Preparing for a doctorate
What must be heeded ahead of a doctorate?
漏 袦懈褏邪懈谢 袪褍写械薪泻芯 / iStock.com
Launching into a doctorate without making the necessary preparations is ill-advised. But what steps must be taken? In addition to choosing a topic, there are a number of bureaucratic hurdles to clear, from health insurance to financial aid and everything in between.
Updated: 2025-02-12
Important questions ahead of a doctorate
The determination as to whether or not to pursue a doctorate isn鈥檛 an easy one, but once it has been made, there are a number of decisions to address and preparatory steps to be taken.
- What topic?
- Who will act as doctoral adviser?
- Where will the doctorate be pursued and what type of doctoral program and dissertation makes the most sense 鈥� individual or structured, monographic or cumulative?
- How will the doctorate be financed? A job at the university, a grant, a part-time job or the candidate鈥檚 own assets?
You can find more information on these questions in our advice articles on the Doctorate in Germany topic page.
In addition, it is important to clarify a number of other details, including health insurance (more on that below). No matter what, it is vital to carefully read the PhD guidelines for the relevant faculty. Many universities also offer PhD consulting for those interested in pursuing a doctorate there.
As a general rule, it is never too early to begin preparing for a doctorate. During your undergraduate studies, it is important to establish relationships with professors and to gather information about doctoral programs both at home and abroad.
Early research experience is a must for doctoral candidates. Ambitious students who get involved as research assistants, for example, leave a good impression, collect valuable research experience and begin building contacts. Networking is crucial, because the world of academia is a small one. Divided as it is into numerous sub-disciplines and specialties, there is often just a handful of researchers focused on a specific topic. And those who have already established a personal relationship with one of the leaders in their chosen field can have a decisive advantage in the race for a PhD slot.
Doctorate Test
You still aren鈥檛 sure if pursuing a doctorate is right for you? Find out! Registered users can take our free test, developed together with the Psychological Institute at the University of Heidelberg, to find out if you have what it takes.
Preparing for an academic career even as an undergrad
It is also helpful to find a specific focus even during your undergraduate studies and gain a modicum of experience. It is important to take in-depth courses and familiarize yourself with the current state of research. What are researchers currently focusing on? What questions will become important tomorrow? Ideally, your master鈥檚 thesis will already develop part of your future doctoral dissertation, thus demonstrating your ability to work at a high academic level.
Where to pursue a doctorate?
When considering where to pursue a doctorate, you should also reflect on your personal preferences. Once you have established a list of places offering the kind of PhD experience you are looking for, be sure to consider where you might feel comfortable and where you want to live. Personal comfort is a decisive factor on the path to a successful doctorate.
Visits to the universities in question, including conversations with those studying or teaching there, are highly recommended. Such visits also provide a good look at how well research facilities are equipped. Once the appropriate site for the doctorate is found, it is vital to examine the deadlines and requirements for application: When and where must I apply? What conditions must I fulfil?
Demonstrating language facility
In many instances, applicants will be required to prove language ability, particularly for English. Those who haven鈥檛 already done so must complete the relevant language test well before beginning their doctorate. It is advised to have a clear overview of how much time preparation will take in addition to the registration deadlines at various test centres.
Bureaucratic questions: health insurance and co.
It鈥檚 the small things that can often make life difficult 鈥� particularly when it comes to bureaucratic formalities. To make things a bit easier, we have collated important information on some of the most important bureaucratic questions for your doctoral phase 鈥� from social insurance and benefits to tax declarations.聽
Public health insurance
Doctoral candidates who hold a job where their employer must pay social insurance contributions, whether inside or outside the university, are automatically insured. No further steps are necessary to ensure health insurance coverage.
