The formal requirements for your doctorate at our faculty are regulated by the Rahmenpromotionsordnung (RPromO) of the KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt and the Fachpromotionsordnung (FPromO) of WWF in the version applicable to you. These two regulations describe the 11 steps presented here in a detailed and binding manner.

Please note: In some regulations, the supervision agreement is referred to as the dissertation agreement. This is the same.

You choose your doctoral supervisor. This person must be a professor at WWF. It is important that he/she has expertise in the area in which you wish to pursue your doctorate.

As soon as you have found a supervisor, you will conclude a supervision agreement with him/her. This agreement includes the subject area of your dissertation, a timetable for the dissertation project, and an exposé.

The exposé should present the scientific project plan in which your research question and the associated theoretical and methodological approaches are developed, i.e. it outlines the dissertation (in up to ten pages).

You should also indicate whether you are submitting the dissertation (i.e., the written work) as a monograph or in a cumulative form. The details are regulated by the Fachpromotionsordnung (FPromO) of WWF and the information sheet on cumulative dissertations (Merkblatt „Kumulative Dissertation – Anforderungen“). In consultation with your first supervisor, you may also nominate your second supervisor, who will be the second person to review your dissertation (step 7). However, you only formally propose this person with the doctoral application (step 6).

Changes to the supervision agreement are possible, but require the approval of the Head of the Doctoral Committee.

see Documents/contact persons (general)

The written application for admission as a doctoral candidate at WWF should be sent to the Doctoral Committee via the Dean's Office, together with the required documents.

see Documents/contact persons (general)

Enroll as a doctoral student as early as possible (within the KU enrollment deadlines) at the Student Office (Ingolstadt Campus).

Please note: Enrollment as a doctoral student is a formal administrative act that regulates your status as a doctoral candidate. Therefore, please note:

• According to the Bavarian Higher Education Act (Bayrisches Hochschulgesetz), the enrollment period is currently set at a maximum of four years. However, you can also complete your doctorate after this four-year period has expired. The duration of the doctorate (step 6) is therefore not linked to the formal enrollment period.
• Enrollment as a doctoral student should not be confused with the doctoral study program proposed in step 5.

see Documents/contact persons (general)

The doctoral study program at WWF is recommended. It supports you in your doctoral project, your academic career, and your personal development:

• You will gain methodological skills for your scientific work as well as key qualifications for your career.
• You will gain access to the knowledge of many scientists.
• You will present your research results at international conferences.
• You will learn how to publish research results in international scientific journals.

Please note: Participation in the doctoral study program is voluntary. However, if you decide against it, you must take the oral examination in the form of a viva voce (step 8). You do not have to formally register for the doctoral study program. You take the necessary modules, as described below, and submit the complete transcript of records with your doctoral application (step 6).

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Structure & content

The doctoral study program comprises 20 ECTS credits, which you earn in modules from the areas of “Methods”, “Key Qualifications” and “Conferences”. At least 5 ECTS credits must be chosen from each area (Fig. 1: Three areas of the doctoral study program).

Apart from this, the allocation of ECTS credits to the modules is freely selectable, e.g.:

•  four modules worth 5 ECTS credits each or
• three modules worth 5 ECTS credits, one module worth 3 ECTS credits, one module worth 2 ECTS credits.

Each conference module is credited with 5 ECTS credits.

Areas "Methods & Key Qualifications"

For these two areas, you can choose modules from the white list (WWF module offer and Workshop Program: Academic Careers). Have the module approved upon successful completion (Proof of module).
Detailed information on the modules offered by WWF can be found in the module catalog of the doctoral study program. Not every module is offered on a regular basis. If you have any questions about the module content or registration, please contact the module coordinator or the respective chair team. Enrolment for participation in the modules usually takes place via KU.Campus (degree program “Doctoral Study Program WWF”).

Alternatively, you can bring in external modules from various providers (e.g., other faculties, universities, research institutions, associations). The basic requirements for these external modules are:

• Recommendation of the first supervisor,
• Fitting to the area of methods or key qualifications,
• Doctoral level (doctoral training).

Examples of suitable providers can be found in Fig. 2: External module provider.

!! Important: For external modules, prior application (at least 4 weeks) is mandatory to ensure recognition.

