Online-registration/enrolment in TUCaN

For starting a doctorate at the TU Darmstadt, an online registration via the online portal TUCaN is obligatory, the enrolment as student is optional. In order to proceed with the online registration, you need a supervisor’s confirmation from the Department of Computer Science.

The registration/enrollment of all doctoral candidates takes place via the online portal TUCaN – regardless of where you acquired your university entrance qualification and the degree entitling you to a doctorate (Master's degree).

Please note, that the registration in TUCaN is not the acceptance as a doctoral candidate.

Further information can be found on the central webpages of the University.

Application for the acceptance as a doctoral candidate by the Department

It is highly recommended to start the process of admission already before or at the latest with the beginning of the work for the planned thesis.

Required documents:

• Application for acceptance as a doctoral candidate and care commitment (PDF file) (opens in new tab)
• Academic curriculum vitae
• A copy of the trancript of records and the degree certificate entitling the holder to pursue doctoral studies. (If the degree was not obtained at TU Darmstadt, the original documents must be submitted to the Dean's Office.)
• TUCaN-application for registration/enrolment as a doctoral candidate (signed)

Please submit the complete set of required documents in paper form to the Dean’s Office (room D104) and/or to promotionen@informatik.tu-darmstadt.de.

Doctoral mentor

Doctoral candidates can, in addition to their supervisor, appoint a qualified person who can provide guidance during their doctoral research project and career development. The doctoral mentor is usually a professor or postdoctoral researcher at TU Darmstadt and should, as a rule, not be in a subordinate position to the supervisor in a professional capacity.

Required document:

• Confirmation of a doctoral mentor (PDF file) (opens in new tab)

Extension of the acceptance as a doctoral candidate

In general, there must not be more than five years between acceptance as a doctoral candidate and the initiation of the doctoral examination procedure. After five years, the doctoral examination procedure must be initiated by submitting the doctoral thesis. Alternatively, a progress report and a schedule for its completion signed by the doctoral candidate and supervisor can be submitted to promotionen@informatik.tu-darmstadt.de.

Termination of the doctoral research project

If you wish to withdraw from your doctoral research project at your own request, please deregister in TUCaN and send your letter of withdrawal to promotionen@informatik.tu-darmstadt.de.

Required document:

• Termination of the doctoral procedure (PDF file) (opens in new tab)

At the Department of Computer Science, doctoral candidates have the option to write their thesis as a monograph or as a cumulative thesis.

The regulations for the cumulative thesis can be found in the Specific Regulations of the Department of Computer Science, as of 30th August 2024 (PDF file) (opens in new tab) (in German only) (§9 (1), §9 (4), §9 (5)).

Required document:

• Declaration of co-authorship and author contributions for cumulative dissertations pursuant to § 9(5) of the PO/AT (PDF file) (opens in new tab)

If a publication has multiple authors, they must declare their individual contribution to the publication. The declaration may not be altered in any way. All co-authors involved in the thesis must submit the same declaration to the Department.

Please note the following regulations regarding the cumulative thesis in accordance with the Specific Regulations of the Department of Computer Science, as of 30th August 2024 (PDF file) (opens in new tab) (in German only) (zu §9 (1), zu §9 (4), zu §9 (5)).

Vorabveröffentlichung (zu §9 (1))

Der Fachbereich Informatik ermutigt seine Doktorand:innen dazu, ihre Ergebnisse schon früh der Begutachtung durch die wissenschaftliche Gemeinschaft zuzuführen und dem wissenschaftlichen Diskurs auszusetzen (Veröffentlichung im Peer-Review-Verfahren). Der Fachbereich betrachtet diese Vorgehensweise als wichtigen Qualitätsmaßstab und als in der Informatik gängige Praxis. Dementsprechend ist eine solche Vorabveröffentlichung von (Teil-)Ergebnissen einer Dissertation auch nicht hinderlich für deren Darstellung in der Dissertationsschrift. Dies gilt sowohl für die kumulative Dissertation, bei der die Vorabveröffentlichung der darin aufgeführten Artikel zwingend erforderlich ist, als auch für Monografien. Erlaubt ist in beiden Fällen auch die wortwörtliche Übernahme von Material aus eigenen Vorveröffentlichungen in die Dissertation. In diesem Fall sind die übernommenen Passagen zu kennzeichnen; zumindest ist in der Dissertationsschrift darzulegen, wo und inwieweit der*die Leser*in wortwörtlich zitierte Abschnitte zu erwarten hat. Es liegt dabei in der Verantwortung des*der Doktorand*in, die erforderlichen Veröffentlichungsrechte mit der*dem für die Vorveröffentlichungen zuständigen Rechteinhaber*in zu klären.

