Requirements during the doctorate
The requirements for graduation in the doctoral program in physics ("Promotionsprogramm Physik") are regulated in the "Rules and Regulations for the Graduate Schools in Mathematics and the Natural Sciences" ("Promotionsordnung der mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Promotionsschule der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen"). In particular in the attachment 7.
The graduation requirements are separated into a "research programm" ("Forschungsprogramm"), a "training program" ("Ausbildungsprogramm"), a "teaching programm" ("Lehrprogramm"), and the formal thesis submission and defense.
The completion of these requirements must be documented by the submission of the "Course assessment for Doctorates" form ("Leistungsnachweis für Promovierende"), available at the link to the left.
You need to collect signatures on your Requirements Form soon after you have completed something!
Research Programme
These requirements are made to insure the scientific quality of your thesis work.- A first oral report to the thesis committee in the form of an advanced seminar talk 6 months after you have started.
- Thereafter, yearly oral reports to the thesis committee in the same form.
- The presentation of thesis results at one or more scientific conferences (poster or talk).
- The submission of at least one paper largely based on your own thesis work to a recognized scientific journal. You do not have to be the first author.
Training Programme
These requirements are made to encourage you to broaden and deepen your physical knowledge, both in your speciality and beyond.- Attendance at advanced lectures/seminars ("fortgeschrittene Veranstaltungen") for at least 2 SWS (ca. 3 Credits) in the field of your thesis work.
- Attendance at advanced lectures/seminars for at least 2 SWS (ca. 3 Credits) outside of your thesis work. Whether a lecture/seminar ist "outside" or not decides a member of your thesis committee.
Teaching Programme
In this Prgramme you shall gain experience in teaching at undergraduate or Masters level. You have to collect at least 8 Credits by being a tutor for an exercise group or advise a lab experiment. At most two of your 8 credits can be earned by being an advisor for a Bachelor thesis.Before each semester begins, you can register in the "Application Portal for Tutorials" in order to get assigned to various lectures or labs counting towards your teaching program. The decision will be made in July for the winterterm and in January for the summerterm.
The Faculty also announce a list of courses for determining which assignment is given which credit. Generally, helping with the big beginning physics classes counts 4 credits, being a full-time lab tutor counts 2 credits, and being a part-time lab tutor (5 sessions or less during a semester) counts only 1. Ultimately, the person in charge of the tutorial/exercise session/lab decides what credit is given, so make sure you obtain her/his signature and the official amount of credit in your Course assessment document ("Leistungsnachweis") soon thereafter.
Foreign students who were enrolled before November 1, 2013 will be able to count an approved German language course for 2 Credits in this programme. Doctoral students, who enroll after that date will be able to count this 2 credits for an approved German language course in the Training Programme.