General information on doctoral studies
The advancement of young academics is a high priority at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. In 2012, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences was the first university of applied sciences in Hesse and one of the first universities of applied sciences in Germany to establish the Graduate School of Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences (GSD) as a central academic institution to support its doctoral students. The GSD is dedicated to supporting doctoral studies at h_da and is the central point of contact for all matters regarding doctorates at h_da.
For many years, h_da has been able to offer its students the possibility of gaining further academic qualifications after completing their studies through cooperative doctoral programmes. This well-established offering is continuously actively supported and expanded in a future-proof manner.
Through the establishment of doctoral centers, which became possible a few years ago, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences was able to obtain its own right to award doctorates in research-intensive subject areas. In this way, it can offer its graduates a continuous academic education from bachelor's studies to doctorate.
Doctorate at a doctoral center
Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences possesses own independent right to award doctorates in various research-intensive subject areas. Subject-related doctoral centers have been set up to fulfil this right. In this way, graduates can obtain a doctorate without cooperating with a university.
With the amendment of the Hessian Higher Education Act, the Hessian state government has become the first federal state to enable universities of applied sciences (HAWs) to obtain an independent right to award doctorates under certain conditions. The advantages of an independent right to award doctorates include independent quality assurance of research as well as the setting of subject priorities, so that HAWs can make even better use of their expertise in applied research.
The core of the doctoral centres is formed by minimum twelve professors with strong research experience. The quality in the doctoral procedures is ensured by high standards, such as the separation of supervision and review in the procedures.
Cooperative doctorate
Students may pursue a cooperative doctorate after completing their studies at the h_da. Suitable Master's graduates can be offered access to a cooperative doctoral programme with national and international partner universities within the framework of corresponding cooperation agreements. In the case of a cooperative doctorate, the doctoral candidates are usually part of a research project at h_da and are jointly supervised therein by a professor from h_da and the respective partner university. The doctorate is awarded by the partner university. For more than fifteen years now, h_da has been offering this possibility to its students. The cooperation agreements that have been extended in recent years as well as the newly concluded ones provide a clear route for achieving this. The Graduate School of the University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt is available for all aspects of doctoral studies at the h_da. It is the central point of contact and offers information and advice, continuous doctoral studies, coordination of partnerships as well as processing, administration and support of doctoral procedures.