Kumulative Dissertation (zu §9 (4))

Eine kumulative Dissertation ist möglich. Die Synopse gibt eine Einführung in das Promotionsthema und stellt die Veröffentlichungen der Doktorand*in in den Kontext des Themas. Es muss möglich sein, die Synopse zusammenhängend zu lesen und die Thematik, Fragestellung, Methodik und den Beitrag der Dissertation zu erfassen, ohne alle Publikationen vollständig zu lesen.

Beispielgliederung einer kumulativen Dissertation: Part I: Synopsis (z.B. Introduction, Related Work, Methodology, Findings, My Contributions (siehe Erklärung der zu bewertenden selbständigen Leistungen), Discussion, Conclusion), Part II: Publications (Paper 1-X).

Eine kumulative Dissertation besteht aus mindestens drei begutachteten Veröffentlichungen, die in Tagungsbänden oder Zeitschriften veröffentlicht oder zur Veröffentlichung angenommen wurden. Dabei stellt dies die Mindestanzahl dar (z.B. denkbar bei umfangreichen und ggf. herausragenden Publikationen bei gleichzeitig enormem Eigenanteil).

Im Regelfall, insb. wenn der wissenschaftliche Beitrag sich über mehrere Autor*innen verteilt, ist jedoch von entsprechend mehr Publikationen auszugehen. Naturgemäß ist ebenfalls von entsprechend mehr Publikationen auszugehen, falls in Ko-Autor*innenschaft verfasste Publikationen ggf. sogar in mehr als eine (kumulative) Dissertationen einfließen sollen, wobei der Fachbereich davon ausgeht, dass sich jeweils zwei Dissertationen bzgl. der dem*der einzelnen Doktorand*in zugeordneten selbständigen Leistungen (siehe Erklärung der zu bewertenden selbständigen Leistungen) und häufig auch bzgl. der verwendeten Publikationen signifikant unterscheiden.

Zusätzlich zu den o.g. mindestens drei begutachteten Veröffentlichungen können in kleinerem Umfang auch noch in Einreichung, Begutachtung oder Überarbeitung befindliche Artikel oder solche, die als nicht begutachtete Veröffentlichung bzw. Preprint veröffentlicht wurden, Teil der kumulativen Dissertation sein.

Publikationen können nur dann in einer kumulativen Dissertation aufgeführt sein, wenn maßgebliche Anteile durch den*die jeweilige*n Doktorand*in geleistet wurden.

Ko-Autor*innenschaft (zu §9 (5))

Das Einbringen von in Ko-Autor*innenschaft verfasster Publikationen in die Dissertation ist möglich. Für jede Veröffentlichung muss der Beitrag des*der Doktorand*in in Form der Erklärung der selbständigen Leistungen abgegeben werden und textgleich auch in der Dissertation bzw. der Synopse aufgeführt werden und die eigenen Leistungen explizit hervorgehoben werden.

