Doctoral degree regulations
for Hamburg University of Technology

dated 23 August 2023

The Executive Board of Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) approved the doctoral degree regulations for Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) as per section 108, paragraph 1 of the Hamburg Higher Education Act (HmbHG) on 23 August 2023. The regulations were decided by TUHH’s Academic Senate on 24 May 2023 pursuant to section 85, paragraph 1, number 1 in conjunction with section 70, paragraph 6 HmbHG of 18 July 2001 (HmbGVbl., 2001, p. 171) in the version dated 11 July 2023 (HmbGVbl., p. 243).

Section 1
Right to award doctoral degrees

(1) Hamburg University of Technology awards the following academic degrees on the basis of these regulations:

• Doktor-Ingenieurin or Doktor-Ingenieur (Dr.-Ing. – Doctor of Engineering),
• Doktorin der Naturwissenschaften or Doktor der Naturwissenschaften (Dr. rer. nat. – Doctor of Natural Sciences),
• Doktorin der Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften or Doktor der Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften (Dr. rer. pol. – Doctor of Economics and Social Sciences).

(2) The doctoral degree is awarded on the basis of a doctoral thesis and a public defence followed by an oral examination.

(3) Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) also awards the following academic degrees, the details of which are governed by the provisions in section 17:

• Doktor-Ingenieurin Ehren halber or Doktor-Ingenieur Ehren halber (Dr.-Ing. h.c. – Honorary Doctor of Engineering),
• Doktorin der Naturwissenschaften Ehren halber or Doktor der Naturwissenschaften Ehren halber (Dr. rer. nat. h.c. – Honorary Doctor of Natural Sciences),
• Doktorin der Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften Ehren halber or Doktor der Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften Ehren halber (Dr. rer. pol. h.c. – Honorary Doctor of Economics and Social Sciences).

Section 2
Doctoral Degree Committee

(1) The Doctoral Degree Committee is a permanent committee of the Academic Senate. It decides, in consultation with the School of Study in the relevant field, whether a doctoral candidate has met the prerequisites for admission to doctoral studies. The Doctoral Degree Committee also decides on the application to commence the doctoral examination process (section 5), the selection of supervisor (section 6), the chair of the Board of Examiners (section 12), and, in consultation with the School of Study in the relevant field, the selection of reviewers (sections 8, 9) and examiners (section 12). It ensures that the doctoral examination process is conducted properly and in a timely manner.

(2) The Doctoral Degree Committee is composed of four professors and two academic staff members with doctoral degrees.

(3) The members of the Doctoral Degree Committee are elected by the Academic Senate from among members of Hamburg University of Technology for a two-year term. In the election, the Academic Senate shall ensure that the breadth of subjects covered by the Schools of Study is considered. The Academic Senate shall appoint the chair from the members of the Doctoral Degree Committee who are professors.

Section 3
Admission requirements for Dr.-Ing., Dr. rer. nat. and Dr. rer. pol.

(1) A prerequisite for admission to doctoral studies is the successful completion of a relevant Master’s level degree (Diplom, Master or Staatsexamen) at a German higher education institution. The candidate must prove his or her ability to independently conduct in-depth academic work. This is evidenced with a degree certificate (Diplom, Master, Staatsexamen), which in general must have an overall grade of at least “good”.

(2) The degree Dr.-Ing. can be awarded if the doctoral thesis relates to engineering and the candidate has in-depth academic knowledge of the subject of the doctoral thesis.

(3) The degree Dr. rer. nat. can be awarded if the doctoral thesis relates to natural sciences and the candidate has in-depth academic knowledge of the subject of the doctoral thesis.

(4) The degree Dr. rer. pol. can be awarded if the doctoral thesis relates to economics or social sciences and the candidate has in-depth academic knowledge of the subject of the doctoral thesis.

(5) Where the required in-depth academic knowledge of the subject of the doctoral thesis as set out in paragraphs 2 to 4 is not already evidenced by a high-class relevant degree as per paragraph 1, clause 2, because the subject of the doctoral thesis deviates from the subject of the candidate’s degree, the Doctoral Degree Committee can request evidence from the candidate that she or he nevertheless has comprehensive additional knowledge of the subject of the doctoral thesis. The Doctoral Degree Committee can also request additional assessments for this.

