Start of the doctorate
You have already found a supervisor and a doctoral topic and would now like to officially start your doctorate at TUM? It is important to take a few administrative steps early on. After all, you will only be a member of the TUM Graduate School (TUM-GS) and officially a doctoral candidate at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) once you have been entered in the doctoral candidacy list. On the following page you will find an initial overview of the first steps towards a doctorate at TUM.
You will find extensive information and explications in the TUM-GS Wiki!
Supervision Agreement
The supervision agreement supports you and your supervisor in planning and carrying out your doctorate and is the basis for a trusting, constructive and transparent collaboration at the highest academic level. In the document, mutual rights and obligations are made transparent and qualification priorities and verifiable milestones are set out. The elements contained in the supervision agreement can and should be adapted and changed as the dissertation project develops. The exposé and the choice of mentor can usually be submitted up to six months after entry in the doctoral candidacy list. The supervision agreement can be found on the website of your respective Graduate Center.
Further information on the specific contents of the supervision agreement can be found in our TUM-GS Wiki.
Entry into the doctoral candidacy list
After you have finalized the supervision agreement, the next step is to officially apply for entry into the TUM doctoral candidacy list. As part of the registration in the doctoral candidacy list, it will be checked whether you fulfill the necessary doctoral requirements. You will only be admitted to TUM as a doctoral candidate and become a member of your Graduate Center (and consequently the TUM-GS) once you have been successfully registered on the doctoral candidacy list of your degree-awarding institution/school.
The application for entry in the doctoral candidacy list is the most important step at the beginning of your doctorate and should be submitted early!
Please do not confuse the entry in the doctoral candidacy list with enrollment as a doctoral student at TUM. The entry in the doctoral candidacy list is mandatory for all doctoral candidates. Enrollment as a doctoral student, on the other hand, is voluntary and gives you access to student benefits.
Employment as a research associate at TUM also does not mean that you are already admitted to the doctorate. In this case, a successful application for entry on the doctoral candidacy list is also required.
Further information on the required documents and the application process can be found in our TUM-GS Wiki. Please pay special attention to the regulations for the recognition of foreign degrees.
Enrollment
At TUM, a distinction is made between entry in the doctoral candidacy list and matriculation. While entry in the doctoral candidacy list is mandatory for all doctoral candidates, enrollment is voluntary for doctoral candidates. Voluntary enrolment as a doctoral student gives you access to student benefits and the opportunity to benefit from the offers and services of the Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern (student union). Please note that since 01 April 2024, it is no longer possible for doctoral students to apply for housing in student dormitories belonging to the Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern.
Further information on the enrollment process can be found in our TUM-GS Wiki. Please note that enrollment is NOT handled by the TUM Graduate School (TUM-GS) but by the TUM Center for Study and Teaching (TUM CST) - Admissions and Enrollment.