Doctorate via the Graduate School for Applied Research in North Rhine-Westphalia (PK NRW)
Since the the Graduate School for Applied Research in North Rhine-Westphalia (PK NRW) was granted the right to award doctorates in autumn 2022, it has been possible to realise a doctoral project in a structured doctoral programme at the PK NRW. In this case, the doctoral candidates carry out their doctorate at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences and are supervised by a supervisory team consisting of professorial members of the PK NRW. The doctoral degree is awarded by the PK NRW.
From 1 September 2023, it will be possible to apply for and enrol in the doctoral programmes for doctoral studies via the Graduate School for Applied Research in North Rhine-Westphalia (PK NRW) at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences.
Admission requirements
As a general rule, the prerequisite for doctoral studies is a Master's degree or comparable degree in accordance with § 67 section 4 of the Higher Education Act (HG) NRW. The PK NRW is divided into various departments which examine admission to doctoral studies in individual cases if the legal requirements are met. The exact regulations can be found in the doctoral regulations of the individual departments of the PK NRW.
Enrolment for a doctorate via the Graduate School for Applied Research NRW
You have decided to do your doctorate through the PK NRW's own doctoral programme? Here you will find important information, step by step, on how to do your doctorate via the PK NRW.
1. Find a supervisor at the PK NRW
Research the departmental pages of the PK NRW to find out which of the professorial members would be suitable to supervise your doctoral project. You may already be in contact with a professor at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences who is a member of one of the PK NRW departments. For the first contact, it is advisable to send an email to the professor in which you ask for an appointment, briefly introduce yourself and outline your doctoral project. If possible, include an exposé of your doctoral project with your request.
Once you have found a supervisor, fill out the Supervision Agreement of the department in which your supervisor is a professorial member and have him or her sign it. Please note that the supervisor must also be a professorial member at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences and not only a professorial member at the PK NRW.
Before enrolment at the university can take place, the PK NRW office must confirm the details on the Supervision Agreement. To do this, send the form signed by your supervisor to the respective contact person of the PK NRW.
2. Application and Enrolment as a doctoral student at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences
As soon as you have found a supervisor, you can submit an application for admission to the doctoral programme and enrol conditionally for one of the (PK NRW) doctoral programmes at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences.
Enrolment at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences is conditional until acceptance at PK NRW has taken place.
Documents to be submitted:
- Application for admission to a doctoral programme
- Confirmed Supervision Agreement: The Supervision Agreement that needs to be signed by the departments of the PK NRW can be found here.
- Proof of Master's degree or equivalent degree according to § 67 section 4 HG NRW
Please note that there may be extended processing times when examining foreign degrees.
Enrolment takes effect at the beginning of the semester in which the application was submitted to the university. The date of enrolment is recorded to the day the enrolment was complete.
Please send the application documents by e-mail to Student Services of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences (stu@hsrw.eu).
After successful enrolment, you are obliged to re-register for the duration of your doctorate for the respective next semester at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences by paying the respective applicable semester fee.
3. Acceptance as a doctoral student at the PK NRW
After conditional enrolment at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, you apply for acceptance as a doctoral candidate at the PK NRW within four weeks.
Applications for acceptance and enrolment at the PK NRW will be possible from 01 October 2023.
Please note that according to the enrolment regulations of the PK NRW, the application for enrolment must be submitted to the PK NRW, thus the acceptance and enrolment must also take place within four weeks after enrolment at the university.
For doctoral candidates who enrolled at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences before 1 October 2023, the deadline for enrolment at the PK NRW is extended to 1 November 2023.
Submit an application for acceptance as a doctoral candidate for the department of the PK NRW in which you would like to do your doctorate and in which your supervisor is anchored. Attach all necessary documents to the application.
In principle, you must fulfil the legal requirements according to § 67 section 4 of the Higher Education Act (HG) NRW in order to be accepted for doctoral studies at the PK NRW. According to this, access to doctoral studies is generally granted to those who can prove that they have a Master's degree or comparable degree. Further prerequisites, requirements and the doctoral procedure are regulated in the framework doctoral regulations (RPO) and, in addition, in the doctoral regulations of the department (APO) of the PK NRW in which you are carrying out your doctoral project.
Your application will be examined by the doctoral committee of the department in which you wish to become a member. The doctoral committee decides on your acceptance as a doctoral candidate in the department.
4. Enrolment as a doctoral student at the PK NRW
With the confirmation of acceptance at the PK NRW, enrolment (Immatrikulation) at the PK NRW takes place. Your university will be informed about the lifting of the reservation and any conditions imposed.
Once enrolment has taken place, you are obliged to re-register for the next semester for the duration of your doctorate. Enrolment ends as soon as the oral doctoral examination (disputation) has been successfully taken or at the end of the semester in which the disputation was taken.
For the duration of the enrolment, you as a doctoral candidate will simultaneously become a member of the doctoral college NRW for the duration of your doctoral project (if you are not already).
You can find further information on how to complete your doctorate on the website of the Promotionskolleg NRW.
For questions regarding the content and organisation of the doctoral programme as well as research and innovation needs, you can contact the Centre for Research, Innovation and Transfer at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences.
For questions and concerns regarding the application and enrolment for doctoral studies, please contact the Student Services.