Attention: This is an English Translation of a German text.

Only the German version is legally

binding!

The original German version of the doctoral regulations can be found here:

http://www.fu-berlin.de/service/zuvdocs/amtsblatt/2008/ab602008.pdf

ISSN 0723-0745 Gazette of the Freie Universität Berlin 60/2008, 2nd December 2008

Table of Contents

Joint Doctoral Degree Regulations for Dr. phil./Ph.D. of Freie Universität Berlin 1326
Joint Doctoral Degree Regulations for Dr. phil./Ph.D. of Freie Universität Berlin

Preamble

On the basis of § 14 Cl. 1 No. 2 Partial Basic Regulation (TGO test model) of the Freie Universität
Berlin dated 27th October 1998 (FU Memoranda 24/1998) in combination with § 70 Cl. 5 of the
Berlin Universities Act (BerlHG) in the publicised version of the revised version dated 13th February
2003 (GVBl. p. 81), last amended by the Law dated 17th July 2008 (GVBl. p. 209), the extended
faculty councils of the faculties Educational Science and Psychology, History and Cultural Sciences,
Philosophy and Humanities and Politics and Social Sciences of the Freie Universität Berlin have issued
the following Doctorate Regulations on 2nd and 16th July and on 13th August and 18th September
2008:*

Contents

§ 1 Significance of the doctorate and the doctorate degree

§ 2 Doctoral examination committee

§ 3 Conditions for admission

§ 4 Admission procedure

§ 5 Enrolment as a doctoral student

§ 6 Supervision of the dissertation project, standard allotted completion time

§ 7 Dissertation

§ 8 Evaluation of the dissertation

§ 9 Doctoral commission

§ 10 Decisions on the dissertation and the setting of a date for the disputation

§ 11 Disputation (oral examination)

§ 12 Decision on the disputation and the conferral of the doctorate

§ 13 Publication of the dissertation and obligatory submission

§ 14 Doctorate diploma

§ 15 Objection

§ 16 Joint doctorate with institutions abroad

§ 17 Honorary doctorate

§ 18 Withdrawal of a doctoral degree

§ 19 Dismissal from the procedure, withdrawal, new doctoral procedure

§ 20 Enactment, annulment and interim regulations

§ 1 Significance of the doctorate and the doctorate degree

(1) The faculties Educational Science and Psychology, History and Cultural Sciences, Philosophy and
Humanities and Politics and Social Sciences of the Freie Universität Berlin confer the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy (doctor philosophiae, abbreviated: Dr. phil.) or of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
on the basis of a standard doctoral procedure in accordance with the following regulations:

(2) By means of the doctorate the student proves his/her capability to produce exceptional
academic/scientific work through individual research. The written doctoral work consists of a
scientific thesis (dissertation) or several individual theses (cumulative work) and an oral examination
(disputation). In addition, to be awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) evidence should be produced
of the successful completion of a doctoral study course within the framework of Dahlem Research
School (DRS) or an equivalent course of study by certificate and proof of academic achievement or
similar evidence.

(3) The contents of doctoral subjects are scientific fields for which courses of study or partial courses
of study are set up and which are represented in teachings and research through at least one
professor of the faculty.

(4) The honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy (doctor philosophiae honoris causa, abbreviated:
Dr. phil. h. c.) is awarded for exceptional academic achievements in one doctoral subject

(5) A degree in accordance with Cl. 1 can only be awarded once within the same doctoral subject.

(6) The regulations for the dissertation shall correspondingly apply to doctoral procedures in which
the written doctoral work consists of several individual theses.

§ 2 Doctoral examination committee

(1) In order to carry out the doctoral procedure, the faculty council will appoint a doctoral
examination committee. The faculty council appoints the members of the doctoral examination
committee at the beginning of each period of office. The committee comprises at least three full-
time university professors and an academic employee who has completed a doctorate degree.

A representative should be appointed for every committee member.

 (2) The doctoral examination committee decides on the admission of candidates and their
dissertation projects to the doctoral procedure. It is obliged to advise the candidates.In the case of
interdisciplinary dissertations the doctoral examination committee ensures a equal participation of
the other faculties concerned in the assessment of the doctoral candidate. The meetings of the
doctoral examination committee are not open to the public.