(6) Graduates of universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen) with a good degree can be admitted to doctoral studies if the Doctoral Degree Committee establishes that the candidate has in-depth engineering, natural sciences, economic or social sciences knowledge in the subject he or she studied, and in the subject of the doctoral thesis if this deviates from the subject studied. To establish in-depth knowledge of the subject studied, the Doctoral Degree Committee can request assessments, appointing the examiners, consisting of three to six examinations from Bachelor’s programmes and one to three examinations from Master’s programmes at Hamburg University of Technology. The examinations must fall within courses at Hamburg University of Technology that are most closely related to studies completed by the candidate at the university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule). All examinations must be completed and passed within a year; the weighted overall grade from these examinations must be “good” or better. Each examination may be repeated once if the candidate does not pass it. If the subject of the doctoral thesis differs from the subject studied, the procedure outlined in paragraph 5 shall also be followed.

(7) Doctoral candidates who have successfully completed academic study at a foreign university can be admitted to doctoral studies if the completed studies are equivalent to a German academic degree and the candidate’s ability to independently conduct in-depth academic work is evident. A Master’s course abroad should encompass regular study over a period of two years. In addition to the candidate’s degree certificates, relevant equivalence agreements and recommendations approved by the Conference of Federal Ministers of Education and the Conference of University Rectors, where applicable and available, are decisive when establishing equivalence and recognising study time and course achievements at foreign universities. Where there is an unconditionally positive recommendation from the German Central Office for Foreign Education (Zentralstelle für Ausländisches Bildungswesen), the Doctoral Degree Committee generally admits the candidate. Apart from that, the Doctoral Degree Committee can request additional examinations to establish equivalence. Here, the following applies:

• If there are minor concerns, the Doctoral Degree Committee makes admission dependent on the result of an informal knowledge assessment and equivalence evaluation of the foreign Master’s final thesis; this knowledge assessment and equivalence evaluation are to be conducted by the intended supervisor of the doctoral thesis and by another professor at Hamburg University of Technology appointed by the Doctoral Degree Committee.
• If there are moderate concerns, particularly regarding the breadth and duration of past study, the Doctoral Degree Committee shall arrange additional knowledge assessments following consultation with the head of the responsible School of Study. All examinations must be completed and passed within a year; the weighted overall grade from these examinations must be “good” or better. Each examination may be repeated once if the candidate does not pass it.
• Admission is not possible if there are major concerns.

Section 4
Admission to doctoral studies

(1) The candidate shall obtain a decision by the Doctoral Degree Committee regarding whether he or she fulfils the prerequisites for admission to doctoral studies (application for admission to doctoral studies). This decision must be reached before the candidate starts work on his or her doctoral thesis. The decision and potential additional conditions are to be communicated to the candidate in writing.

(2) The application for admission to doctoral studies is to be submitted in writing to the chair of the Doctoral Degree Committee. It should be made at least two years, and in the case of external doctoral studies, at least three years before the application to commence the doctoral examination process. The following documents and statements should be enclosed with the application:

• a curriculum vitae in tabular form with detailed information on the candidate’s education,
• the provisional subject of the doctoral thesis,
• a statement from the supervisor that he or she is prepared to supervise the doctoral work. In this statement, the supervisor must confirm the provisional subject of the doctoral thesis,
• evidence of completed university education and, where necessary, the prerequisites outlined under section 3, paragraphs 6 or 7 of the doctoral degree regulations, as original documents or certified copies,
• a statement regarding whether and, where relevant, with what result, the candidate has already undergone or applied for doctoral examination processes.

(3) The application must be rejected if

• the prerequisites in section 3 are not fulfilled,
• there is evidence that the candidate has proved to be unfit to bear the academic title “Doctor”,
• the subject of the doctoral degree is not sufficiently represented at Hamburg University of Technology,
• the candidate has conclusively failed in a doctoral examination process to achieve the same academic degree,
• the candidate already has a doctoral degree in the subject area applied for (engineering, natural sciences or economics and social sciences) or
• the candidate has not submitted the documents to be included with the application for admission to doctoral studies to the Doctoral Degree Committee despite warnings and a deadline being set.

