Doctoral / PhD Programs

The doctoral/PhD programs are full time programs during which the students not only have to write a dissertation, but also attend courses. All the courses are classes with continuous assessment of students' performance and have to be attended on a regular basis. While it is not possible to do the program as a distant study course from abroad, it is possible (but at the same time very demanding) to study the program sideline; however it will then in all probability take you longer than 6 semesters to complete.

No. There are numerous courses with continuous assessment of students' performance which have to be attended on a regular basis.

It is possible to graduate in 6 semesters, but if you are employed on a full time or part time basis, you will probably take longer than the minimum time. Currently, the average duration until completion is 7 to 8 semesters.

No. The WU already offers PhD programs, which are mainly intended for academic staff.

By contacting the professors. You have to find a supervisor yourself, the university cannot appoint a professor to act as supervisor.

Every university professor with a habilitation is entitled to act as supervisor. Information on research areas of individual professors and departments can be found on the homepages of the different institutes; the better your intended topic fits into the research areas of a department, the easier you will find a professor to supervise your thesis.

If you contact professors with your suggestion, please send along a short concept (1 - 3 pages) about the intended topic. Please bear in mind that the professors receive many requests and may not reply to e-mails in which students simply ask if they would act as supervisor, without any information on the dissertation project they have in mind.

Some institutes have a list of possible topics of dissertations on their hompage; in most cases however, students apply for supervision with a topic of their own.

During admission times in the study service center (building LC, 2nd floor). If you have not been enrolled in a program at WU before, please enter your data online.

In order to be able to enrol in the doctoral program, your diploma or master studies have to be completed. If you have completed your studies at WU, you do not need to wait for your "Sponsionsbescheid" (Decision of Conferral of degree); however, all grades have to be on your Consolidated Grade Record before you can enrol in the doctoral program.

All courses are listed in the course catalog. Here you can also find information about when and where to register, course descriptions and prerequisites for classes.

Registration for courses is via LPIS.

The main subject is chosen from the list of subjects in the appendix of the degree program structures. The main subject is the subject you write your dissertation in and in which your supervisor did his habilitation. The specialisation/discipline you chose in your master studies does not limit your choice in the doctoral program, but of course it is easier to write the dissertation in a field you are already familiar with. Professors usually expect proof of previous knowledge in the field before they agree to act as supervisor of a dissertation.

Only the PhD programs in Finance and International Business Taxation are taught exclusively in English. The teaching language of the doctoral programs, however, is German. Applicants whose first language is not German have to submit proof of German proficiency before they are admitted to the doctoral program.

The doctoral program in Social and Economic Sciences can be studied in English if the supervisor confirms that Research Seminars are offered in English. In the subject "Philosophy of science and Research Methods" there is an "English Track", which enables students to do these courses in English.

The dissertation may be written in a foreign language, if the student and the supervisor are fluent in this language.