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Doctoral programme

The Faculty of Music at the University of Münster has its own doctoral regulations since October 2012. After the doctoral candidate has completed and passed the doctoral examination, the University of Music is authorised to confer the academic degree of "Doktor der Philosophie in den Künsten” (Dr. philosophiae in artibus - Dr. phil. in art.).

Please note: Please submit all applications and forms as well as the dissertation to the Study Office/Examination Office of the University of Music.

The doctoral procedure takes place in six steps:

  • 1. Doctoral agreement

    Within the first six months after commencing your doctoral thesis, you apply to the doctoral committee for admission to the doctoral program with the  doctoral agreement. You have the right to nominate the members of the doctoral committee. With this committee you agree in writing on the mutual rights and obligations of the doctoral project.

  • 2. Enrolment

    You can enrol in the doctoral program via the university's online registration portal. Please note the following deadlines: for entry in the winter semester, you must enrol between mid-August and 15th November, and for entry in the summer semester, between mid-February and 15th  May.

    To enroll, please first complete the  online enrolment and upload the completed supervision agreement and the documents listed in the enrolment portal.

    For further information please feel free to use the handbook for international doctoral candidates.

  • 3. Dissertation

    The focus of your doctoral programme is the independent work on a scientific-artistic doctoral project, which is supervised by your doctoral committee. Your project will be accompanied and supported by an individually designed, project-oriented doctoral programme of at least four semesters. The tasks of your doctoral position are specified in the written doctoral agreement. Here you find a sample title page of a dissertation.

  • 4. Application for admission to the doctoral examination

    Only those who have fulfilled the requirements of the doctoral studies as stipulated in the doctoral agreement according to § 5 of the currently valid doctoral regulations of 02.10.2012 can be admitted to the doctoral examination.

    Your application for admission to the doctoral examination must be submitted in writing to the doctoral committee. The application must contain the topic of the artistic-scientific research project and the name of the supervisor responsible for determining the topic.

  • 5. Disputation

    Admission to the disputation takes place when your dissertation has been accepted.

    You agree on a date and place for the disputation with the examiners and report this to the doctoral committee. The doctoral committee invites you and three other examiners to the disputation. The date of your disputation will be announced to the university at least 30 days before the disputation.

    Your disputation must take place within a period of two months after the acceptance of your dissertation. An examination protocol will be prepared by the examination committee.

    If your doctoral examination is passed, you will receive a certificate from the dean stating that you have successfully completed your doctoral studies.

    If your dissertation has not yet been published, the certificate does not yet entitle you to use the doctoral title.

  • 6. Publication

    The doctoral procedure is only considered to be fully completed when your submitted dissertation has been published entirely; this should take place within one year of the disputation. Only then will you receive a doctoral certificate from the dean and be allowed to use the doctoral title "Dr. phil. in art.".

    Publication may only take place when the doctoral committee has declared the entire dissertation ready for printing (imprimatur). The form "Imprimatur" and further important information about the forms of publication of your dissertation can be found in a leaflet for doctoral candidates.