Section 4a
Doctoral thesis

(1) The doctoral thesis serves as evidence of the candidate’s ability to independently conduct in-depth academic work. It must contribute to furthering academic knowledge and can be prepared either as a monograph or publication-based in cumulative form. The supervisor and doctoral candidate will reach a mutual decision on the form of the doctoral thesis.

(2) In the case of a monograph, parts of the doctoral thesis shall be published in advance.

(3) The following regulations apply to a cumulative doctoral thesis:

1. The doctoral thesis is based on thematically related scientific articles. The applicant must have predominantly contributed to at least three of these articles. In the case of joint publication, the applicant must provide written confirmation from the other participating authors that he or she played a major role in the publication.
2. Journals recognised in the respective subject area or proceedings at prominent international academic conferences that are subject to a strict peer-review process are accepted as publication media.
3. The publications must have been published or accepted for printing.
4. An appropriate peer-review process must be evidenced in all of the aforementioned cases.
5. The cumulative doctoral thesis must contain a substantial independently written section that goes beyond the publications. This should be about 30-50 pages long. In terms of content, it should clarify the connection between the publications, present the research results in an overarching manner and, if necessary, also expand on subdomains relevant to the doctoral thesis.

Section 5
Commencement of the doctoral examination process

(1) The doctoral examination process serves to establish whether the doctoral candidate can be awarded one of the doctoral degrees outlined in section 1, paragraph 1.

(2) The doctoral candidate may submit a written application to commence the doctoral examination process to the chair of the Doctoral Degree Committee at the earliest after the doctoral thesis is ready for submission. The following should be included with the application:

1. Six bound printed copies of the doctoral thesis, including a summary of its content and a short curriculum vitae at the end of the doctoral thesis. The thesis should have a cover sheet, the layout of which is stipulated by the Doctoral Degree Committee. These copies of the doctoral thesis may not include acknowledgements, religious references, or similar. The doctoral thesis must be written in German or English.

2. A written statement from the supervisor that the doctoral thesis is ready for submission.

3. In the case of a cumulative doctoral thesis:

1. a written declaration by the supervisor that the submitted doctoral thesis in its entirety fully meets the requirements for a cumulative doctoral thesis in accordance with the provisions of these doctoral regulations.
2. confirmation from other participating authors of the applicant’s predominant involvement in the joint publications in question as per section 4a, paragraph 3, as well as acknowledgement that the publication is to be used for a cumulative doctorate.

The Doctoral Degree Committee provides the requisite form for this purpose.

4. A statement regarding which type of doctoral degree is provisionally being pursued,

5. A sworn statement on a form as required by the Doctoral Degree Committee (“Eidesstattliche Erklärung (PDF)”) that

• the work was completed independently,
• all passages taken either verbatim or in adapted form from other sources are indicated as such,
• the names of third parties who provided personal help are listed,
• no paid help from agency or consultancy services was used for the content of the doctoral thesis and
• the work has not been submitted to an examination authority in Germany or abroad in the same or a similar form.

6. Information regarding previous publications of parts of the doctoral thesis. The title, author(s), publishing body and year of such publications should be provided on a separate sheet of paper. If there are no publications to report, this should also be stated.

7. Information regarding student projects (term paper, project work, Bachelor’s or Master’s dissertation), whose content informed the doctoral thesis.

8. A separate summary of the doctoral thesis (max. 1 A4 page).

9. An additional abstract for library purposes of roughly 5 lines in German and English.

The application to commence the doctoral examination process and the additional documents to be enclosed are to be sent to the chair of the Doctoral Degree Committee.

(3) The doctoral examination process commences following the Doctoral Degree Committee’s decision that the candidate was admitted to doctoral studies as per section 4 and when the documents and statements to be included with the request as per paragraph 2 are submitted in full and in accordance with the regulations.

(4) After the doctoral examination process has commenced, all professors and academics holding a post-doctoral ‘Habilitation’ qualification at the School of Study in the relevant field shall be informed that the doctoral thesis has been submitted. This can occur via a circular communication with the doctoral thesis attached.

(5) While no review of the doctoral thesis exists, the candidate may withdraw from the doctoral examination process by submitting a written request to do so. In this instance, the doctoral examination process will not have been failed.

