Contact a potential supervisor in the Department of Social Sciences. Discuss possible areas of interest and topics or explain your research project. She or he may want to see your degree certificate and an exposé and conclude a supervision agreement.

According to the Higher Education Statistics Act, all doctoral candidates must register immediately after they have received a confirmation of supervision. Registration essentially comprises two elements:

• Providing personal and doctoral data
• Declaration of acceptance by the department

With the application for registrationof doctoral candidates at Department 4, the relevant data is recorded. The application for admission to doctoral studies must be submitted to the Dean of the Department of Social Sciences. The Faculty Council decides on the application. Upon admission to doctoral studies, you are accepted as a doctoral candidate at the department. If an application is to be decided on by the Faculty Council, it must be submitted at least 10 days before the relevant meeting.

In addition to registration, doctoral candidates can also enrol as doctoral students. Enrolment is voluntary. The enrolment application must be received by the SSC by November 15 for the winter semester and by May 15 for the summer semester. For further information, please refer to the enrollment regulations at RPTU .

You can find out about the legal framework for your doctorate in the doctoral regulations of the Department of Social Sciences.

Please find a second assessor in consultation with your supervisor in good time before submitting your dissertation.

The dissertation must be submitted to the Dean's office. Six copies must be submitted in bound form, in German or English. Each review copy contains a cover sheet, a bibliography and an overview of your academic career. The following documents must also be submitted:

• an assurance that the dissertation was written by yourself, that all aids used in the work are listed, that the dissertation has not yet been submitted for an examination in this or a similar form and, if applicable, a declaration as to whether parts of the dissertation have already been published
• if applicable, a list of your scientific publications
• proof of payment of the doctoral fee
• Assignment of the dissertation to a research group

The reviewers now have three months to prepare a review. Immediately afterwards, the dissertation is displayed in the Dean's office for 14 days. The reviewers then reach a final agreement on acceptance and the grade.

As a rule, the disputation takes place at the earliest two and at the latest four weeks later before the disputation committee (chairperson, reviewers, two other university lecturers who can be proposed by the supervisor). The disputation (90 minutes) consists of a presentation (max. 20 minutes) and discussion. Immediately after the disputation, you will be informed of the overall result and issued with a certificate.

However, the corresponding title may only be used once the dissertation has been published and the doctoral certificate has been issued. Eight copies must be submitted to the Dean's office for publication, including a special title page, your CV, your address and, if applicable, the publisher's name. In addition, the publication of your dissertation must be ensured as follows:

• Delivery of 80 printed copies to the university library or
• publishing contract (minimum print run 150 copies) or
• Submission in an electronic form agreed with the University Library