Registration and Thesis Submission

Registering at the University

University registration is a mandatory requirement to receive your doctoral degree and obtain a final certificate from the Helmholtz Munich Graduate School (HELENA). Consult your supervisor to identify the suitable university and department for your registration. Please register at the university that awards your doctoral degree, within the first three months after starting your doctoral thesis. After your successful registration at the university, we kindly ask you to upload the confirmation to your "Progress Platform".

Please note that the information provided here serves as a guideline and may be subject to change based on the policies of the universities. We recommend referring to their official websites for the most up-to-date information. If you have any specific questions, we advise contacting the dean's offices directly for further assistance.

    Anabin

    Anabin is an information database of the German Conference of Ministers of Education - Central Office for Foreign Education (Kultusministerkonferenz - Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen - ZAB). Its mission is to provide information for the evaluation of foreign educational certificates.

    In the case of foreign higher education degrees, the issuing of a Statement of Comparability for Foreign Higher Education Qualifications by the ZAB is necessary so that your degree can be considered for wage categorisation purposes. The statement is also required for visa/residence title formalities.

    Please apply for the Statement of Comparability for Foreign Higher Education Qualifications early, the process can take up to 3 months. 

    Step 1: Is my degree already listed in the ANABIN database? (ANABIN instructions in English)

    • YES: Print out the certificate and attach it to your application documents.
    • NO: continue with step 2.

    Step 2: You need to have your higher education qualifications assessed by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). The Statement of Comparability states the level of the German educational qualification to which your foreign qualification is comparable:

    Click here to apply for a Statement of Comparability for Foreign Higher Education Qualifications

    To apply for a Statement please use the ZAB application form.

    Please fill in the complete application form and enclose all relevant supporting documents. Please refer to the ZAB checklist for information on which documents are needed. Send the signed application together with all supporting documents to:

    Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen (ZAB)
    Postfach 2240
    53012 Bonn
    Germany

    TUM - Technical University of Munich

    Please register at the university that awards your doctoral degree, within the first three months after starting your doctoral thesis.

    You must register for the Doctoral Candidacy List (DocGS) within the first three months after starting your doctoral thesis. A membership in DocGS of at least 2 years is required to graduate. The supervision agreement is the one you filled out for HELENA when you signed your working contract at Helmholtz Munich. Your application will link you to one of the following graduate centres, and this will influence the type of degree you get (eg Dr. rer. nat. from the School of Life Science compared to Dr. med. sci. from the School of Medicine and Health etc.) however this is not your graduate centre – HELENA is still your graduate centre. Please select HELENA (Interdisciplinary Graduate Center) when you register in DocGS. Make sure to reconfirm your info in DocGS annually or else your account will be deactivated. In addition to HELENA there are the following graduate centres at TUM:

    TUM School Graduate Center
    TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology Graduate Center of Computation, Information and Technology 
    TUM School of Engineering and Design Graduate Center of Engineering and Design 
    TUM School of Natural Sciences Graduate Center of Natural Sciences
    TUM School of Life Sciences Graduate Center of Life Sciences
    TUM School of Management Graduate Centre of Management 
    TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology Graduate Center of Social Sciences and Technology
    TUM School of Medicine and Health Graduate Center of Medicine and Health 
    TUM Campus Straubing Graduiertenzentrum TUM Campus Straubing 

    Interdisciplinary Graduate Centers at TUM

    Go to the DocGS website www.docgs.tum.de to create your user account and complete your profile. Fill in the “Application Doctoral Candidacy List” and submit the application online. Then print it and have your supervisor sign it. Submit the following documents in person to your department/school:

    • Signed Application Doctoral Candidacy List from DocGS
    • HELENA Supervision agreement
    • An officially certified copy of your master’s degree and transcript
      • If these documents are in a language other than English or German, you should also submit a certified translation
    • An ID document –
      • either presented in person or a copy with the ID number blacked out
    • If your degree is not from Germany, you also need the following:
      • An abstract of your master’s thesis project in English or German
      • CV/Resume with info about your prior education
      • If it is not clear from your transcript: an officially certified copy of a confirmation from your university about the exams needed to earn the degree and the grades achieved, as well as the minimum passing grade.
    • Some graduate centres require an exposé/project plan (MGC, FGZ-SG, GC-ED)

    Within the first 6 months

    • Find a mentor
    • Participate in the kick-off seminar – you can book this through DocGS
    • MGC: participate in the 2h good scientific practice seminar

    Useful documents:

    Additional information on notarised copies of degree if your degree is from China

      Being registered at the university is essential for receiving your degree, while enrollment is optional. However, you have the option to enrol for a maximum of eight semesters, which provides benefits such as the semester ticket for free public transport after 6 pm and on weekends, as well as reduced ticket prices for daytime travel. Additionally, enrollment grants access to student accommodation. Please be aware that although older documents may state a limit of six semesters, the maximum number of semesters has been recently increased to eight.