Section 6
Supervision of the doctoral thesis

(1) All professors and academics with a post-doctoral ‘Habilitation’ qualification are allowed to supervise

• whose primary place of employment is Hamburg University of Technology,
• who have retired from a position at Hamburg University of Technology, which was their primary place of employment,
• whose primary place of employment is at an external research institute and who have been appointed by Hamburg University of Technology,
• whom Hamburg University of Technology has authorised to teach as a private lecturer, and whose primary place of employment is at an external research institute in the Hamburg metropolitan area, with which Hamburg University of Technology has a cooperation agreement in major areas of research and teaching.

(2) On a case-by-case basis, recipients of funding from the German Research Foundation’s Emmy Noether Programme may also supervise the doctoral thesis if an application to that end is made to the Doctoral Degree Committee. 

(3) In the case of section 70, paragraph 7 HmbHG (doctoral degrees in collaboration with the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences), a professor or academic with a post-doctoral ‘Habilitation’ qualification, whose primary employment is at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences shall participate in the supervision in addition to a supervisor as per paragraph 1. The same applies to other universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen).

(4) If the supervisor withdraws after the doctoral examination process has commenced, the Doctoral Degree Committee shall make efforts, at the request of the candidate, to secure further supervision of the doctoral thesis.

Section 7
Joint doctoral examination process with foreign universities

(1) In order to foster international cooperation, TUHH may carry out a joint doctoral examination process with foreign universities or comparable educational institutions that have the right to award doctoral degrees.

(2) The scope of the joint doctoral examination process should be established for each individual case in a contractual agreement with the foreign university or the responsible body. Provisions in this contractual agreement may deviate from the regulations in the present document where academic quality and the objective establishment thereof are not impaired, and the changes are considered unavoidable owing to deviating regulations at the foreign university or comparable educational institution. The Academic Senate must approve the contractual agreement.

(3) The documents pertaining to the doctoral degree are kept at the university or comparable educational institution where the oral examination is to take place; the other university or comparable educational institution receives copies.

(4) After successful completion of the doctoral examination process, the doctoral certificate is printed in German and English, as well as a valid official language agreed with the cooperating university, and signed and stamped by both universities or comparable educational institutions with reference made to the joint doctoral process.

Section 8
Reviewers

(1) The doctoral thesis is to be reviewed by the supervisor and at least one other professor or academic holding a post-doctoral ‘Habilitation’ qualification. Other academics may also be reviewers if they have a doctoral degree and suitable reviewers as per clause 1 cannot be found for this task. At least one reviewer must have their main occupation at Hamburg University of Technology or, alternatively, be primarily employed at external research institutes and have been officially appointed as a professor by Hamburg University of Technology. Under these regulations, retired professors or retired academics holding a post-doctoral ‘Habilitation’ qualification shall continue to be deemed to have their main occupation at Hamburg University of Technology for up to three years after they retire.

(2) Every reviewer must be specifically qualified in the subject area of the doctoral degree. In the case of professors, this can be assumed when the focus of the doctoral degree falls within the expertise of their academic chair. Otherwise, at least one reviewer should have achieved the same doctoral degree that the applicant is pursuing or hold a degree in the subject area of the doctoral degree being pursued.

Section 9
Appointment of reviewers

(1) After the commencement of the doctoral examination process has been requested, the supervisor shall promptly submit a proposal for reviewer selection to the head of the School of Study in the relevant field. The proposal shall include a copy of the doctoral thesis or a summary of its content. He/she will explain the reasoning behind the suggested reviewers and state whether, in his/her view, the doctoral thesis is of an engineering, natural sciences or economics and social sciences nature. In the case of a cumulative doctoral thesis, at least one reviewer must be appointed who has not contributed to any of the publications listed.

(2) The School of Study Board for the School of Study in the relevant field will then make an official proposal for the named reviewers and submit this to the Doctoral Degree Committee. In general, the reviewers should not be part of the same institute or working group. This particularly applies where the supervisor is a reviewer. The School of Study Board may collect the assessment of spokespeople from research project groups to prepare for its decision. The School of Study Board is bound neither to the supervisor’s proposal nor to the assessments collected from spokespeople for research project groups when deciding which reviewers to propose.