(3) The doctoral examination committee may generally transfer decisions in individual cases or
certain powers to the chairperson of the doctoral examination committee. The doctoral examination
committee can reverse the transferral at any time.

(4) The doctoral examination committee is accountable to the faculty council. It must notify the
faculty council of its decisions.

(5) In case of questions on basic procedure issues the presidium – legal office – should be informed
by the chairperson of the doctoral examination committee through the deanery of the faculty.

§ 3 Conditions for admission

(1) A condition for admission to the doctoral procedure is the successful completion of a course of
study in a subject relevant to the doctorate at a university with a right to award doctorates within
the scope of the basic constitutional law by successfully completing

- a Masters examination with an extent of altogether 300 points including the study course
completed previously,

– a Masters examination,

– diploma examination,

or

– first state examination for a teaching position in secondary or vocational schools

in each case with the minimum overall assessment of “good”.

(2) After passing a Bachelors examination in a course of study relevant to the doctorate in question,
admission can be granted if the qualifying examination was passed with the highest possible number
of credits according to the grading scale prescribed by the relevant examination regulations and a
final examination was given by two full-time university lecturers in a subject relevant to the
doctorate in question. The doctoral committee decides on the form of the final examination.

(3) Should the doctoral candidate have passed a final qualification other than that prescribed in Cl. 1
and 2, he/she can be admitted to the doctoral procedure if his or her qualification is proven for the
subject of the doctorate. The doctoral committee can admit the candidate to the doctoral procedure
upon the condition that he/she provides within a certain time evidence of his/her
proficiency/qualifications, the acquirement of which is usual procedure as part of the university
course required by Cl. 1 or is necessary for the intended doctorate as a supplement to the knowledge
evidence of which is submitted by the candidate.

(4) As final qualification in accordance with the terms of Cl. 1, an equivalent examination at a
university outside of the area of validity of the basic constitutional law of the Federal Republic shall
also be acceptable. In case of any doubt about the equivalence, a verification of equivalence can be
acquired from the Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen (Central Office for Foreign
Education) from the secretary of the Standing Conference of the Ministers for Culture of the States of
the Federal Republic of Germany. In case no classification of the scoring classification of the foreign
university qualification is possible through the Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen, the
representative responsible for this subject or the responsible representative of the doctoral
committee should establish the equivalence of this university degree score with the overall score of
at least “good”. In case an equivalence cannot be determined, the doctoral examination committee
should verify whether an equivalence can be established after fulfilment of the conditions as defined
by Cl. 2.

(5) If the final degree was acquired at a university of applied sciences, evidence must be produced of
the corresponding qualifications. This can be achieved by a final examination at a university of
applied sciences in a course of study relevant to the doctorate with an overall score in accordance
with the grading scale of the relative examination regulations in each case. The doctoral committee
decides whether this procedure should be adhered to in the individual case in accordance with Cl. 2
or in accordance with with Cl. 3.

§ 4 Admission procedure

(1) Applications for admission to the doctoral procedure are to be sent to the doctoral examination
committee accompanied by the following documents:
a) documents, in particular references and evidence of qualifications that are required in accordance
with § 3,

b) a tabular overview of activities and experience relevant to the intended dissertation project,

c) a declaration as to whether a registration of the intention to do a doctorate has already been

made earlier or whether a doctoral procedure is in progress at another university or in another
faculty of the Freie Universität Berlin, where applicable supported by full documentation,

d) a declaration that the candidate is familiar with the valid doctorate regulations,

e) in the case of candidates whose mother tongue is not German, with a university qualification from
a foreign university or equivalent institution and who wish to study for the doctorate in the German
language, evidence of that person’s proficiency in German in the form of passing a German language
examination for university entrance (DSH) or equivalent evidence in accordance with the regulations
for the German language examination for university entrance for foreign candidates at the Freie
Universität Berlin,

f) should the doctoral studies be conducted in English or upon request in another academic
language, evidence should be provided by the candidate of his/her proficiency in English or other
academic language at level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
(GER) or evidence of equivalent knowledge. The permission to use an academic language other than
English is only permissible if supervision, assessment and scoring are guaranteed in the language
concerned.

g) where applicable, evidence of further foreign language proficiency imperative for the doctoral
subject should be submitted. Type and extent of this knowledge shall be stipulated by the faculty
responsible in a special regulation.