It is a different story, however, for doctoral candidates who do not hold such a job while working on their dissertations 鈥� such as grant recipients. They must take steps on their own to ensure that they are covered. As a rule, it isn鈥檛 possible to remain on family plans or to benefit from student health insurance plans since doctoral candidates, once they have completed their undergraduate studies or master鈥檚 program, already have a professional qualification. Furthermore, they are often older than the age limits of 25 for family plans and 30 for student plans. As such, doctoral candidates who do not have employment must sign up to a voluntary insurance plan. Foreign doctoral candidates should take out suitable international health insurance for the duration of their stay in Germany.
Private health insurance
The situation is particularly problematic for doctoral candidates who have always been privately insured through their parents. For them, it is impossible to switch to a public health insurance plan without first taking a job that is subject to social security contributions. Absent such a job, they must remain in private health insurance. Private health insurance companies do, of course, offer voluntary policies, but the premiums are, as a rule, significantly higher than for public insurance plans. There are two possibilities to avoid these high costs: First: Take a job that is subject to social security payments. Second: Obtain insurance through the public insurance policy of your spouse, should you have one.
Read more: Health insurance in Germany
Discounts
When matriculated at a university, doctoral candidates must pay tuition fees, but they also receive a student ID card, which provides them with all manner of discounts for cultural events, sports clubs, cinemas, public swimming pools, newspaper and magazine subscriptions, bank accounts, mobile phone contracts and much more. They also receive a semester ticket, allowing them to use public transportation for free.
叠础蹿枚骋
Germany鈥檚 federal financial aid program 叠础蹿枚骋 does not apply to doctoral programs that come after a previous degree has been earned. This is also true in instances where no 叠础蹿枚骋 funding was received for previous studies.
Tax write-offs for study expenses
Like all other workers, doctoral candidates who have a paid position as part of their program must pay taxes on their income. Grants and stipends, by contrast, are tax free in the vast majority of cases.
Of particular interest, however, is the fact that all costs incurred in the writing of the dissertation are tax deductible. That includes tuition, work materials, travel between home and place of study as well as additional expenses for meals and lodging away from home. To take advantage of these deductions, of course, it is necessary to earn a correspondingly high taxable income. Should that not be the case, the shortfall may be carried over to the next tax year. Either way, all receipts for relevant expenses should be kept.
Read more: Taxes in Germany
Unemployment benefits
Doctoral candidates are no longer categorised as students, which is why they do not qualify for 叠础蹿枚骋. That means, however, that they do qualify for unemployment benefits. Should candidates be unable to earn enough to support themselves, they can apply for the benefit known as 叠眉谤驳别谤驳别濒诲 (formerly Hartz IV). Those who have paid into the federal unemployment insurance program for a sufficient length of time either prior to or during their doctoral program qualify for a higher level of benefits (known as Arbeitslosengeld I). Nevertheless, the Federal Employment Agency recommends against financing one鈥檚 doctorate through the reception of unemployment benefits. Those who receive 叠眉谤驳别谤驳别濒诲 or Arbeitslosengeld I must be willing to take jobs for which they are qualified. Doctoral candidates who receive assistance from the Federal Employment Agency may not use their dissertation as an excuse to reject a suitable job offer. 鈥淭hey would then lose their entitlement to benefits,鈥� says Frauke Wille, spokeswoman for the Federal Employment Agency.
Housing allowance
Those requiring assistance to cover their rent can apply for a housing allowance. Federal rules do not exclude doctoral candidates from receiving this benefit and the same general rules apply. Whether you qualify for a housing allowance and, if so, how much you are eligible to receive depends on three factors: number of people in the household, your income and your rental costs. The housing benefit is paid as a subsidy.
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Ten tips for the best possible preparation for your doctorate
- Above average commitment to your studies
- Develop relationships with professors during undergraduate or master鈥檚 studies
- Find an academic job at the university as a student
- Settle on a specialised focus early on
- Become knowledgeable about current research projects
- Consider future developments in your field
- Clarify funding
- Gather information in a timely manner about suitable doctoral positions
- Take the relevant language tests
- Address an element of your doctoral topic in your master鈥檚 thesis