Area "Conferences"

The first supervisor of your doctorate acts as module supervisor for conference modules, in cooperation with the respective professional associations, universities or research institutions. He/she ensures that the scope of the work corresponds to 5 ECTS.

As a substitute for a conference module, a publication in a renowned scientific journal is possible. In addition to the recommendation of the first supervisor, the prerequisite for this is that the article must have been published or accepted for publication and is not part of a cumulative dissertation.

see Documents/contact persons – doctoral study program

Complete transcript of records

Together with the doctoral application (step 6), you submit the complete transcript of records for the doctoral study program, including individual proofs for the modules as an attachment. The information from this transcript of records will later appear on the supplement of the doctoral certificate.

After completing your dissertation (i.e., the written work), you submit the doctoral application. Send this application through the Dean's Office to the Doctoral Committee, along with all required documents.

see Documents/contact persons (general)

Please note: As a rule, the doctorate lasts five years. Upon justified request, the Head of the Doctoral Committee may approve one extension, usually for two years.

After submitting your dissertation to the Dean's Office, the Doctoral Committee will obtain reviews of your dissertation from your first supervisor and your second supervisor, usually within eight weeks.

At the end of the display period for the reviews and the dissertation (i.e., 14 days lecture period, 28 days lecture-free period), the final acceptance or rejection of the dissertation will be decided on the basis of the reviews; you will be informed of the result in writing by the Dean's Office.

see Documents/contact persons (general)

The oral examination takes the form of a disputation if you have successfully completed the doctoral study program. Otherwise, it takes the form of a viva voce (Fachpromotionsordnung [FPromO] of WWF).

Under the leadership of the first supervisor, a professorial examination board will be set up, consisting of the first supervisor, the second supervisor and two other members. The date of the oral examination will be agreed with you. This date, which is open to the faculty, will be announced by the Dean's Office. You will receive a written invitation from the Doctoral Committee.

The oral examination should take place no later than two months after acceptance of the dissertation.

see Documents/contact persons (general)

Note: Since the corona pandemic, oral examinations in the doctoral procedure at the WWF can also take place online as a video conference after a justified, informal request by the doctoral candidate to the Head of the Doctoral Committee.

For details see: Ausführungsbestimmungen Mündliche Prüfung im Promotionsverfahren während der Zeit der Covid-19-Beschränkungen an der Wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Fakultät Ingolstadt.

The overall grade of your doctorate is calculated from the arithmetic mean of the double grade of the dissertation and the grade of the oral examination. Two decimal places are taken into account.

Once the final grade has been determined, the Head of the Doctoral Committee will issue you a final grade report within four weeks, indicating the date of the last examination. It includes the overall grade, the dissertation grade, and the oral examination grade.

The doctorate is completed with the award of the exam report.

Note: The exam report does not entitle you to use your doctoral title. To do so, you must complete steps 10 and 11.

see Documents/contact persons (general)

Within two years of passing the oral examination, you must make your dissertation available to the scientific community in consultation with your supervisor and second supervisor.

The Head of the Doctoral Committee may extend the deadline in justified cases upon request.

For information on print release and publication, please visit the KU library website at: https://www.ku.de/en/university-library/research-and-publications (“KU.opus: Dissertations and habilitations” and “Publication guidance”)

see Documents/contact persons (general)

The doctorate is awarded in the form of a doctoral certificate.

The right to use the doctoral title is granted upon receipt of the doctoral certificate. Upon request, the Head of the Doctoral Committee may grant you the right to use the title earlier (for a limited period of time). For this purpose, you must present a valid publishing contract for the publication.

Please note: In the case of a cumulative dissertation, the certificate also contains the area or areas of work to which the contributions are to be assigned.

see Document/contact persons (general)

The links to the individual regulations will take you to the Research section of the KU website. Please note which version of the doctoral regulations (Rahmenpromotionsordnung (RPromO), Fachpromotionsordnung (FPromO)) applies to you.