      1. Create an account at TUMonline, if you don’t have one already from previous study or employment
      2. Start a new application – studies -> applications -> enter a new application
      3. Fill in the application and submit it. If it is the middle of the semester, you can still enrol for the current semester, but you will be charged the full amount. Under ‘type of study’ you should write ‘doctoral program’ and under ‘degree-awarding institution’ you should write the graduate school you are registered at with DocGS.
      4. Once your admission is confirmed, you must accept your place online. Then, you can upload a photo for your student card.
      5. At this stage, you should print and sign the application form and submit it in person or by mail to the TUM Admissions Office, Arcisstr. 21, 80333 Munich.
      6. You will receive your student card in the post to your home address. You must enrol before the start of the next and following semesters, and revalidate your student card at a university campus.

      Useful documents:

      The following mandatory qualification requirements of TUM-GS also apply:

      1. Membership in the TUM Graduate School for at least two years,
      2. Participation in the TUM-GS kick-off Seminar
      3. Active integration in the academic environment of TUM, at a level adequate for scientific qualification,

       to be demonstrated by one or more of the following elements:

      • Participation in a research group of Helmholtz Munich as recognized partner institution of TUM
      • Teaching at TUM (e.g., lectures, practical courses, supervising internships and theses)
      • Participation in a research group of the TUM
      1. Discussion of the research project within the international expert community in accordance with § 8 Nr. 1 f) of the TUM Regulations for the Award of Doctoral Degrees from 23.8.2021 and § 16 (9) of the TUM-GS statute from 
        23.8.2021:
      • Accepted publication (first authorship or shared first authorship) in an international journal with a peer-review process or in a full-text conference proceedings with a peer-review process.

      or

      • At least one contribution (proceedings, poster, or presentation) with an accepted, substantial, and reviewed abstract providing details on data, methodology, and results must be accepted at an international, scientific 
        conference with a peer-review process, with the doctoral researcher as the first author or shared first author. Additionally, a record of publication activity is usually required. This can be demonstrated by either submitting an 
        original work with the doctoral researcher as the first author or shared first author to an international journal that undergoes peer-review, or by being published on an open-access or preprint platform that undergoes quality 
        control, or by having an original work with the doctoral researcher as a co-author accepted for publication.

      Feedback meeting

      • No later than two years after entry into force of this agreement, the doctoral candidate and the supervisor will hold a feedback meeting on the doctoral project in accordance with § 15(7) of the TUM GS statutes, in which
        the progress of the doctoral project and the qualification program will be discussed, as well as next steps. The results of the discussion will be recorded in writing and this supervision agreement will be modified accordingly
        if necessary. The second TAC meeting can serve as documentation of this feedback session.

      Mentoring:

      • According to the statutory regulations of TUM Graduate School (TUM-GS), at least one mentor must be assigned to every doctoral project. The mentor of the doctoral project may offer appropriate professional, as well as
        extraprofessional advice, and may be consulted for personal development. Mentors can be all persons who have proven their ability to conduct independent scientific work, usually through a doctorate. If possible, they should be independent persons who do not belong to the chair or professorship of the supervisor. The mentor may serve as external expert or additional supervisor in the TAC.
      • The mentor can give further academic support, but can also focus on advising on transferable skills and personal development as well as support for a rapid progress of the doctoral project.