(2) The application for admissions should be accompanied by a description of the targets and
methods intended for the planned dissertation. The dissertation project must be approved by at
least one full-time university professions from the faculty. The doctoral candidate should propose a
supervisor. The proposed supervisor must confirm his/her agreement to accept this function.
(3) The doctoral examination committee should decide on admission to the doctoral procedure
usually within one month. Rejections incl. the reasons for such should be submitted in writing.

(4) The application for the doctorate should be rejected if:

a) the requirements as listed in § 3 are not fulfilled;

b) the documents required by Cl. 1 and 2 are missing;

c) a doctoral procedure has already been successfully completed in the doctoral subject applied for;

d) a doctoral procedure is already being carried out in the doctoral subject applied for,

e) the declaration as required by Cl. 1 letter c) is submitted but does not correspond to the truth.

The doctoral application can be rejected in case of incompetence for the subject pursuant to § 4 Cl.
2.

§ 5 Enrolment as a doctoral student

(1) Doctoral candidates who are not already members of the Freie Universität Berlin due to an
employment contract or enrolment in a course of study, must enrol as doctoral students with the
Freie Universität Berlin.

(2) If the enrolment is not applied for within the term allowed in the letter of notification for the
admission to the doctoral procedure or within the renewal period, admission to the doctoral
procedure will expire. A renewed application for admission to the doctoral procedure is not excluded
by this.

§ 6 Supervision of the dissertation project, standard allotted completion time

 (1) With the admission of the doctoral candidate to the doctoral procedure the faculty is obliged to
secure the supervision and later assessment of the dissertation project.

(2) Supervisors of dissertations are usually university professors from the faculty. The supervisor of a
dissertation is permanently obliged to supervise the dissertation and may not delegate this duty to
others.

(3) Notwithstanding Cl. 2, in the doctoral procedure of the faculty, directors, research group leaders
or leaders of independent junior research groups and other equivalent members of extra-mural
research institutions and educational establishments, to whom the Freie Universität Berlin has
granted the right within the framework of cooperation agreements with the faculty to function as
supervisors, reviewers and as examiners of doctorate dissertations, shall have the rights and duties
of part-time university professors. This also applies to leaders of junior research groups financed
from third-party funds, who are in the service of the Freie Universität Berlin and to whom the right
has been awarded within the framework of a contract to mentor doctoral candidates in mutual
agreement with the faculty.

(4) In the individual case, the granting of participation rights and duties in accordance with Cl. 3
presupposes the confirmation by the majority of the graduate doctoral members of the doctorate
committee that the required qualification is fulfilled due to the proven academic achievements and
therefore that the requirements demanded of a university professor of the faculty, are fulfilled. The
doctoral committee can at the same time appoint a university professor of the faculty as a mutual
supervisor.

(5) In justified cases university professors who do not belong to the faculty can also be appointed by
the doctoral committee. The doctoral examination committee names a full-time university professor
of the faculty to support the external supervisor. External supervisors, even if their professional field
of activity lies mainly outside of the Land Berlin, must guarantee an orderly supervision and should
ensure in particular that personal contact is maintained with the doctoral candidate.

(6) The topic of the dissertation project can be freely chosen. However, the choice must be made in
mutual agreement with the supervisor. Usually the dissertation should be submitted after three
years and the procedure concluded after four years (standard processing time).

(7) Should a doctoral candidate exceed the standard processing time pursuant to Cl. 6, then he/she
must submit to the Students’ Administration Office a certificate issued by the doctoral examination
committee in which the status of preparation of the dissertation and the probable length of time still
required for processing is recorded. Should the doctoral candidate not have produced this certificate
within three months after being requested to do so, admission to the doctoral procedure will expire.