• Rahmenpromotionsordnung der KU
• Fachpromotionsordnung der WWF;   Merkblatt: Kumulative Dissertation – Anforderungen
• Ordnung zur Sicherung guter wissenschaftlicher Praxis

• Ordnung der Graduiertenakademie

Bayerisches Hochschulinnovationsgesetz (BayHIG)

• BayHIG Art. 19 "Mitglieder"
• BayHIG Art. 97 "Promotion"
• BayHIG Art. 101 "Entziehung"

Gesetz über befristete Arbeitsverträge in der Wissenschaft

Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (WissZeitVG)

Step 2: Betreuungsvereinbarung (= Supervision agreement)

Step 3: Annahme als Doktorandin/Doktorand (= Admission as a doctoral candidate)

Step 6: Promotionsantrag (= Doctoral application)

Head of the Doctoral Committee: Prof. Dr. Pirmin Fontaine

Dean's Office: Seyma Akin-Bilgin

Student Offrice (Campus Ingolstadt): Regina Schneider, Tina Wallner

Help with print release (library): Dr. Anne Müller

Do I have to participate in the doctoral study program?
No, participation is voluntary. However, if you decide against it, you will have to take an oral examination in the form of a viva voce (see Fachpromotionsordnung of WWF).

When do I have to decide whether to complete the doctoral study program?
This is not yet necessary when you are admitted as a doctoral candidate (step 3). You can join the program at any time by taking the desired modules after admission as a doctoral candidate. Please note, however, that you will need to provide proof of successful completion of the modules (Proof of module). Recognition is required in advance for external modules (Recognition of module)!
You should then submit the complete transcript fo records with your doctoral application as described in step 6 (see Fachpromotionsordnung of WWF).
We encourage you to begin the doctoral program as early as possible, as it will help you develop skills that will be useful for your doctorate.

What are the benefits of the doctoral study program?
You can choose from various modules that will help you to work scientifically (Area "Methods"), grow as a person (Area "Key qualifications") and present your research results (Area "Conferences").

Will the modules taken during the doctoral study program appear on my doctoral certificate?
You will receive a supplement with your doctoral certificate. This certifies that you have successfully completed the doctoral study program, including the individual modules. You must submit all supporting documents with your doctoral application (step 6).

When do I take the oral exam as a disputation and when as a viva voce?
Only if you complete the doctoral study program in full (20 ECTS credits from 3 areas) will your oral examination take the form of a disputation. Otherwise, your oral examination will take the form of a viva voce (see Fachpromotionsordnung of WWF).

How do I prove that I have completed individual modules of the doctoral study program?
Please use the forms provided on this website to provide proof of successful completion of a module (Proof of modul). In exceptional cases, you may submit a proof issued by the lecturer.

Which modules do I need to have recognized in advance?
All modules that you would like to complete but that are not on the white list, i.e. that are not part of the modules offered by the WWF or the Workshop Program: Academic Careers, must be recognized in advance (at least 4 weeks in advance).
Please use the forms provided on this website for module recognition and proof of successful participation.

Can I also attend individual modules of the doctoral study program instead of completing the entire program?
You can attend individual modules. However, you will not receive a supplement with your doctoral certificate that proves your participation in the doctoral study program unless you have completed it in full (i.e., 20 ECTS credits from 3 areas).

Can I have modules recognized that I took before I was admitted as a doctoral candidate?
Yes, this is possible if these are modules for doctoral candidates (e.g., no Master's courses). Furthermore, these modules must have been taken AFTER the completion of your Master's program. Finally, there must be a certain temporal proximity to your doctorate at our faculty: Successful participation in these modules should not date back more than one year.

Are modules within the doctoral study program graded?
The lecturer decides whether to award grades. It is also possible that only a proof of attendance is issued. However, if grades are awarded, they will not be included in the grading of your dissertation.

When do I have to prove that I have successfully completed the 20 ECTS?
When you submit the doctoral application to the Dean's Office of the WWF (step 6), you must provide proof that you have successfully completed your doctoral study program. Please use the form “Complete transcript of records” on this website and attach the single proofs.

Can I take more than the required 20 ECTS?
Yes, you can enter all modules into the “Complete transcript of records" form. All modules will then appear on the supplement to your doctoral certificate.

Is participation in the modules on the White List subject to a fee?
No, you do not have to pay to take part in the modules on the White List (modules offered by the WWF and Workshop Program: Academic Careers).

Coordinator of doctoral study program: Prof. Dr. Katja Gelbrich

Office: Waltraud Fischermeier

Allgemeine Habilitationsordnung

Fachhabilitationsordnung