Steps for Entry into the Doctoral Candidacy List - Foreign University Degree

  1. Go to the DocGS website www.docgs.tum.de to create your user account and complete your profile.
  2. Choose “Application Doctoral Candidacy List” and enter all the necessary information. Submit the request electronically.
  3. Print the request, which is created in PDF format, and sign it.
  4. Have your supervisor sign the request as well.
  5. Submit the request together with the following documents, ideally in person, to the Dean’s Office of your school/degree awarding institution:
    • A completed, signed supervision agreement.
    • An officially certified copy of your university diploma (no originals).
    • An officially certified copy of your final university transcript (no originals)*.
    • An identification document (presented in person or as a copy with the ID number blacked out).
    • An abstract of your master thesis project (or equivalent), in German or English.
    • Resume with information about your prior education (schools, university studies, etc.).

* 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.

* If the university documents are in a language other than German or English, please submit a corresponding translation by a sworn translator for each.

Next steps

  1. First, the Dean’s Office will formally review your request. If the request is approved, you become a temporary member of the TUM-GS, and you can now take part in the kick-off seminar as well as interdisciplinary courses.
  2. Next, your documents will be sent by the Dean’s Office to the TUM Examination Office to recognize their equivalence (to a German university degree).
  3. As soon as your documents are completely and correctly submitted to the Examination Office, the content check can begin. You may be asked to submit any missing documents.
  4. Once this check is complete, you will receive an email stating that you can download the written notice about the results of the recognition process from your DocGS account, under “My Progress.”
  5. If the recognition process was successful, you will also receive a message through DocGS stating that you have been included on the doctoral candidacy list. You are now a regular member of the TUM-GS.
  6. You can download a PDF of the certificate of inclusion on the doctoral candidacy list from your DocGS account under “My Progress.”
  7. You now have the option to enroll.