(3) The Doctoral Degree Committee appoints the reviewers on the basis of the proposal from the School of Study Board entrusted with the matter. If the Doctoral Degree Committee does not agree to a proposed reviewer, the School of Study Board shall make a new proposal for a reviewer, taking into account any relevant information supplied by the Doctoral Degree Committee. If there are also concerns regarding the new proposal, the Doctoral Degree Committee can appoint the reviewers without obtaining a further proposal from the School of Study Board.

(4) The Doctoral Degree Committee shall inform the candidate of the reviewers’ names.

Section 10
Review procedure

(1) Beyond the doctoral thesis itself, reviewers have the right to request further information from the candidate via the Doctoral Degree Committee in order to check the results contained in the doctoral thesis.

(2) The reviews are to be submitted to the Doctoral Degree Committee by the reviewers within three months of receiving the doctoral thesis. If a reviewer does not submit his or her review within this period, the chair of the Doctoral Degree Committee can appoint a new reviewer in agreement with the School of Study in the relevant field; section 9, paragraph 2 applies correspondingly.

(3) The review must state conclusively which doctoral degree (as per section 1, paragraph 1) is to be awarded. The Doctoral Degree Committee decides the degree to be awarded.

(4) By unanimous proposal of the reviewers, the doctoral thesis can be returned to the candidate for revision, via the Doctoral Degree Committee. Changes requested as part of the revision must relate to clearly defined, precisely formulated items or queries, and should not lead to a substantial change in the work. The chair of the Doctoral Degree Committee shall inform the candidate in writing of the revisions to be made. Following revision, the doctoral thesis is to be reviewed again. The new reviews may not include further requests for alterations of the content.

Section 11 
Evaluation and acceptance of the doctoral thesis

(1) The reviewers return a justified verdict on the doctoral thesis in writing. This shall be summarised with one of the following grades:

• outstanding,
• very good,
• good,
• satisfactory,
• unsatisfactory.

(2) If the grades are “satisfactory” or better, the doctoral thesis is accepted. If the grades in the reviews differ by two or more marks, or if a reviewer has marked the doctoral thesis as “unsatisfactory”, the Doctoral Degree Committee shall seek to resolve this. If the difference cannot be reduced to less than two with a minimum grade of “satisfactory”, the Doctoral Degree Committee shall obtain at least one further review, which is to be included in the overall evaluation of the work if said review returns a grade of “satisfactory” or better. If the additional review, or one of the additional reviews, also returns a grade of “unsatisfactory”, the doctoral thesis shall be rejected and the candidate will have failed the examination. The chair of the Doctoral Degree Committee shall inform the candidate of this official decision in writing.

(3) The grade “outstanding” may only be awarded by the reviewers if the work represents excellent performance that definitively furthers academic knowledge. An evaluation with the grade “outstanding” must be justified in detail and comprehensibly in the review.  Notably, the exceptional academic achievement and its presentation, as well as the particular significance of the work, must be acknowledged.  In addition, the particular quality of the publications considered and the journals or conferences in which they were published must be set out explicitly.

(4) The overall grade “outstanding” can only be awarded for the doctoral degree in accordance with section 14, paragraph 1, clause 2.

(5) After the reviews have been accepted by the Doctoral Degree Committee, the doctoral thesis is to be presented in a public location in the university for two weeks so that members of Hamburg University of Technology may view it. The Doctoral Degree Committee shall announce the location. This must include the exact dates during which the doctoral thesis will be displayed. During this period, professors and academics with a post-doctoral ‘Habilitation’ qualification at Hamburg University of Technology may also view the reviews, if previously requested in writing. Professors and academics with a post-doctoral ‘Habilitation’ qualification at Hamburg University of Technology can give their opinion on the doctoral thesis, the reviews, or on both, to the Doctoral Degree Committee within the presentation period outlined in sentences 1 and 2. The opinion should be in writing, and, if not posted, at least sent electronically (by email).

(6) Upon conclusion of the doctoral examination process, the Doctoral Degree Committee guarantees the candidate the possibility of viewing the reviews if requested in writing; names and addresses of the reviewers are not shared unless the candidate asserts an irrefutable legal interest for this.

