sciences pdf, 400 kb  · de (Legal note: This English version is for your information only. The legal basis for a Course of Examination of Doctoral Candidates is the original German text.)

Implementing regulations

• Implementing regulations pdf, 257 kb  · de
• Attachement 1  docx, 25 kb  · de (in German and in English)
• Attachement 2 docx, 26 kb

Step 1: Supervision agreement

Doctoral students conclude an agreement with their supervisor. The agreement defines the topic of the dissertation, the schedule and work plan as well as the tasks and duties of the supervisor and the doctoral candidate. It is signed by the supervisor, the doctoral student and, after successful verification of admission, by the Dean/Vice Dean.

• Supervision agreement pdf, 386 kb

Step 2: Registration in doc-in

Doctoral students need to register on the Graduate Academy's online portal. The portal doc-in External link manages all doctorates electronically. Here, doctoral candidates can view their electronic doctoral files and track their doctoral progress. Once you have registered, you can apply to be accepted as a doctoral candidate under the menu item "Application for doctorate". The application form must be completed, printed and signed. Please report changes of address/email/name.

Step 3: Application for admission

Doctoral candidates can submit their documents to the Doctoral studies and Habilitation office during office hours or send them by normal mail (please ensure that the documents are complete):

• Application for admission ( printout from doc-in; original signed by the doctoral candidate and the supervisor(s) )
• Supervision agreement ( Download pdf, 386 kb ) ( original; the signature of the dean's office will only be added after admission )
• Curriculum vitae ( signed )
• In the case of degree documents issued by the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, simple copies are sufficient if the original documents are presented.
• If you hold a Master's degree (or similar), please also submit certified copies of your Bachelor's degree certificate and transcript of records (or documents of other undergraduate degrees).
• If the documents and certificates are not issued in German or English, an officially certified translation must also be submitted.
• Proof of identity ( passport ) Data that is not required for identification, in particular printed access and serial numbers, should be blacked out on the copy!

Step 4: Decision on acceptance as a doctoral student

As a rule, the Vice Dean decides within two months on acceptance as a doctoral candidate. The decision on acceptance is made in writing.

Additional Documents

• Application for withdrawal from the doctorate pdf, 15 kb  · de (form in German)
• Application for a change of scientific supervisor(s) pdf, 794 kb  · de

Important notes:

• Read the " Doctoral examination regulations  of the Faculty of Biological Sciences pdf, 400 kb  · de " before submitting your PhD thesis! (Legal note: This English version is for your information only. The legal basis for a Course of Examination of Doctoral Candidates is the original German text.)
• Read the formal requirements for disstertations in our Implementing Regulations pdf, 257 kb  · de According to § 8 (2) of the Doctoral Examination Regulations.
• The names of potential reviewers must not to be listed in dissertation at this stage because reviewers are appointed by the Faculty Council after the doctoral procedure has been opened.
• The application and all necessary supporting documents must be submitted until the above mentioned deadline for submission (usually on the Friday two weeks before the next scheduled meeting of the Faculty Council until 12:00). It is also possible to sent it by post. Applications and necessary documents submitted after the above deadline can only be dealt with at the subsequent Faculty Council meeting.

Step 1: Transfer of the promotion fee

The promotion fee is 130,- Euro, in accordance with the scale of charges of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena pdf, 319 kb  · de

Please transfer the fee to the following account of the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena (Deutsche Bundesbank Filiale Leipzig):

Recipient:  Universität Jena IBAN : DE09 8200 0000 0083 0015 03 BIC : MARKDEF1820

Please indicate the following reason for payment: "Promotionsgebühr" "[Nachname], [Vorname(n)]" "Fakultät für Biowissenschaften"

Step 2: Submission of the application to open the doctoral examination procedures with all necessary supporting documents