      Dissertation submission options:

      • Cumulative Dissertation
        At least two accepted first-author publications (please refer to the doctoral regulations from the University)
      • Monograph
        A research report with a comprehensive record of the research you did during your time as a doctoral researcher

      If you are on the Doctoral Candidacy List before 1st October 2021 and would like to submit your dissertation at TUM, please follow the instruction below:

      1. Please fill out the Confirmation of Discussion of the Research Project in an International Expert Community form and upload it to your DocGS account in your "Progress Tree" → Qualification Program and Data Confirmation → TUM GS Training Program → Publications.
        • Discussion of research in the international scientific environment
          • Submitted or published publication (first or co-first authorship) (or) accepted conference contribution (poster or talk with first or co-fist authorship) at an international scientific conference with peer-review 
      2. Upload documents from your Thesis Committee meetings in your "Progress Tree" → Qualification Program and Data Confirmation → TUM GS Training Program → Feedback session. 
      3. Under "Upload report of feedback session" you should upload the documents from the first TC meeting and under "Upload updated supervision agreement" you should upload your files from the second or third TC meeting.
      4. After successfully uploading the above documents, please inform the HELENA Graduate School Office via E-mail. We will then upload the confirmation of your qualification program under the tab "Subject-Specific Courses" and the TUM-GS Team will verify the documents. You have successfully completed the HELENA training program if you have completed the mandatory training, 270 hours of scientific training and 40 hours of professional skills training.
      5. Information about the 'Auftaktseminar (Kick-off Seminar)', 'Einbindung in das akademische Umfeld der TUM (active participation in the scientific environment of the TUM)', and 'Expose' will be provided by the TUM-GS. There is no action required from your side.
      6. If you have further questions about DocGS please get in touch with the DocGS support @ docgs@gs.tum.de

      Please note:

      The thesis submission function will be available once the 'Confirmation of Discussion of the Research Project in an International Expert Community' and the confirmation of your qualification program have been uploaded to DocGS and verified by TUM-GS. 

      If you are on the Doctoral Candidacy List after 1st October 2021 (will be updated soon)

      TUM Regulations for the Award of Doctoral Degrees and TUM-GS Statutory Regulations, effective from October 1st, 2021.

      After prior consultation with the TUM Graduate School (TUM GS), the Helmholtz Munich Graduate School has passed the following regulations.

      German Version / English Version

      LMU - Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

      Please register at the university that awards your doctoral degree, within the first three months after starting your doctoral thesis.

      If LMU awards your degree, you must apply to the doctoral committee for admission. There is a doctoral committee for each faculty, and most Helmholtz Doctoral Researchers will be registered at one of the following:

      • Faculty of Medicine
      • Faculty of Biology
      • Faculty of Physics
      • Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences
      • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
      • Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Statistics
      • Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy

      The process for registration is different at each faculty.

      Useful documents:

      Faculty of Medicine

      1. Please write to the Dean's office (Anita.Frosch@dek.med.uni-muenchen.de for the Dr. rer. nat.) and inform them of your intent to register. You should include your supervisor’s details and a scan of your master’s degree.
      1. Collect the following documents, and deliver them in person or by post to the Dean's office (Promotionsbüro, Bavariaring 19, 80336 Munich). Electronic versions by email are not sufficient.
        • Minimum Grade Certificate (Mindestnotenbescheinigung) from the Faculty of Biology: To receive this you should contact the Faculty of Biology (promotion@bio.lmu.de) and send them a scan of your master’s and bachelor’s degrees by email, as well as your supervision agreement (see below). Once they have approved your documents, you should take the originals to them in person. You can find more information here.
        • Certificate of Good Conduct: You need a certificate of good conduct from the German Government that is no older than 3 months. You can apply for that here. You should expect it to take approximately 1 week to arrive by post. If you have been in education or employment within the 3 months previous, you can submit a current certificate of enrolment, proof of exmatriculation no more than 3 months ago, or proof that you have been in employment in civil or public service instead.
        • CV
        • Certified copy of your university degree
        • Completed Doctoral Supervision Agreement
        • Completed application for admission
           
      2. Register your application online here.

      Useful documents:

      Faculty of Biology

      To register at the Faculty of Biology, you should gather the following documents and take them in person to the Office of Doctoral Affairs: Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, room no. B01.030 (1st floor, office hours: Monday, Wednesday, 9:00 to 12:00 a.m.). If any of your documents are not in either German or English, you should also bring translations of these documents.

      Before registering, you must discuss with your supervisor and select a TAC committee. This should consist of your supervisor and 2 others. Of the three members,  at least two should be habilitated (this is a qualification for professorship common in Germany and some other European countries), and one should be a full-time professor at the Faculty of Biology.

      The type of supervision agreement you should fill in depends on whether your supervisor is a member of the Faculty of Biology. If they are, you should fill in the Bestätigung Doktorvater and have it signed by your supervisor. If they are not a member of the Faculty of Biology, then you should fill in the Externe Promotion Anmeldung, which needs to be signed by both your supervisor and the member of your TAC who is a member of the Faculty of Biology.

