Doctoral Plan and Aptitude Colloquium

Doctoral students have to write a doctoral plan within the first year of their doctorate. The plan has to cover the following topics:

research proposal
teaching responsibilities
other duties
extended doctoral studies (if relevant)

You must submit your doctoral plan electronically to your aptitude committee (including the chair) and the D-BSSE Doctoral Administration at least 4 weeks before the date of your aptitude colloquium. Before submitting, you have to to share it with your supervisor and your second advisor. It is not required to collect the signatures beforehand.

A Download template for the doctoral plan (DOCX, 49 KB) is provided by the D-BSSE and must be used.

Within 12 months after the provisional admission, doctoral students have to defend their doctoral plan in an aptitude colloquium (ApC). There, the aptitude committee examines the doctoral student’s suitability to independently conduct a research project and to write a doctoral thesis.

The aptitude colloquium consists of a 30-minute presentation by the doctoral student on the planned research project and a 30-minute oral examination. The physical presence of the aptitude committee as well as of the doctoral student at the aptitude colloquium is not mandatory. Alternatively, the participants can be connected via video conference.

The aptitude committee consists at least of:

Chair: a member of the doctoral committee or a full or associate professor of D-BSSE
Doctoral thesis supervisor
Second advisor

If the aptitude colloquium is concluded with a “failed” result, it may be repeated once, provided that the doctoral thesis supervisor agrees. Any repetition must take place within three months of the first definitive result.

You can view the deadline of your aptitude colloquium in your myStudies account.

Download Guidelines (PDF, 140 KB) for the Aptitude Colloquium (ApC)

Passing the aptitude colloquium is required for the definitive admission to the doctorate.

Six months before the deadline of your aptitude colloquium, you will receive an e-mail from the D-BSSE Doctoral Administration, with information on the assigned chair of the colloquium, when it can take place, and further instructions.

It is recommended that you choose your second advisor before planning the colloquium. If you do not have a second advisor yet, meet with your thesis supervisor and decide who should take on this role.

It is also advisable to start working on the doctoral plan already during the first months of the doctorate. Remember, you must submit your doctoral plan at least 4 weeks before the date of your aptitude colloquium.

Please register for your Aptitude Colloquium by filling the external page form.