The Faculty of Life Sciences can confer the doctoral degree Doctor of Natural Sciences (Dr. rer. nat.).
The graduate academy GradTUBS offers a supporting programme to achieving your doctoral degree. Hence, you decide for yourself which hard- and soft skill-trainings are relevant to you as a scientist and thus which courses you wish to attend.
Doctoral regulations of 2016
In order to achieve a doctoral degree at the department for life sciences at Technische Universität Braunschweig, all PhD researchers must fulfill a workload that is equitable to 12 Credit Points (CP) (see attachment 2 of doctoral regulations of 2016 or of GradLife 2011). For a large part, this workload can be attained through your activities as researcher at the department (e.g. conference papers, teaching, continuing education trainings). However, participation in other qualification measures, such as the workshops offered by the graduate academy, is obligatory (see doctoral regulations § 1 (3c)).
Doctoral regulations of 2026
Since the change to the doctoral programme in January 2026, 12 credit points are now required as a prerequisite for doctoral studies instead of performance points. One credit point (ETCP) corresponds to 30 hours of study. The exact calculation can be found in Appendix 2 on p. 19 of the new doctoral regulations for 2026.
To document your record, please let your mentor affirm your participation on the documentation sheet. Here you can find an example how to fill out the documentation sheet.
Please send a scan of your filled out documentation sheet that is signed by your supervisor plus the corresponding attendance certificates by mail to the GradTUBS office in order to receive a confirmation of your credit points for your doctoral graduation office.
PhD researchers who belong to one of the following programmes do not need to fill in the documentation sheet. Please hand in a documentation of your programme directly at the PhD office.
The credits earned in these programmes are recognised as equivalent by the Faculty of Life Sciences. This means that confirmation from GradTUBS using the above credit sheet is not required.
website of the faculty Doctoral regulations of Faculty 2 (available only in German)