Section 12
Board of Examiners

(1) The Doctoral Degree Committee appoints a Board of Examiners for each doctoral degree. At least two of the reviewers must be on the Board of Examiners. Additionally, up to three professors or academics with post-doctoral ‘Habilitation’ qualifications in subject areas closely related to the doctoral thesis can be appointed. The Doctoral Degree Committee can also appoint individuals with a doctoral degree who are not members of Hamburg University of Technology as examiners. In the case of doctoral degrees in collaboration with the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences as per section 70, paragraph 7 HmbHG, a professor or academic with a post-doctoral ‘Habilitation’ qualification whose primary employment is at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences shall also be appointed to the Board of Examiners. One of the examiners must have his or her primary place of employment at Hamburg University of Technology. Under these regulations, retired examiners shall continue to be deemed to have their main occupation at Hamburg University of Technology for up to three years after they retire.

(2) The candidate can propose up to two examiners to be appointed to the Board of Examiners as per paragraph 1.

(3) The chair of the Board of Examiners is appointed by the Doctoral Degree Committee from the professors of Hamburg University of Technology that have been appointed to the Board of Examiners as per paragraph 1. She or he shall receive a copy of the doctoral thesis as well as the reviews, and shall inform the chair of the Doctoral Degree Committee in writing within one month regarding the acceptance of, and grade for, the doctoral thesis. The chair of the Board of Examiners will also provide reasons for any instances where his or her statements diverge from those made by the reviewers. Where his or her opinion of the doctoral thesis differs significantly from the reviews, the Doctoral Degree Committee should resolve this before the doctoral examination process is continued.

(4) The Board of Examiners conducts the oral examination (section 13), evaluates the doctoral thesis and the oral examination based on recommendations made by the reviewers and by taking into consideration any other statements as per section 10, paragraph 3, as well as the opinion of the chair of the Board of Examiners (section 12, paragraph 3), and establishes the overall grade (section 14, paragraph 1).

(5) If the doctoral thesis was evaluated by at least one reviewer as “outstanding”, a member of the Doctoral Degree Committee, who is a professor or academic with a post-doctoral ‘Habilitation’ qualification, shall be appointed to the Board of Examiners. Alongside the other examiners, he or she shall particularly assure that the overall grade “outstanding” is only awarded if the prerequisites for this as set out in section 14, paragraph 1, clause 3 are met unequivocally.

Section 13
Oral examination

(1) After the doctoral thesis has been accepted, and after the end of the period for presenting the thesis to the public as per section 11, paragraph 5, the candidate and the examiners are invited to the oral examination in writing by the chair of the Board of Examiners.

(2) The oral examination shall take place six weeks after acceptance of the doctoral thesis at the latest, and where possible, during the semester teaching period. It will be chaired by the chair of the Board of Examiners. The date for the oral examination shall be set by the chair of the Board of Examiners following consultation with the candidate.

(3) If the Board of Examiners is not fully present for the oral examination, the examination must be postponed to another date.

(4) In exceptional, duly justified cases, it is possible for an examiner who is resident abroad to examine via video conference where a request to this effect is submitted to the Doctoral Degree Committee. The applicant should submit this request with the application to commence the doctoral examination process (section 5) following consultation with their supervisor. The examiner must provide the Doctoral Degree Committee with their written consent.

(5) If the candidate fails to attend the oral examination, this will be considered a fail with the legal consequence of section 14, paragraph 3, if the candidate does not explain his or her absence adequately; otherwise, the chair of the Board of Examiners shall establish a new date in a timely manner.

(6) The oral examination begins with an approximately half-hour presentation by the candidate on the aim, approaches, and results of the doctoral thesis; this is followed by a discussion lasting a maximum of 30 minutes. The presentation and the discussion are open to internal university members.

(7) Following the presentation and discussion as per paragraph 5, the oral examination is continued for approximately one hour with the aim of reviewing the academic qualification of the candidate in the subject area of the doctoral thesis and closely related fields. The oral examination is to be minuted, and the minutes signed by all members of the Board of Examiners.

Section 14
Examination results

(1) Immediately after completion of the oral examination, the Board of Examiners decides the result of the examination in a meeting which is not open to the public and establishes the grades for the oral examination and the doctoral thesis, as well as the overall grade based on the mark scheme outlined in section 11, paragraph 1. The overall grade “outstanding” can only be awarded by unanimous decision of the Board of Examiners if the candidate’s performance includes additional special contributions.