(8) The supervisor is obliged in a declaration to the doctoral candidate and to the faculty to
supervise the dissertation project for a period of up to three years. Upon application, the doctoral
examination committee shall decide about any extension of this period with the mutual consent of
the supervisor. Should within the course of the work the supervisor or the doctoral candidate feel
occasioned for important reasons to terminate the supervising relationship, then they are obliged to
inform the chairperson of the doctoral examination committee of this without delay, stating their
reasons.

(9) Should the supervisor cease to be a member of the Freie Universität Berlin, then he/she will
retain the right to continue the supervision of the begun dissertation and to remain in his/her
position on the doctoral commission with a right to vote, for three years. The time limit does not
apply to former full-time university professors of the Freie Universität Berlin, who still have a right to
teach and examine.

§ 7 Dissertation

(1) With the written doctorate thesis, evidence should be provided of the candidate’s ability to
produce independent, advanced academic research work and to aim at contributing towards
scientific progress.

(2) A written doctorate thesis that is submitted in German, English or upon request in another
academic language, may be presented in the form of the following:

a) an unpublished or partly published thesis which must include a completed presentation of the
research work and its results. Publications are only permissible in mutual consent between the
doctoral candidate and supervisor.

or

b) a cumulative thesis that consists of published and/or unpublished individual works that in its
entirety as a dissertation must represent an equivalent achievement in respect of item a) above.
Published individual work must be published in academic journals with a review system; unpublished
works must be accepted in such journals pursuant to review system standards. The right of the
doctoral commission to decide on the acceptance or rejection of a cumulative thesis remains
unaffected by the fulfilment of this provision. A cumulative thesis that must include a general title,
consists, in addition to the statements provided in § 7 Cl. 5, of a list with the titles of the individual
works, an introduction and a connecting text that comprehensively interprets, evaluates and
discusses the individual works incorporated in the cumulative thesis.

(3) In the case of written doctoral achievements in accordance with Cl. 2, produced in collaboration
with other researchers, the share contributed by the doctoral candidate must be clearly defined and
reviewable. The doctoral candidate is obliged to present in detail his/her contribution to the
conception, realisation and report’s compilation.

(4) The doctoral candidate must state all sources used and aids received and assure that he/she has
compiled the work independently on this basis.

The work may not have already been accepted or rejected before in an earlier doctoral procedure. In
case of doubt, works from earlier doctoral procedures should be submitted for comparison purposes.

(5) The dissertation must include on the title page the name of the author, the name of the faculty,
the description of the dissertation submitted to the Freie Universität Berlin as well as the year of
submission. Also an introductory page for the name of the reviewers.

It must include an Appendix with a short summary of its results in German and in English as well as a
list of the previously printed publications brought out during the course of preparation of this
dissertation. With the approval of the doctoral candidate it should contain a brief curriculum vitae of
the doctoral candidate.

(6) Six printed copies of the dissertation should be submitted. Each reviewer is to receive one copy,
one copy remains with the faculty and is filed. Prior printed publications of parts of the thesis are to
be submitted as special print-outs or copies in six-fold.

§ 8 Evaluation of the dissertation

(1) After submission of the dissertation the doctoral examination committee immediately appoints
the reviewers for the dissertation and the doctoral commission in accordance with § 9.

(2) Basically the supervisor of the dissertation project should be appointed as the reviewer of the
dissertation. The doctoral committee should appoint a further reviewer with the approval of the
doctoral candidate. At least one reviewer must be a full-time university professor of the faculty. At
least one reviewer must belong to the faculty relevant to the dissertation. Should major methodical
or factual aspects of the dissertation touch on a special field that is mainly represented in another
faculty, the other reviewing university professor should belong to this faculty. § 6 Cl. 3 remains
unaffected.

