Admission to doctoral studies is granted by the doctoral board of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and requires that applicants have a graduate level degree prior to application (Master’s degree, “Staatsexamen”, Diploma, or, under specific circumstances, a Bachelor’s degree). This university degree must qualify you for further studies in the chosen discipline. Please take note of the Guidelines on Good Academic Practice (DE|EN) of the University of Cologne.

 

Application for Admission

In order to be admitted and subsequently enrolled in doctoral studies, all applicants must submit an application via a.r.t.e.s. access.

The documents required upon submission of the application depend upon whether the prior university degree was acquired in Germany or in another country and whether the degree is directly or indirectly connected to the chosen discipline.

With regard to the subsequent process of enrolment, please see the website of the Registrar's Office or the International Office.

 

Application Deadlines

Applicants who wish to apply in the winter semester 2023/24 must submit all documents by:

• October 20, 2024 via a.r.t.e.s. access (for the meeting of the doctoral board on November 7, 2024)
• January 5, 2025 via a.r.t.e.s. access (for the meeting of the doctoral board on January 23, 2025)

Applicants who wish to apply in the summer semester 2024 must submit  
the documents by:

• April 7, 2024 via a.r.t.e.s. access (meeting of the doctoral board on April 25, 2024)
• June 2, 2024 via a.r.t.e.s. access (meeting of the doctoral board on June 20, 2024)

 

Optional: Application for admission as a collegiate within the Integrated Track

When applying for admission to doctoral studies, applicants may additionally apply to join the “Integrated Track” – the structured doctoral model at the a.r.t.e.s. Graduate School – as a collegiate. The structured doctoral model not only allows doctoral students to pursue their doctoral dissertation project in a lively interdisciplinary research environment but also offers excellent supervision and optimal working conditions, enabling students to complete a high-quality dissertation within three years.

The programme begins each year in April. In order to be admitted to the Integrated Track, applicants must have obtained an average grade of at least 2.0 (within the German grading system). Short-listed candidates will be asked for an interview in February. The admissions committee of the Integrated Track decides upon all applications.

Collegiates do not receive funding from the a.r.t.e.s. Graduate School. Here you can find information about the funding programmes.