This generally requires a substantial contribution by the candidate to two peer-reviewed publications in prestigious journals or to two peer-reviewed proceedings at prominent international academic conferences.

(2) The chair of the Board of Examiners shall inform the candidate of the result immediately, and without the public present.

(3) If the performance in the oral examination is not evaluated to be at least “satisfactory”, the doctoral degree cannot be awarded. The oral examination can be repeated once, at the earliest after three months have elapsed, and at the latest after one year. If the repeat oral examination is also evaluated to be “unsatisfactory”, the candidate has failed. Once the failure of the doctoral degree has taken administrative or legal effect, the doctoral examination process is concluded.

Section 15
Publication of the doctoral thesis

(1) The doctoral thesis is to be published within a year of the oral examination. Before this, the candidate must submit the publication-ready manuscript for confirmation of identity together with the reviewed doctoral thesis to one of the reviewers, taking into account any editing requirements. The reviewer shall submit his or her opinion to the chair of the Doctoral Degree Committee. If there is a compelling reason why the doctoral thesis cannot be published within the established time, the chair can extend the deadline where a justified request is made before the deadline. If the candidate fails to meet this deadline through his or her own fault, he or she shall lose his or her doctoral degree rights.

(2) The doctoral thesis is to be made available to the public in an appropriate manner. This is the case if the candidate has submitted

1. one copy for the examination records and
2. ten copies for the relevant institute or working group at Hamburg University of Technology.
3.  The candidate shall also provide the university library with
   • 20 copies in printed or photocopied form for the purpose of distribution, or
   • three copies, if a commercial publisher agrees to carry out the distribution and a minimum edition of 150 copies can be evidenced, or a five-year availability is guaranteed, or
   • three copies if the thesis is published electronically on TUHH Open Research (TORE), the university’s repository for open access publications.

The candidate is to cover the printing and copying costs of all of the above. The candidate should take the recommendations regarding technical and legal aspects of publishing on the TUHH Open Access Repository into consideration as per paragraph 2, clause 1c, number 3.

(3) All copies of the doctoral thesis provided as per paragraph 2 must be bound and include a cover page in addition to a back page, whose design is established by the Doctoral Degree Committee. In contrast to section 5, paragraph 3, number 1, copies of the doctoral thesis supplied as per paragraph 2 may contain acknowledgements in the languages that the doctoral thesis is written in. Acknowledgements and dedications of a religious nature are not permitted. The curriculum vitae need not necessarily be included. The title of the doctoral thesis may not be changed when published as per paragraph 2.

(4) Upon request, the Doctoral Degree Committee may agree that a version of the doctoral thesis that differs from the original (e.g. shortened for publication) is published if the reviewers confirm that this version contains the significant content of the doctoral thesis. The doctoral thesis can also be published in several consecutive parts.

Section 16
Awarding the doctoral degree

(1) If the requirements as per section 15, paragraph 1, clause 2 are met, the candidate receives the doctoral certificate. The doctoral examination process is completed when the certificate is awarded.

(2) The certificate includes the title of the doctoral thesis and the overall grade as per section 14, paragraph 1, clause 1.

The certificate shall bear, irrespective of agreements or regulations in the case of joint doctoral degrees with foreign universities or the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, the signatures of the chair of Hamburg University of Technology and the chair of the Doctoral Degree Committee, the seal of Hamburg University of Technology and the date on which the oral examination was successfully completed. Apart from that, the design of the certificate will be determined by the Doctoral Degree Committee.

(3) On receipt of the certificate, the candidate has the right to use the doctoral title “Doktor-Ingenieurin” or “Doktor-Ingenieur” (Dr.-Ing. – Doctor of Engineering); “Doktorin der Naturwissenschaften” or “Doktor der Naturwissenschaften” (Dr. rer. nat. – Doctor of Natural Sciences) or “Doktorin der Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften” or “Doktor der Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften” (Dr. rer. pol. – Doctor of Economics and Social Sciences).

Until receipt of the certificate, it is not permitted to use the doctoral title, even with the supplementary information that the degree has yet to be acquired.