(3) The reviews should be compiled independently of one another and within 10 weeks after being
requested to do the review. Failure to meet the deadlines should be justified in writing to the
doctoral examination committee. The members of the doctoral examination committee and the
doctoral commissions must treat the reviews strictly confidentially. The reviews must take into
consideration the significance of the dissertation and its results in a greater context and point out
any shortcomings. Should a reviewer recognise shortcomings in the work, the elimination of which
appears possible and necessary for acceptance of the thesis, he/she must describe these exactly in
the review. In such a case he/she can recommend a revision of the dissertation for which indications
should be given. In the overall review each reviewer should recommend acceptance while stating a
score in accordance with § 10, reject it or return the dissertation for the purpose of eliminating
specific shortcomings and recommend resubmission. Should the required assessments not be clearly
recognisable from the review, the doctoral examination committee will return the review for
revision.

(4) Should the assessments in the review deviate from each other by more than one point, the
doctoral committee should appoint a further reviewer.

(5) After concluding the review the dissertation must be displayed along with the reviewers’
proposed scores for two weeks, and for four weeks during lecture-free periods. All university
professors and post-graduate doctors of the faculty can scrutinise the dissertation and the score
proposals and submit written comments which should be enclosed with the doctoral documents.
This group of people should be informed by the doctoral committee in a suitable way about the
public display of the dissertation. In addition, the members of the doctoral examination committee
and their doctoral commission in each case also have the right to scrutinise the review during the
display period. In case comments are received during the display period, the doctoral committee can
appoint a further external reviewer.

§ 9 Doctoral commission

(1) The doctoral examination committee forms a doctoral commission for the forthcoming doctoral
procedure and appoints a chairperson and a vice-chairperson who must each be a full-time university
professor of the faculty.
 (2) The doctoral commission consists of the reviewers and at least two further university professors,
of which at least three must be members of the faculty, and one post-doctoral academic employee of
the university who is employed by the Freie Universität Berlin or one of its affiliates. The doctoral
commission should not include more than one university professor who has been released or who is
retired. § 6 Cl. 3 remains unaffected.

(3) For retiring/retired members or such members of the doctoral commission who are hindered for
important reasons for any longer period of time, the doctoral examination committee supplements
the doctoral commission while observing the requirements of Cl. 2.

(4) The responsibilities of the doctoral commission are:

a) the evaluation of the dissertation on the basis of the existing reviews and any possible comments
in accordance with § 8 Cl. 5,

b) setting and carrying out the disputation,

c) evaluation of the disputation,

d) determination of the overall score that takes into account the individual evaluations for
dissertation and disputation in accordance with §§ 11,12.

(5) The doctoral commission does not meet publicly.

(6) The doctoral commission makes resolutions by a majority of the members with voting power. All
votes on achievement assessment are taken openly, abstentions are not permissible.

§ 10 Decisions on the dissertation and the setting of a date for the disputation

(1) After expiry of the compulsory display period, the doctoral commission decides on the
acceptance, rejection or return of the dissertation, the admission of the doctoral candidate to the
disputation and on the determination of the score for the dissertation. In case of acceptance of the
dissertation, the following scoring is applicable:
– with distinction (summa cum laude)

– very good (magna cum laude)

– good (cum laude)

– satisfactory (rite).

The distinction “summa cum laude“ for the dissertation may only be awarded if both reviewers have
awarded the work “summa cum laude“ and the dissertation was not returned to the doctoral
candidate before final scoring giving him/her the opportunity to eliminate any shortcomings and to
resubmit the amended dissertation. In case of rejection of the dissertation, the doctoral commission
declares the dissertation as failed without setting a date for a disputation and gives the reasons for
its decision. The rejection is to be notified in writing to the doctoral candidate by the chairperson of
the doctoral examination committee stating the reasons for the rejection.

(2) After acceptance of the dissertation the doctoral commission informs the doctoral candidate of
its decision and with his/her approval sets a date for the disputation. It should take place within four
months after the receipt of the last review. The chairperson of the doctoral examination committee
decides upon request about justified exceptions. The chairperson of the doctoral commission sends
out invitations to the disputation.

(3) In case of return of the dissertation the disputation is not set until submission, scoring of the
revised dissertation and completion of the display period pursuant to § 8 Cl. 5.

(4) Should the doctoral candidate declare his/her wish to forego carrying out a disputation, the
doctorate is considered as failed. This should be notified in writing to the doctoral candidate by the
doctoral examination committee.

