Doctoral Programme

The interdisciplinary doctoral degree programme “Intelligent Systems” (ISY) provides the foundation for advanced academic and scientific training at the CITEC Graduate School. An integral component of this programme is researching and writing the doctoral dissertation according to the regulations of the student’s respective faculty. The doctoral degree programme offers structured support to doctoral researchers and prepares them for qualified employment in both industry and the academe. The programme aims to provide interdisciplinary academic qualification, which enables students to become highly integrated in CITEC’s research activities.

In order to study the interdisciplinary doctoral program Intelligent Systems, first a doctoral position is required, i.e. at least a supervisor for a PhD project. Open PhD positions can be found here.

At this time, the following faculties currently participate in the ISY doctoral degree programme: Biology, Linguistics and Literary Studies, and Psychology and Sports Science, along with the technical faculties. The doctoral degree programme is coordinated by the ISY Steering Committee, which is composed of representatives from the participating academic faculties. The current Chairman of the ISY Steering Committee is Prof. Dr.-Ing. Franz Kummert.

Enrolement

All members of the CITEC graduate school must enrol in the doctoral degree programme in Intelligent Systems. Enrolment must be completed shortly after beginning studies. After successful enrolment, a copy of the enrolment document must be submitted to the manager of the Graduate School.

Students may begin their studies at any time. The standard period of study depends on the student’s prior academic qualification(s) but generally entails:

6 semesters for students beginning the programme with a degree that has a standard period of study of at least 8 semesters, or a relevant Master’s degree or other postgraduate studies.
8 semesters for students beginning the programme with a degree that has a standard period of study of less than 8 semesters.

A prerequisite of the degree programme is that the applicant is admitted as a doctoral student to their desired faculty. Conditions of admission are governed by the doctoral degree regulations of each respective faculty.

Should you have further questions, please contact Claudia Muhl, manager of the Graduate School, or Prof. Dr.-Ing. Franz Kummert, Chairman of the ISY Steering Committee.

Degree Requirements & Coursework

Students choose an individualized course of study based on their prior subject-specific knowledge and their intended dissertation topic. Academic supervisors as well as the ISY Steering Committee are available to help students design their own course of study. Academic content is taught in the form of lectures, colloquia, seminars, projects, and workshops. A listing of current courses is available here.

The degree programme requires 30 credit points (CP; Leistungspunkte (LP) in German). Credit points are determined based on the anticipated workload required of the student. Earning one credit point generally entails a workload of approximately 30 hours. 10 credit points should typically be earned per academic year. Additional information on how credit points are awarded can be found in the study degree programme regulations for Intelligent Systems (only available in German). For individual assistance, please contact Prof.Dr.-Ing. Franz Kummert, Chairman of the ISY Steering Committee.

Documenting Credit Points

Completion of course requirements should be documented in a timely and regular manner. Please use the form "Course achievements" to document your credit points. This form should be submitted by 15 February to Claudia Muhl, manager of the Graduate School, for all credits earned in the previous calendar year.

Awarding of Degree and Certificate

Prerequisites for the successful completion of the degree programme include:

Successfully completing the doctoral dissertation in accordance with the doctoral degree regulations of the responsible faculty.
Earning 30 credit points in the following areas (with minimum required credit points and maximum credit points that can be counted towards the degree):

a) Advanced courses (min. 3 CP, max. 6 CP).
b) Research Groups Seminars (min. 4 CP, max 8 CP).
c) Organization and participation in workshops (max. 3 CP).
d) Tutoring (min. 4 CP, max. 8 CP).
e) Publications (min. 2 CP, max. 10 CP).
f) Supervising Diploma, Master’s, or Bachelor’s theses (max. 6 CP).
g) Additional extracurricular qualifications (max. 6 CP).

Documented completion of degree program requirements should be submitted in a timely manner to Claudia Muhl, manager of the Graduate School, who forwards the credit point documentation form to Prof. Dr.-Ing. Franz Kummert, Chairman of the IY Steering Committee. After confirming the credit points earned, the Steering Committee issues the degree certificate.

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