• Please read carefully through the full list of documents required for the opening procedures ( Download pdf, 187 kb  · de ) - Take care that you have all required documents ready before you make an appointment to submit your dissertation and forms at the Doctoral studies office!
• Application form for the opening of the doctoral examination procedures pdf, 665 kb  · de (in German)
• Reviewer proposals as supplement to the application for the opening of the doctoral examination procedure pdf, 743 kb  · de
• Obligatory statement of disclosure pdf, 97 kb
• Possible subject areas for doctoral studies (Appendix 1) pdf, 125 kb
• Dissertation Front Page docx, 25 kb  · de (Attachment 1 of Implementing Regulations)
• Forms 1 and 2 "Own Contributions" docx, 26 kb (Attachment 2 of Implementing Regulations)
• Optional:  Proposal of doctoral commission pdf, 743 kb  · de

Step 3: Appointment of doctoral committee/ Opening of the doctoral examination procedure

The Faculty Council decides on the opening of the doctoral procedure and appoints the members of the doctoral committee. The doctoral candidate is informed in writing about the opening of the doctoral examination procedure.

Step 4: Receipt of expert opinion within 8 weeks

All incoming reports (original copy) are recorded in doc-in (online registration system for doctoral candidates). The doctoral candidate can access the information in doc-in. As soon as all 3 reports are available, the doctoral candidate will receive an email with information on the next steps in the procedure.

Step 5: Display period for inspection of thesis and reviews

Once the thesis has been accepted, the dissertation and reviews are available for inspection for 2 weeks by the habilitated members and university teachers of the faculty.

Step 6: Determination of the disputation date and its execution

The chairperson of the doctoral commission sets the examination date after the end of the display period and forwards the defence date to the Graduate Studies office. As soon as the date is fixed, doctoral candidates will have the opportunity to inspect their reports at the Graduate Studies office.

Step 7: Completion of the doctoral examination process

After passing the oral examination (and, where apllicable, as well after the chairperson confirmed that additional requirements ordered by the doctoral committee have been fulfilled), the Faculty Council decides on the overall final grade and completes the doctoral examination procedure. Candidates are informed in writing about the completion of the doctoral examination procedure.

Step 8: Publication of the doctoral dissertation

After completion of the doctoral examination process, candidates are obliged to publish their doctoral dissertation. Compulsory copies must be handed over to the Thüringer Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek within 2 months of completion of the doctoral examination procedure.

You can find information on how to submit required copies on the website of the library. External link

Step 9: Delivery of the doctoral certificate

After completion of the doctoral examination process, the certificate is prepared and is available for handing over after approximately two to six weeks. As soon as the library has also confirmed that the obligation to publish the doctoral dissertation has been satisfied, the candidates will receive the doctoral certificate by normal mail. The right to use the title "Doctor" only begins once the certificate has been received.

Habilitation processes

• Valid version as of 04/1997 pdf, 131 kb  · de (German)

Step 1: Appointment with the Dean

Please contact the Doctoral Studies and Habilitation Office with sufficient lead time if you are interested in a habilitation procedure at the Faculty of Biosciences. In the run-up to the habilitation procedure, essential questions and regulations can be discussed with the Dean.

Step 2: Bank transfer habilitation fee

The habilitation fee is  200,- Euro, in accordance with the scale of fees of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, valid version as of 2/2004 External link

Please transfer the fee to the following account of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Deutsche Bundesbank Filiale Leipzig):

Please indicate the following reason for payment: "Habilitationsgebühr" "[Nachname], [Vorname(n)]" "Fakultät für Biowissenschaften"

Step 3: Submission of documents

All documents and the habilitation theses must be submitted no later than 2 weeks before the next Faculty Council meeting. The dates for the Faculty Council meetings and the deadlines for submission can be found at the top of this page.

• Leaflet Submission of the habilitation documents docx, 16 kb  · de (in German)
• Application for the opening of the habilitation procedure pdf, 71 kb  · de (in German)

Step 4: Appointment of the Habilitation Commission

The Faculty Council decides on the admission to the habilitation and the opening of the habilitation procedure. It appoints the members of the Habilitation Commission. The applicant receives a written notification of the opening of the procedure.

Step 5: Preparation of expert opinions

After the opening of the procedure, the dean sends the habilitation thesis to the experts with a request for reviews. The reviewers have twelve weeks from the opening of the procedure to review the habilitation thesis and to prepare the teaching reports.