§ 11 Disputation (Oral Examination)

(1) The disputation has the purpose of providing evidence of the capability of the doctoral candidate
to present his/her knowledge orally and to discuss academic/scientific problems. Depending on the
wish of the doctoral candidate, the disputation shall take place in German or English, or upon request
in another academic language. The disputation takes place publicly within the university, unless the
doctoral candidate requests otherwise. All members of the doctoral commission must take in the
disputation.

(2) The disputation begins with an approx. 30-minute lecture during which the doctoral candidate
presents and explains the results of the dissertation and their significance in a greater functional
context. Following this the doctoral candidate defends the dissertation against criticism and answers
any questions posed by members of the doctoral commission. The questions are to refer to the
allocation of the problems of the dissertation to larger academic contexts. Finally the chairman of the
doctoral commission can allow questions from the public on the disputation topic. The discussion
should take at least thirty and maximum sixty minutes.

(3) The chairperson of the doctoral commission coordinates the academic discussion and decides on
priority and, where necessary, on the legitimacy of the questions. He or she can, for the purpose of
an orderly procedure of the disputation, exclude the public; the members of the doctoral
examination committee are not considered to form part of the public.

(4) The members of the doctoral commission appoint one of their members as minutes’ secretary.
The minutes’ secretary keeps the minutes on the procedure of the disputation. The minutes should
be enclosed with the doctorate documents. The minutes must include the following details:

– date/time/place of the disputation

– list of members of the doctoral commission present

– score given to the dissertation

– description of the discussion contributions in outline

– score for the disputation

– overall score pursuant to § 12

– particular incidents.

The minutes are to be signed by the minutes’ secretary and by the chairperson of the doctoral
commission.

(5) Should the doctoral candidate not be present unexcused, his/her dissertation will count as having
been failed. This should be notified in writing to the doctoral candidate concerned.

§ 12 Decision on the disputation and the conferral of the doctorate

(1) Following the disputation the doctoral commission scores the disputation in a non-public
meeting in accordance with § 10 Cl. 1. For the evaluation of the disputation more importance should
be placed on the discussion than on the presentation. For the overall score the dissertation should
have more significance than the disputation. Then the doctoral commission determines the overall
score based on the evaluations listed in § 10 Cl. 1. It informs the doctoral candidate about the
individual scores for the dissertation and the disputation and the overall score. The score “with
distinction (summa cum laude)“ may only be given as an overall mark if the dissertation has also
received this evaluation.

(2) After the doctoral commission has determined the overall score, the doctoral candidate receives
an interim report that includes the title of the dissertation, the individual scores for the dissertation
and disputation and the overall score. This interim report does not entitle the bearer to hold the title
of Doctor.

(3) After completion of the doctoral procedure, the whole doctoral process should still be treated
strictly confidentially; within one year the doctoral graduate or rather the former doctoral candidate
has a right of insight into the doctoral file.

(4) Should the candidate fail the disputation, the decision together with the reasons for this should
be notified to the doctoral candidate by the chairperson of the doctoral examination committee in
writing within two weeks. The disputation may then be repeated once at the earliest after three, at
the latest after six months.

(5) Should the second disputation also have failed, then the doctoral commission will declare the
doctorate as failed and present the reasons for this decision. The decision will be notified to the
doctoral candidate by the chairperson of the doctoral examination committee in writing within two
weeks.

§ 13 Publication of the dissertation and obligatory submission

(1) The dissertation is to be made accessible to the academic community in an appropriate way by
duplication and distribution. This is fulfilled if the doctoral candidate submits the following items to
the university library free of charge in addition to the six copies required under § 7 Cl. 6:

a) 40 copies in book or canvas print,

b) three original publications if the whole dissertation is published in journal,

c) three original copies if a commercial publishing house has taken on the distribution via bookshops,
and

a minimum circulation of 150 copies can be shown,

d) three copies in copyable type-script together with the original master copy and 50 further copies
on microfiches or

e) an electronic version, the data format of which should be reconciled with the university library,
plus five printed copies.

