As a registered doctoral candidate, you will be eligible for election to, and entitled to vote for the doctoral candidates’ representation body, the PhD representatives JGU, which participates in an advisory capacity in a number of university bodies. However, doctoral candidates do not belong to the voting groups within academic self-government. Registration as such does not confer employment or student status, nor does it confer membership status at the university.

Enrolment as a doctoral student is voluntary, but is recommended by the GSHS. This gives you student status at JGU and gives you all the rights and obligations of a student vis-à-vis the university and the Studierendenwerk (student services).

In terms of social law, however, enrolled doctoral students are sometimes treated differently to students on bachelor’s/master’s degree programmes, for example. Even if you are enrolled as a doctoral student, you are not entitled to the student rate for statutory or private medical insurance. If you are not covered by employment or by your spouse, but are financed by a scholarship, self-employment or private funds, for example, you must expect to pay significantly higher health insurance contributions as a doctoral student.