Beispielerklärung

The paper “Title of the Paper” was published as a full research paper at the “Conference/Journal Name”. It constitutes a joint work of A, B, C and D. As corresponding and leading author, A led the overall research design, management and writing process of the paper. All authors contributed the literature review together where A and B took most of the work. The research design and choice of the theoretical model was done by A and B together. A planned and conducted the interviews and derived the concept (together with D), while B and C implemented the prototype. C was mainly responsible for data processing, preliminary empirical work, and contributed to the data analysis with A and D. The results and discussion were written by A and B equally, where A focused on the technical aspects, B focused on the evaluation. The central implications of this work were mainly derived by A. D was a general advisor of this work and contributed with continuous feedback during all phases of the paper writing process. All authors agree with the use of their joint paper as part of A’s [and B’s] cumulative dissertation.

• Declaration of co-authorship and author contributions for cumulative dissertations pursuant to § 9(5) of the PO/AT (PDF file) (opens in new tab)

Please note the guidelines of the University Library (ULB) regarding the publication of cumulative thesis.

After completing the thesis, please submit an application for the initiation of the doctoral examination procedure to the Dean.

Required documents:

• 1 printed hardbound copy of the thesis (requirements for the title page of a thesis (PDF file) (opens in new tab), only in German)
• 1 identical electronic copy of the thesis in pdf-format sent by email to promotionen@informatik.tu-darmstadt.de
  (the timely submission of the thesis to the reviewers is done by the doctoral candidate)
• Application for the initiation of the doctoral examination procedure (PDF file) (opens in new tab)
• Declaration concerning the initiation of the doctoral examination procedure (sec. 8, 9 PO/AT) (PDF file) (opens in new tab)
  (as an original with handwritten signatures)
• Academic curriculum vitae
• Proof of payment of doctoral fee (PDF file) (opens in new tab)

In addition, for cumulative thesis:

• Declaration of co-authorship and author contributions for cumulative dissertations pursuant to § 9(5) of the PO/AT (PDF file) (opens in new tab)

Please submit the complete set of required documents in paper form to the Dean’s Office (room D104) and/or to promotionen@informatik.tu-darmstadt.de.

Please provide your proposal for the composition of the examination board, taking into account the doctoral regulations, as well as the date and venue of the thesis defence, either at the time of submission of the thesis or to promotionen@informatik.tu-darmstadt.de.

The defence must be at least 7 weeks after submission of the thesis.

The Dean invites the University's public to the thesis defence.

The thesis defence includes a 30-minute presentation of the thesis, followed by a defence and a Q&A session with the examination board.

The public presentation and the thesis defence can be held in German or English as determined by the examination board.

The chair of the examination board notifies the applicant about the overall assessment and, if applicable, any conditions after the non-public part of the examination.

Fulfillment of conditions

The first examiner (Referierende:r) must check the version to be published for compliance with any possible conditions and must approve its publication.

The Dean would like to point out that video recordings of the public defence of an oral doctoral examination at the Department of Computer Science are only permitted with the explicit consent of all those involved.

This means that such recordings are generally inadmissible as a violation of personal rights.

Secret recordings can be punished according to § 201 StGB.

Deadline for publication of the thesis

The thesis must be published within one year after passing the examination.

If the publication is delayed, an application (with justification) for an extension must be submitted to the doctoral admissions board before the deadline for submission.

Declaration

The Declaration according to § 19 PO/AT on the transfer of rights to the dissertation (PDF file) (opens in new tab) is submitted to the Department in the original with a handwritten signature and remains in the doctoral file; a scan of the completed declaration is sent to the ULB by the Dean's Office.

TUprints

The doctoral candidate must upload the thesis to the University publication server of the ULB TUprints, also in the case of a publication by a publishing house.

To publish the thesis, please register with TUprints and follow the guidelines. A TU-ID is required for this process.

If you do not have a TU-ID, please get in touch with your supervisor to obtain a guest TU-ID. You will also need to set up two-factor authentication.

Please refer to the guidelines of the University Library (ULB) for publishing theses.

Issuing the doctoral certificate

Once the thesis has been published on the University's publication server, the ULB informs the Department accordingly. The doctorate will then be awarded by issuing the doctoral certificate to the doctoral candidate. From this point in time, the doctoral graduate has the right to hold the respective doctoral title.

We will notify you as soon as the doctoral degree certificate is available. Please do not make any further enquiries.