In case of a) above, the university library is obliged to keep a reasonable quantity of the excess
exchange copies for four years. In case of b) and c) above, the publication must be marked as a
dissertation stating the place the dissertation was submitted and scrutinised. In case of the letters a)
and d) above, the post-graduate doctoral student must assign to the Freie Universität Berlin the
rights to produce and distribute further copies of his/her dissertation.

(2) If the dissertation is marketed by a commercial publishing house and if a printing cost subsidy is
being granted for this from public funds, then a reasonable number of copies should be made
available to the university library for exchange purposes.
(3) The publication and fulfilment of the obligation to publicise the dissertation in accordance with
Cl. 1 must be effected within two years, counted from the date of the disputation.

The doctoral examination committee shall decide on extensions of the deadline upon written request
by the doctoral candidate including the reasons for the requested extension.

(4) Before printing the dissertation the doctoral candidate should obtain the approval of the text
version to be published. This will be issued by the chairperson of the doctoral committee with the
mutual consent of the reviewers.

(5) Within the framework of the doctoral procedure there is no publication commitment for the
published individual works of a cumulative thesis. Upon receipt of a written application from the
doctoral candidate with statement of reasons, the doctoral committee will decide whether a thesis
published in parts can be exempted from the publication obligation.

§ 14 Doctorate diploma

(1) A diploma for a successful doctorate degree will be issued in German, or upon request also in
English or Latin.

(2) The diploma must include the following details:

a) name of the Freie Universität Berlin and the faculty,

b) name, date of birth and place of birth of the post-doctoral graduate,

c) the degree conferred, i.e. Doktorin/Doktor der Philosophie (doctor philosophiae, abbreviated: Dr.
phil.) or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.),

d) title of the dissertation,

e) date of the disputation (oral examination) that counts as the date of the conferral of the
doctorate,
f) scores awarded to the dissertation and the disputation and the overall score of the doctorate,

g) names of the reviewers,

h) name and signature of the Dean,

i) stamp of the Freie Universität Berlin,

j) where applicable, name of the successfully complete doctoral course of study.

(2) Doctoral candidates who fulfil the conditions for the conferral of the degree Doctor of Philosophy
(Ph.D.), can upon request be conferred the degree of a Doktorin/Doktor der Philosophie (Dr. phil.).

(3) Should it become known before handing over the doctoral diploma that

1. the candidate was deceitful about significant requirements for the conferral of the doctorate or

2. significant requirements for the conferral of the doctorate have been wrongly presumed without
a case existing as described in No. 1, pending a different decision by the doctoral committee, the
doctoral diploma will not be handed out and in case of the doctoral procedure as described under §§
1 tos 12 the whole doctorate will be declared as failed.

(4) The doctoral diploma should be handed out within six weeks after notification of fulfilment of the
submission obligation in accordance with § 13 Cl. 1 and Cl. 3. The doctoral diploma entitles the
graduate to hold the title of Doctor.

§ 15 Objection

An objection to the result of the doctoral procedure should be submitted within three months after
publication of the result enclosing the reasons for the objection in writing to the chairperson of the
doctoral committee. The chairperson of the doctoral committee is responsible for an orderly
processing of the objection. He/she should pass the objection to the members of the doctoral
commission. The chairperson of the doctoral committee informs the person concerned about the
decision of the commission on the objection. The doctoral commission should principally decide on
the objection within one month. The scores in question and the reasons for these scores should be
reviewed.

The result of and reasons for this revision including the scoring should be set out in writing.

§ 16 Joint doctorate with institutions abroad

(1) The doctoral procedure can be carried out mutually with universities or equivalent educational or
research institutions abroad, if

a) the candidate fulfils the requirements for admission to the doctoral procedure in the faculty of
the Freie Universität Berlin

and

b) the institution abroad has the right to confer a doctorate in accordance with its national laws, and
the degree to be awarded by this institution would be acceptable within the area of application of
their national constitutional law.