Step 6: Display of the habilitation and expert reviews

After the reports have been prepared, the habilitation dissertation and the reports are available are available for inspection for four weeks.

Step 7: Acceptance or rejection of the habilitation thesis

At the end of the display period, the Habilitation Commission decides on the basis of the expert reviews whether to accept or reject the habilitation thesis. It may also decide to return the habilitation thesis for correction within a maximum period of one year. The habilitation candidates will be informed in writing of the decision of the habilitation commission. After the decision on acceptance or rejection of the habilitation thesis has been made, the habilitants may inspect the expert reviews. After acceptance of the habilitation thesis, the dean agrees with the habilitants on a date for the scientific lecture and colloquium.

Step 8: Scientific lecture with colloquium

Following the scientific lecture and colloquium, the Habilitation Commission decides whether the applicant's performance has met the requirements and decides to continue the procedure. The topic for the public lecture is determined.

Step 9: Public lecture

The lecture should be held within three weeks after the scientific lecture with colloquium. The Dean will contact the post-doctoral lecturers to arrange an appointment.

Step 10: Recommendation for or against the issue of a teaching qualification

Immediately after the lecture, the Habilitation Commission, considering the expert reviews on the didactic quality of the courses, decides whether the applicant's performance has met the requirements according to § 16 (2) and decides on the recommendation for or against the granting of the teaching qualification.

Step 11: Conclusion of the habilitation procedure

The Chairman of the Habilitation Commission informs the Faculty Council about the recommendation of the Habiliation Commission according to § 17 of the Habilitation Regulations. The Faculty Council decides on the granting of the teaching qualification. If the applicant has also applied for the right to teach in accordance with § 5 of the Habilitationsordnung, the Faculty Council shall decide on the granting of the right to teach in the same meeting. The teaching authorisation applies to the subject area for which the teaching qualification has been applied for.

Step 12: Documentation of the habilitation thesis

The habilitand is obliged to hand over the required copies of the habilitation thesis to the Thüringer Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek External link .

Step 13: Delivery of the certificate

After the conclusion of the habilitation procedure, the certificates are prepared and are available for handing over after approximately two to six weeks. As soon as the library has confirmed that the obligation to publish the habilitation thesis has been satisfied, the candidates will receive the certificate(s) by normal mail.

Habilitationsgebühr 

Die Habilitationsgebühr beträgt  200,- Euro, entsprechend der Gebührenordnung der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena pdf, 319 kb  · de

Die Gebühr überweisen Sie bitte auf das nachfolgende Konto der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena (Deutsche Bundesbank Filiale Leipzig):

Empfänger:   Universität Jena IBAN :             DE09 8200 0000 0083 0015 03 BIC :                MARKDEF1820

Bitte geben Sie folgenden Verwendungszweck an : "Habilitationsgebühr" "[Nachname], [Vorname(n)]" "Fakultät für Biowissenschaften"

Umhabilitationsgebühr 

Die Umhabilitationsgebühr beträgt 70,- Euro, entsprechend der Gebührenordnung der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena pdf, 319 kb  · de

Bitte geben Sie folgenden Verwendungszweck an : "Umhabilitationsgebühr" "[Nachname], [Vorname(n)]" "Fakultät für Biowissenschaften"

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Friedrich Schiller University of Jena

The Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, founded in 1558, with its 21,000 students distributed over ten different faculties leaves its mark on the image of the town. Students of either the university or the university of applied sciences make one quarter of the inhabitants of Jena. So, it is all right to say: There is no university in Jena, Jena is a university! Approximately 340 professors and 6,400 members of staff work at university and university hospital, the latter of which keeps developing into one of the most modern hospitals in Germany. The university puts emphasis on intensely taking care of its students, and works on creating a "Students'' Paradise in Jena. (www.studentenparadies.uni-jena.de) Special programmes support students from abroad. When it comes to teaching, Jena University combines tradition and innovation: Apart from medicine, physics, psychology, business studies and economics, or sports, bio and social sciences - all of which are highly ranked - the so-called "smaller subjects", like for instance caucasiology, Romanian or Indo-Germanic studies, are sustained. The wide range of opportunities for studying at Thuringia''s only classical university shapes its appearance as well as its attitude: to act without limits - interdisciplinarily and internationally. Therefore, a clear research profile has been established and will be further developed. Jena University''s current research profile is composed of five priority research areas: * Optics, Photonics and Photonic Technologies * Innovative Materials and Technologies * Dynamics of Complex Biological Systems * Laboratory of the Enlightenment * Individuals and Social Change They are completed by three academic cross-sections: * Analysis and Management of Complex Systems; * Cultural Contexts of Ageing; * Europe''s Origin: Culture and Religion in the Ancient World and the Middle Ages Up-and-coming young scientists are well prepared for their careers since they are supported by the Jena Graduate Academy. With that, the important topic of "child care" appears on the university''s agenda. As one of the founders of the "Jena Alliance for Family", Jena University stands for the compatibility of having children and studying. For this, it has received the Total E-Quality Award. The Friedrich Schiller University is also internationally well-renowned: It is integrated into important networks, like the Coimbra Group, and cooperates with more than 100 universities or academic institutions worldwide. With almost 300 partners within Europe a vivid exchange of students and teachers is taking place. In 2008 Jena has been awarded the title Germany''s "City of Sciences". 2008''s events were strongly affected by the university''s activities. And, in the future, the university wants to sustain a strong influence on teaching, research and culture, nationally and internationally.

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The PhD program provides rigorous professional training in Caucasian languages, literatures and cultures, political developments and history in a supportive atmosphere and interdisciplinary framework. Students are trained to do research that seeks to discover the region’s complexity and dynamism and earn the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). You have the opportunity to take courses in Caucasian Studies and other disciplines of your interest (e.g. political science, anthropology, linguistics, Slavic Studies, Indo-European Studies, etc.) and languages courses in Georgian, Russian or Turkish.

Our faculty and stuff guide and monitor your studies and provide high quality supervision . For the PhD thesis every postgraduate student is guided by at least two suitably qualified supervisors who are actively engaged in their area of research.

Admission Requirements

Students interested in the program are encouraged to consult with Prof. Diana Forker .

The FSU Jena welcomes international students onto our campus. Find out more about studying as an international student .

• Start date : Applications are open all year round. Apply well in advance (at least 2 months prior to your start date) to allow for a timely response to your application.
• Full time : 3-4 years
• Admission requirements for PhD students of the Faculty of Arts  de

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2 PhD Scholarships available - apply now!

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Published: 14 November 2023, 12:54 | By: Anna Späthe and Christian Helgert.

Supported by the Graduate School Scholarship Program (GSSP) of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Abbe School of Photonics of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena is offering two PhD Scholarships in Photonics starting in summer/autumn 2024 to international young researchers. You are elegible to apply if you received your Master's degree in physics or a related field from a country outside of Germany.

Then, you can select from eight research projects and  apply until Jan 7, 2024 !

Find more details on eligibility and the program and the available reserach projects here External link !

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Schumpeter Center

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Degree programmes

On this site you find information on 

• study orientation
• study preparation
• and the application for degree programmes . 

• List of degree programmes pdf, 271 kb  · de
• Degree programmes data base
• International degree and double degree programmes

Preparing for your studies

Application for degree programmes

Have you already been admitted to a degree programme in Jena? Here you can find information on how to prepare for your stay.

If you would like to do a doctorate , please request information from the Graduate Academy . If you are coming to Jena for a short-term study visit , please read the information for exchange students .

Still unsure? Please have a look at our Guide and flyers for applicants:

• Study guide for applicants pdf, 4 mb  · de
• Flyer degree programmes pdf, 547 kb  · de
• University Information Days
• Flyer DSH preparation course pdf, 479 kb  · de
• Flyer prepatory college pdf, 536 kb  · de
• Flyer International Pathway Programme pdf, 486 kb  · de
• Living in Jena
• FAQ - degree programmes

University Main Building, Room 0.17 - 0.19 Fuerstengraben 1 07743 Jena Google Maps site plan External link

• [email protected]
• More information

Office hours: Please see the office hours of our team members by clicking on "more information" on the left.