Doctoral offices at FU, HU and TU

Doctoral Offices at FU, HU and TU and Supportive Institutions for Doctoral Students

Phase II students of the BMS PhD program need to be familiar with the doctoral office (in German: “Promotionsbüro”) of the university at which they are enrolled throughout their entire journey as a doctoral student until they are awarded the academic degree of “Doctor rerum naturalium” (“Dr. rer. nat.”).
All necessary information on the bureaucratic steps and rules to take into account as a doctoral student are summarized in the PhD regulations, which slightly vary from university to university. Please read them carefully before you start your PhD:

Any up-to-date information on the PhD regulations together with all the relevant forms for students are provided on the university websites:

  • Doctoral Office at FU Berlin
    Contact person – Andreas Heß (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
  • Doctoral Office at HU Berlin
    Contact person – Carys Lewis (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
  • Doctoral Office at TU Berlin
    Contact person – Lara Schäfer (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

The doctoral office has several functions:

  • Admission to the doctoral program: Upon enrollment in the doctoral program at one of the three Berlin universities, your PhD admission is usually granted for a standard period of four years. The core prerequisite for admission is the successful completion of a master's degree in mathematics. The doctoral office typically needs the original version of your master’s diploma and transcript and may give you a deadline (about 6 six months) for presenting those originals in case they are not available upon enrollment. Please contact your BMS liaison officer about the exact procedures necessary for enrollment as a PhD student.
  • Thesis submission: The submission of your doctoral thesis (dissertation) usually comes into play in the last year of your studies. Doctoral students in mathematics typically produce a monograph or a cumulative doctoral thesis (including at least one published or submitted paper) in accordance with their supervisor.
  • Extension of doctoral studies: Doctoral students might need an extension of their doctoral studies beyond the standard period of four years for academic, budgetary or personal reasons. The application must be of course supported by the supervisor and submitted to the doctoral office.
  • Doctoral examination: The doctoral office eventually takes care of all the bureaucratic steps of your doctoral examination process, from the thesis submission to the collection of the reviewers’ reports up to the arrangement of the date of your thesis defense.

Supportive Institutions for Doctoral Students

Each Berlin university incorporates in its doctoral services an on-site institution that is specifically involved in the all-around support of early career researchers to their conditions and the quality of their education.

The BMS is a member program at all three institutions.

As well as accomplishing an advisory task, these supportive institutions serve as counseling and networking platforms for doctoral students and provide orientation events, trainings, workshops for both German and international students, calls for scholarships, and other funding opportunities.
The workshop covers a wide range of subjects and soft skills that are relevant to doctoral students in mathematics, e.g. scientific writing, research data management, thesis defense, public speaking, and mental health.

Here is a selection of offers from the DRS which may be of interest to you:
- Elsa-Neumann-Scholarship
- Funding for female researchers @FU
- Research Awards @FU
- DRS Open Door Talks
- Booking platform for workshops, including research integrity and good scientific practice (for FU members only)

Here is a selection of offers from the HGS which may be of interest to you:
- Humboldt Research Track Scholarship for HU master students before their PhD
- Workshops on key competencies, good scientific practice and career development
- Peer Mentoring program
- Support for students with disabilities
- HU Docs
- Conflict consultation (open to all doctoral students from FU, HU and TU) at HU

Here is a selection of offers from the CJS which may be of interest to you:
- proMotion program (for female researchers)
- Current calls for scholarships @TU
- Current prizes @TU
- Peer Mentoring program
- Platform for workshops and events