(2) The realisation of the joint doctoral procedure must be stipulated by contract. The contractual
regulations apply in addition to the conditions of these doctorate regulations. In the agreement
these doctorate regulations should be taken into consideration with regard to the requirements and
the procedures for ensuring their equivalency. It should be jointly determined which doctorate
regulations shall be applicable. The foreign doctorate regulations must, if necessary, be presented in
German or English translation so that it is possible to determine whether these are equivalent in
their requirements and in the procedure of the doctorate regulations of the faculty. If the foreign
doctorate regulations are applicable, it is important to ensure that the essential rules of the
doctorate regulations of the faculty of the Freie Universität Berlin are also guaranteed.

(3) The doctoral candidate must be have been admitted to the institutions involved.

(4) The thesis can be compiled in German, English or, upon request, in another academic language
and must, where applicable, contain a summary in the third language in addition to the German and
English summaries.
(5) The doctoral commission will be made up equally of two university professors from each
university involved or similar research or educational institutions and of an academic representative
of the faculty who has a doctorate him-/herself. Both reviewers are members of the commission.
Upon application, the commission can be extended by up to two further university lecturers,
whereby the parity of the members must be retained. It must be ensured that members of the
doctoral commission have a good command of the examination language.

(6) If both countries have different scoring systems, an agreement must be reached as to how the
combined scores are to be designated and uniformly recorded. This should be based on the scoring
scale of the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System):

A = with distinction = summa cum laude,

B = very good = magna cum laude,

C = good = cum laude,

D = satisfactory = rite,

F = failed = non rite.

(7) A bi-lingual doctoral diploma will be mutually issued by both universities according to the pattern
developed by the German University Rectors’ Conference (German: HRK). With this diploma the
doctoral candidate acquires the right to hold the title of Doctor either in the German or the foreign
form. However, only one doctor’s degree will be conferred in such a case.

§ 17 Honorary doctorate

At the request of the Dean, the research commission or of at least three full-time university
professors of the faculty, the faculty council can award the honorary degrees of a Doctor of
Philosophy (doctor philosophiae honoris causa, abbreviated: Dr. phil. h. c.) for outstanding
academic/scientific services that are significant for the doctoral subjects. For the assessment of these
services a doctoral commission should be appointed in accordance with § 9 of the doctoral
examination committee that submits to the faculty council a recommendation on the basis of two
foreign assessments. The resolution of the faculty council requires the majority of members of the
faculty council who are entitled to hold a doctor’s title.

§ 18 Withdrawal of a doctoral degree

The withdrawal of a degree in accordance with § 1 should comply with the legal regulations.

§ 19 Dismissal from the procedure, withdrawal, new doctoral procedure

(1) If more than six years have passed since admission to the doctoral procedure the doctoral
committee can discontinue the procedure after prior written agreement and statements made by
the supervisor after hearing the doctoral candidate. The dismissal should be founded. It shall be
declared in writing by the chairperson of the doctoral examination committee. A renewed
application for admission to the doctoral procedure will not be excluded because of this.

(2) The doctoral candidate has the right to withdrawal up to receipt of the first review. After
withdrawal the measures taken so far in the procedure shall not count as part of the doctoral
procedure.

(3) If the whole doctorate is not completed successfully, admission to a new doctoral procedure can
be applied for and the new dissertation submitted at the earliest after one year.

§ 20 Enactment, annulment and interim regulations

(1) These Doctoral Degree Regulations shall come into effect on the day after publication in the
memoranda (Official Bulletin of the Freie Universität Berlin). At the same time the Common
Doctorate Regulations for a Dr. phil. o the Freie Universität Berlin dated 21st October 1985 in the
version of publication of the new edition dated 8th July 1998 (FU Memorandum 25/1998) shall
expire.

(2) Doctoral candidates who are working on a dissertation at the time these regulations come into
effect and are admitted to the doctoral procedure in acc. with §§ 3, 4 of the Doctorate Regulations in
accordance with Cl. 1 Sentence 2, can still complete their doctoral procedure according to the
previous regulations, provided a transitional period of four years from the enactment of these
regulations is not exceeded. § 13 of these regulations also applies to all procedures not yet
completed in accordance with the previously applicable regulations.