FAQ

At the beginning

• Who can do a doctorate at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering?
  In principle, any graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering or in a related field of study can do a doctorate at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. A distinction is made between::
  1. Degree in mechanical engineering or a similar engineering subject.
  2. Degree in another subject.
  In addition, the type of degree determines whether conditions in the form of knowledge tests must be fulfilled. Details can be found in the doctoral regulations. Graduates with a foreign degree should contact the Mobile Researcher's Centre at TU Braunschweig for recognition of their degree.
• What to consider at the beginning of the doctorate?
  1. Submit the application for admission. The faculty will check whether your degree fulfils the admission requirements for a doctorate or whether you have to fulfil any conditions, after which you will be granted admission. This procedure is binding for all doctoral students, so we recommend to submit your application for admission at an early stage.
  2. You have to enrol as a doctoral student at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering for at least four semesters. For details please refer to the doctoral regulations.
  Important: Enrolment does not automatically entitle you to a doctorate. The application for admission is decisive.
• Is an industrial promotion possible?
  Yes, provided that a professor of our faculty takes over the supervision. He/she will also sign your confirmation of supervision. Doctoral students in industry must also keep a catalogue of activities. Please use this as an example.

Admission requirements

If graduates do not meet the admission requirements for a doctorate, knowledge tests may have to be taken. These must be applied for in advance and can be submitted at the same time as the application for admission if it is already foreseeable in advance that conditions will be imposed:

• What requirements must graduates with Dipl.-Ing. (Uni)/Master (Uni) /Master (FH) in mechanical engineering or a similar engineering subject fulfil?
  There are no conditions to be fulfilled.
• What requirements must graduates with a Dipl.-Ing. (FH) in mechanical engineering or a similar engineering subject fulfil?
  The prerequisite is that both the thesis and the overall grade were assessed as "very good" (exceptions: see doctoral regulations, § 4, paragraph (1)e)).
  As a Dipl.-Ing. (FH), you must also take knowledge examinations amounting to 45 LP from the following three areas:
  1. Basics of mechanical engineering (at least 20 LP):
     Ingenieurmathematik III (4 LP)
     Ingenieurmathematik IV (4 LP)
     Thermodynamik (8 LP)
     Technische Mechanik II (8 LP)
     Grundlagen komplexer Maschinenelemente und Antriebe (8 LP)
  2. Compulsory field of study (at least 15 LP).
  3. Subjects from other catalogues, which are not in the own catalogue (at least 10 LP).
  You can choose the subjects yourself. Please refer to the subject catalogues in the guide to the doctoral regulations. You have to make an application for knowledge examinations which must be approved by the Faculty Council.
• What requirements must be met by a degree in a subject that is not recognised as mechanical engineering or similar?
  Initially, only diploma or master's degrees from universities can be recognised in this case. Graduates with a degree in a subject that is not recognised as mechanical engineering or similar (e.g. Dipl.-Chem., Dipl.-Biotechnol., Dipl.-Phys., ...) must take knowledge examinations of 20 LP in two areas:
  1. Basic subjects of the institute's subject area (10 LP)
  2. Basic or advanced subjects from the other disciplines that are not included in the catalogue (10 LP)
  You can choose the subjects yourself. Please refer to the subject catalogues in the guide to the doctoral regulations. You must request and confirm the examinations with the request for knowledge examinations.
• Which requirements have to be fulfilled with a Bachelor degree (university or FH)?
  Please read the currently valid guidelines in the current doctoral regulations.
• What should be taken into account when selecting the knowledge tests from the catalogue of subjects?
  In principle, no examinations with your supervisor as the examiner are permitted.
• What happens when I have passed a knowledge examination?
  Please hand in your certificate directly at the faculty office; sometimes the institute will take care of this. You will be admitted to doctoral studies if you have successfully passed all knowledge tests.

Enrolment

• When do I have to enrol?
  In order to open the doctoral procedure, you must be able to prove that you have completed the minimum number of semesters (please note the requirements in the doctoral regulations). Furthermore, enrolment is binding for the semester in which you apply to open the procedure. You can enrol on this page.
• How much is the semester fee? The amount of the fee and the payment modalities can be found on the website of the Student Service Centre.
• Can the semester fee be reduced? Doctoral students who finance their studies with a scholarship from public funds can apply for an exemption from the administration fee. The following must be submitted to the Enrolment Office:
  1. a written application: request for exemption from administrative costs
  2. Copy of the scholarship contract (duration of the scholarship must be evident)
• Can the duration of the doctoral studies be reduced?
  No, a reduction is not possible.