Section 17
Doctoral degree supplement

On successful conclusion of their doctoral project, candidates can request that a doctoral degree supplement be issued to them by the Graduate Academy for Technology and Innovation at Hamburg University of Technology in addition to the doctoral certificate from the Doctoral Degree Committee. The acquisition of a doctoral degree supplement requires that the candidate has made use of opportunities offered by the Graduate Academy to transfer and develop key academic and career skills, as well as in individual career planning, to the minimum recommended by the Graduate Academy at the time of his or her application for admission to doctoral studies. The doctoral degree supplement is issued and signed by the academic head of the Graduate Academy and is awarded at the earliest with the doctoral certificate.

Section 18
Honorary doctoral degrees

(1) At the proposal of a School of Study Board or the general meeting of a research centre, individuals who have contributed outstandingly to engineering, natural sciences or economics and social sciences can be awarded the following rare academic degrees: “Doktor-Ingenieurin Ehren halber” or “Doktor-Ingenieur Ehren halber” (Dr.-Ing. h.c. – Honorary Doctor of Engineering), “Doktorin der Naturwissenschaften Ehren halber” or “Doktor der Naturwissenschaften Ehren halber” (Dr. rer. nat. h.c. – Honorary Doctor of Natural Sciences) or “Doktorin der Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften Ehren halber” or “Doktor der Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften Ehren halber” (Dr. rer. pol. h.c. – Honorary Doctor of Economics and Social Sciences.)

(2) The proposal is to be submitted with an explanatory statement to the Academic Senate. The Senate shall then appoint a committee consisting of at least three professors at Hamburg University of Technology. One of these professors must be a member of the Academic Senate.

(3) The committee shall review the explanatory statement submitted by the proposing School of Study Board or the proposing general meeting of a research centre and prepare an opinion. To that end, the committee may request additional documents. If the committee recommends an honorary doctoral degree, it shall also compile the laudatory remarks.

(4) On the basis of the opinion mentioned in paragraph 3, the Academic Senate shall decide whether to award the honorary doctoral degree and the laudatory remarks.

(5) The chair of TUHH shall present a certificate that includes the laudatory remarks to the person receiving the honorary doctoral degree. This presentation should occur in the context of a suitable event.

Section 19
Revocation of a doctoral degree

(1) If it is established after the conclusion of the doctoral examination process that the doctoral degree was acquired via deception or other illegal means, the Doctoral Degree Committee shall declare the unworthiness of the doctoral degree holder. The doctoral degree shall then be revoked, with the result that the holder may no longer use the degree or title. Deception or illegal acquisition also includes cases where the doctoral degree was acquired via third parties, where there was plagiarism, where academic results were falsified or where there was a significant infringement of the rules of good academic practice by some other means when acquiring the doctoral degree.

(2) Beyond the prerequisites in paragraph 1, the Academic Senate of Hamburg University of Technology can also revoke an honorary degree as per section 18 at the request of the chair if the person who was awarded the doctoral degree by Hamburg University of Technology proves to be unfit on the basis of his or her later conduct, or where the degree was awarded by Hamburg University of Technology in irreproachable ignorance of the unworthiness of the candidate. A two-thirds majority from the Academic Senate is required for the revocation.

(3) The decision regarding revocation shall be reported to the Schools of Study of Hamburg University of Technology and the other universities in the Federal Republic of Germany

Section 20
Procedural shortcomings

Purely procedural shortcomings in the doctoral examination process can be remedied for the benefit of the candidate via a decision by the Doctoral Degree Committee; the Doctoral Degree Committee shall establish in this decision that the procedural shortcomings had no material effect on the result of the examination.

Section 21
Review of the doctoral examination process

At the request of a person involved in the process, or the candidate, the Doctoral Degree Committee is obliged to review the doctoral examination process. Such an appeal must be made, at the latest, within three months of completion of the process. The review is to be initiated without delay. If the Doctoral Degree Committee cannot remedy the objection, it shall submit the objection to the Academic Senate for an official decision.

Section 22
Date of effectiveness and transition regulations

These doctoral degree regulations come into effect following publication in Hamburg’s official bulletin (Amtlicher Anzeiger). They shall apply for doctoral candidates who make their application for commencement of the doctoral examination process after these regulations have come into effect. For all other candidates, the provisions of the previous doctoral degree regulations continue to apply.

Hamburg, 23 August 2023

Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH)