Index

Duration of doctoral study

At the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, doctoral studies typically take between three or four years, plus or minus one year, but this can vary depending on many factors including the success of your research project, any outstanding contracts with your supervisor, or time-management concerns, to a name a few.

Structured doctoral programs might offer more concrete estimates of the duration of doctoral study; individual and other types of doctoral degrees are more variable. Your best resource in determining your estimated graduation is your doctoral supervisor. You might also visit the Graduate Centre for support in planning your timeline, or take one of their time-management courses for doctoral candidates.

Language classes for doctoral candidates

During the course of their degree programs, many doctoral candidates choose to learn a new language or to improve the language skills they already have, for example, by taking higher-level English courses. The Language Centre of the FAU offers a wide variety of language courses, and even makes materials available for those who prefer to study independently.

Please see their homepage for more information. This site is only available in German at this time.

Regional Computer Center

See IT Support.

IT support

The Regional Computer Centre, also called the Rechenzentrum or RRZE, is the central resource for all aspects of information technology. You may visit their site to acquire hardware or software necessary for your research, set up a virtual private network (VPN) or WLAN connection, or to take classes in specific software or programming languages.

Please visit their homepage for more information. This site is only available in German at this time.

International doctoral candidates

Doctoral studies are often, if not always, difficult, but completing a doctoral degree in a foreign country can be even more stressful. The following resources are available to help deal with questions and problems that are unique to international university members:

 

 

Intellectual Property Law

For many doctoral candidates, the process of achieving a doctoral degree presents the first opportunities to publish their work. In addition to maintaining good scientific and research practice as well as avoiding academic misconduct, it is important for doctoral candidates to understand the role of intellectual property law in publishing scientific works. More information can be found at the following links:

 

 

For specific questions regarding the intellectual property concerns of your own research, your doctoral supervisor is your best resource.

Resources for advice and counseling

The following offices of the FAU offer advice and counselling in their respective areas:

 

  • Career Service: personal consultations, checking application documents, practice interviews, etc.
  • Central Office for International Affairs (RIA): the central point of contact for international students, doctoral candidates, and researchers; this office offers information on exchange opportunities in education and research as well as help for international university members who need help integrated into life in Germany, and much more
  • Commission for Research Conflict Management: for help in dealing with conflicts in academic workplaces, whether with your supervisor, fellow doctoral candidates, or other colleagues
  • Disability Support: doctoral candidates with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Disability Representative (Schwerbehindertenbeauftragte) for employees for support (site in German); for more information in Engilsh, please visit the webpage for “students with disabilities or chronic illnesses”.
  • Family Service: here, doctoral candidates with children or other familial care obligations can find helpful resources, support, and information on balancing their family responsibilities with their academic and professional goals
  • Graduate Centre: the central resource for information and support for all doctoral candidates of the FAU; the Graduate Center also offers seminars, events, and networking opportunities
  • Office of Gender and Diversity: gender consulting, counselling in instances of sexual harassment, support for university members with children or other familial responsibilities
  • Board for Doctoral Affairs Representatives: for questions, concerns, and support in issues related to your doctoral studies, including personal conflicts with university members
  • Studentenwerk: legal advice, social and psychotherapeutic counselling, help in finding accommodations, etc.
  • Writing Centre: an offering of the Learning Lab open to all members of the FAU community who need support writing, both in English and in German for native and non-native speakers.

Management of research data

In addition to learning how to maintain good scientific and research practice, it is important to learn how to manage research data effectively in order to keep a clear overview of your doctoral research and to facilitate the composition of your dissertation. The following resources may be helpful for you:

 

Individual doctoral study

Individual doctoral study or Individualpromotion simply means that you are completing your doctoral degree independently rather than as part of a structured program. You would seek out your doctoral supervisor on your own, manage your own timeline, and work largely independently towards completing your research and writing your dissertation. Individual doctoral degrees typically take from three to five years to complete, but the actual timeline depends on your own planning and any contract you might have with your supervisor.

If this type of doctoral study interests you, please take a look at the Graduate Centre’s information on getting started, and then at the research profiles of the professors in the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy.

 

 

Doctoral Candidates’ Representatives

The Doctoral Candidates’ Representatives (also called the Doktorandenkonvent or the Promovierendenkonvent in German) represents the interests of all doctoral candidates. Two representatives from each faculty are elected each year, and every doctoral student who is registered in docDaten has the right to vote. For more information and to see the latest news from your representatives, please visit their blog.