Below you will find information on ways to cover your living expenses during your doctorate. Information on financing options for material costs in connection with the doctorate can be found under Financing of material costs.

For some (not all) structured doctoral programmes jobs or scholarships are available for participants in the programme. However, people who are funded by other means can sometimes be listed as associated members of the structured programme (e.g. a Research Training Group funded by the German Research Foundation DFG).

Apart from this, doctorates in Germany are not automatically associated with funding. The confirmation of supervision by a supervisor, or acceptance as a doctoral candidate at a faculty or rectorate therefore, does not mean that the supervisor is also obliged to acquire or organise funding. Conversely, doctoral candidates do not have to provide proof of funding in order to be accepted as a doctoral candidate. However, some funding providers (e.g. scholarship organisations) require applicants to provide proof of their acceptance as a doctoral candidate at the time of application or at the latest before starting the scholarship.

The type of doctoral funding that is most suitable depends very much on your own goals and preferences, your own working method, but also on the subject-specific circumstances. All forms of doctoral funding have advantages and disadvantages, and several funding options are often combined. The GSHS office will be happy to advise you. (Arrange an appointment). Binding information on personnel law issues can be obtained from the Human Resources department (in German).

Employment at higher education institutions

Employment in the non-academic sector

Scholarships

Financing of material costs

Social insurance for doctoral candidates (in German) – a guide from the Education and Science Trade Union