      Required documents:

      • Certificates and transcripts of both your bachelor's and master's degrees. Both transcripts should include details of the duration of your studies, and your master's degree should include details of your thesis. If they do not, you may have to provide other proof.
      • Supervision agreement (either Bestätigung Doktorvater or Externe Promotion Anmeldung)

      Useful documents:

      Faculty of Physics

      1. Send the following documents by post to the Physics Dean's Office. If you are unable to obtain certified copies, you can take the originals to the department secretary and ask them to make a copy, making sure they stamp the copies and write their name, the date, and their signature.
      • Application for Admission to Doctoral Studies
      • Confirmation of Supervision, signed by your supervisor
      • Certified copy of your Master’s degree certificate and transcript
      • If your master's degree is not from Germany or is not in physics, a certified copy of your Bachelor's degree certificate and transcript
      • A copy of your CV signed
      • Certified copy of your ID card or passport

      Useful documents:

      Graduate School of Systemic Neuroscience

      The GSN provides detailed information on registering with them to accepted students individually, so you should expect to receive this from them directly. You should be prepared to submit official copies of your degree certificates and transcripts, as well as any evidence of name changes (eg marriage certificates). You may be able to do this via the MyGSN portal, or you may need to send them by post,

      Useful documents:

      Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

      To register at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, the following documents should be submitted to the Dean’s office:

      • A request of the applicant
      • Confirmation of Supervision
      • CV
      • Certified copies of your degree certificates and transcripts, along with translations if necessary. Translations should be certified by the Consulate or Embassy.
      • If you are not a native German speaker, you should also include written confirmation from your supervisor that your level of written and spoken German and/or English is sufficient.

      Useful documents:

      Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Statistics

      1. Register online here
      2. Within 4 weeks of registering online, you should bring the following documents to the dean’s office in person:
      • Application form
      • Copy of High School diploma – this does not need to be a certified copy
      • Certificates and transcripts from both Bachelor's and Master's degrees – either originals or certified copies
      • Confirmation of Supervision
      • Proof of having passed the doctoral aptitude test, if required
      • CV with details of scientific education and employment

      Useful documents:

      Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy

      1. Contact the PhD office before submitting any documents
      2. Complete the online registration. Submit it online, then print it and sign it.
      3. Submit the following documents to the PhD office:
      • Printed signed form from the online registration
      • A short cover letter to the dean stating your intention to apply. This can be in German or in English.
      • A CV, signed, which must include information such as an address, nationality, place and date of birth, details of previous study etc.
      • Your degree certificate, transcripts, and supplements can be submitted as certified copies or original documents together with simple photocopies.
      • A translation of your degree certificate, transcript, and any supplements, if necessary.
      • If not included in your degree transcript, written confirmation from your previous university that your degree qualifies you for admission to a PhD program
      • If your supervisor is not a member of the chemistry faculty, you are considered an ‘external PhD candidate’ and you should also submit the external candidate in chemistry or pharmacy form, or the equivalent for biochemistry, depending on your field of study.  

      Useful documents:

      At LMU, you must first apply at the International Office, after which you will get an official letter of admission. This can then be used to register at the international office.

      1. First, you should apply at the international office.  Submit the following documents by post to Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, International Office — Zulassung, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539 München
      • Authorisation of Doctoral Study (Promotionsberechtigung) – this document is given to you by your faculty after you have successfully registered, as above.
      • Certified copies of certificates and transcripts of your bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and official translations if they are not in one of the following languages: German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Latin, Portuguese, or Romanian. Note: If your degree is from the USA, your transcript of records must be in a closed envelope. 
      • Visa for working/studying in Germany if required
      • Application form
      • Confirmation from the professor who will supervise your studies – eg. Supervision agreement
      • Current CV
      • Marriage certificate or other official proof of name change (if applicable)
      • Evidence of proficiency in German, if required.
      1. You will receive a letter of admission from the international office. This will tell you:
      • Where to register
      • When to register
      • Which documents you will need to send in order to register

      It will also give you a link for online registration. You should fill this online registration form out, print it and sign it. Then, you should send it together with the following documents, to the international office by post:

      • Completed, signed and printed online application
      • A copy of the letter of admission from the international office
      • A copy of your passport
      • Any other documents listed in your letter of admission.
      1. You should pay the semester fee by bank transfer within eight days of receiving the email notifying you that the fee is due. The email should contain all the information needed to pay the fee and how to activate your LMU user identification and apply for your LMU card.

      Useful documents: