Procedure for a Doctorate
Before the doctorate
The first step is to get in contact with a professor of the Faculty of Agriculture who is willing to supervise your work.
Current job vacancies with the option to complete a doctorate can often be found on the webpages of the institutes.
Check regularly if there is something for you. Do you have an idea of your own? Talk directly to potential doctoral supervisors. Explain your research project as precisely as possible and give reasons why the professor is suitable as a supervisor.
Clarify the necessary language skills (doctorate in German or English).
Application for admission to doctoral studies
After you have found a supervisor, the formal requirements for admission as a doctoral student must be clarified. The Doctoral Board and the Faculty Council are responsible for admission.
For this you must submit an application to the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Bonn for admission to doctoral studies. Your supervisor must also sign this application (Deadline: at least 10 days before the next faculty meeting)
Annexes to the application
Curriculum vitae (signed)
Proof of successful completion of a relevant academic degree according to § 6 of the Doctoral Regulations of June 17, 2011 (certified copy of the certificate and the transcript or presentation of the originals)
Declaration by a University Professor (German Language) of the Faculty of Agriculture on the assumption of supervision according to § 6 (1) to (3) of the Doctoral Degree Regulations of June 17, 2011
Data entry form (German / Englisch Language) for recording university statistics
EXCEL form for the collection of personal data
Enrollment: yes or no?
Generally, you can enroll as a student during your doctorate. Enrollment takes place at the Student Secretariat of the University of Bonn.
As a student you enjoy a number of advantages:
- Public transport pass ‘NRW-Semesterticket’
- Discounted admissions
- Free courses offered by the university
- Receipt of a Uni-ID
- Dorm accommodation
- Offers of the 'Studierendenwerk'
- Use of the University Library etc.
Enrollment and registration costs approx. € 290 per semester.
Undertaking the doctorate
Once all formalities have been completed, you will be admitted to the doctorate and receive a corresponding confirmation. Now you should concentrate on completing your doctorate. In addition to the traditional doctorate, the Faculty of Agriculture also offers participation in a structured doctoral program within the framework of the Bonn International Graduate School (BIGS) - Land and Food.
With the Argelander Program, the University of Bonn has created a comprehensive support system to promote the development of young scientists’ at all academic levels. Here you can, for example, take part in the Promotion-Plus support program.
Doctoral examination procedure
Is your doctoral dissertation project finished and your dissertation almost complete? Now, you are faced with further procedural steps: If you haven’t done so already, you should now find and specify a second reviewer: You need another professor to review your doctoral dissertation from a scientific point of view. It is advisable to involve the second reviewer as early as possible so you can discuss your work with her or him from a technical point of view before submission.
Then you must apply for admission to the doctoral procedure. Here, you must state the exact title of your work and make a proposal for the compostion of your examinationa board. Please observe § 3 (1) and (2) of the Doctoral Degree Regulations. Your application must be approved by the Faculty Council, which meets three times per semester during the lecture period. The time-limit for submitting is at least 10 days before the meeting. After approval, you can then submit your dissertation including the documents which are listed in the Request for review to the Doctoral Office.
Review of the doctorate
Once the complete documentation has been submitted, your work will be forwarded to the reviewers, who will usually review your dissertation within eight weeks.
When all the reviewers are available and the acceptance of the dissertation has been determined, the authorized examiners and the other members of the Faculty of Agriculture will be informed of the two-week inspection period. This is followed by a three-day objection period. If no objection has been raised, the first assessor will obtain a declaration of printability.
Public lecture and scientific debate
Now, a doctoral colloquium can be convened with a notice period of at least two weeks. For this purpose, you inform the Doctoral Office in good time by e-mail of the required information (date, time, institute, lecture hall, possible substitute for the chair). After successful completion of the doctoral colloquium, you will promptly receive a preliminary certificate of the overall evaluation of your doctoral performance.
Completion of the doctorate
Your doctoral procedure is considered complete when your dissertation has been published. You have a maximum of one year to do so. You will receive more detailed information after the examination, where you will receive a letter from the chair.
The docotoral certificate will be issued as soon as the documents required for graduation are available. You will receive two certified copies. At this point the doctorate is considered to have been completed and the title may be held. The original of the certificate will be presented by the Dean at the annual doctorate celebration - usually the Friday before the “Bonner Universitätsfest”.
Downloads for the doctoral procedure
Promotion Regulations (GE)
Amtliche Bekanntmachungen, 51. Jahrgang, Nr. 76
Abweichung von § 18a Abs. 3 und Abs. 5 Satz 4 der Promotionsordnung der Landwirtschaftlichen Fakultät in der Fassung der Dritten Ordnung zur Änderung der Promotionsordnung der Landwirtschaftlichen Fakultät (Amtl. Bek. Jg. 51, Nr. 6 vom 18. April 2021) der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn vom 08. November 2021
Amtliche Bekanntmachungen, 51. Jahrgang, Nr. 36
Dritte Ordnung zur Änderung der "Promotionsordnung der Landwirtschaftlichen Fakultät" der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn vom 18. April 2021
Amtliche Bekanntmachungen 49. Jahrgang, Nr. 19
Zweite Ordnung zur Änderung der "Promotionsordnung der Landwirtschaftlichen Fakultät" der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn vom 27. Juni 2019
Amtliche Bekanntmachungen 47. Jahrgang, Nr. 49
Ordnung zur Änderung der "Promotionsordnung der Landwirtschaftlichen Fakultät" der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn vom 11. Dezember 2017
Amtliche Bekanntmachungen 41. Jahrgang, Nr. 15
"Promotionsordnung der Landwirtschaftlichen Fakultät" der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn vom 17. Juni 2011
Doctoral Studies ( §5 und §6 PromO )
Application for Admission to Doctoral Studies (EN)
Application for admission to doctoral studies in accordance with § 6 of the Doctoral Examination Regulations of the Faculty of Agriculture of June 17, 2011
Erklärung Hochschullehrer*in (GE)
Erklärung der betreuenden Hochschullehrerin / des betreuenden Hochschullehrers der Landwirtschaftlichen Fakultät
Personal data (GE/EN)
Personal data recording form (Excel-Table)
Survey form doctoral statistics (GE/EN)
Doctoral Procedure ( §7 ff. PromO )
Notes on the doctoral procedure (EN)
Compilation of all essential steps of the doctoral procedure at the Faculty of Agriculture of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University of Bonn
Application for admission to the doctoral examination procedure (EN)
Application for admission to the doctoral examination procedure by the university lecturer in accordance with § 7 of the Doctoral Examination Regulations of the Faculty of Agriculture of June 17, 2011
Doctorate Office
