A PhD as an external candidate means you complete a doctorate at a German university without being employed there as a research assistant. Anyone planning this must first read the doctoral regulations (Promotionsordnung) of their faculty, then find a supervisor and finally clarify how they will live during the project. This guide explains the rules and shows where the biggest obstacles usually are.
Short answer: An external doctorate is possible if the doctoral regulations of the faculty allow it and a supervisor agrees. The university decides on admission, not the supervisor alone. Without a post you fund yourself through savings, a part-time job or a scholarship. In 2025 Germany had 216,200 doctoral candidates (Destatis, status August 2026).
Key takeaways
- Whether you may study externally is stated in the doctoral regulations of your faculty. Read them before you send a proposal or a supervision request.
- The university decides on acceptance. According to the position paper of the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), external candidates face the same quality requirements as everyone else.
- Some regulations require full-time academic work at the faculty when you are accepted. Without a post you then need an exception.
- The HRK strongly recommends a written supervision agreement. Supervision by professors is not paid separately.
- Funding is your own responsibility. Scholarships are possible but not guaranteed, and each one has its own rules.
How does admission work without a post?
Admission to a doctorate lies within the responsibility of the faculties. The HRK describes the process in its 2017 position paper on doctorates with an external contract. First the possible supervisor checks your suitability, then the doctoral committee decides on the basis of the regulations. Topic and research question should normally be agreed in dialogue before the doctorate begins.
An example of how this looks in practice is the doctoral regulation of Goethe University Frankfurt, published in its new version in the university newsletter UniReport on 22 April 2026. There, acceptance as a doctoral candidate requires a degree with at least the grade “gut” (good). It also expects at least two years of full-time academic work at the department to be shown at the time of acceptance, with exceptions granted by the doctoral committee. This is exactly where a PhD without a post can succeed or fail. Your own faculty may set different rules.
| Checkpoint | What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Admission | Degree, grade requirement, application procedure | Decides whether you can start at all |
| Minimum time at the faculty | Full-time academic work, exceptions | Often the critical point for external candidates |
| Supervision | Who may supervise, supervision agreement | Sets responsibilities and the timetable |
| Form of thesis | Monograph or cumulative thesis | Determines the workload |
| Publication | Deadline for publication, embargo rules | Publication is mandatory |
Who supervises you if the faculty has no post for you?
Supervision is the core of every doctorate. The HRK recommends a supervision agreement that records deadlines, meetings, feedback cycles and contact persons. If you work for an employer or a company while doing your PhD, a mentor at that partner organisation is also recommended. A practical guide to finding a supervisor is available in our guide Doktorvater finden: Anfrage, Exposé und Betreuungsvereinbarung (in German).
The HRK also rules out separate payment for supervision by university professors. If anyone offers to be paid for supervising you, that is not a route the university can accept. Instead, the university should agree on attendance periods so that you stay connected to the faculty. External partners can support this, for example by granting leave or covering travel costs.
How do you fund a PhD without a post?
Without employment you do not receive the salary that a doctoral post would provide. You therefore need to cover your living costs from other sources. The usual options are summarised in the table below.
| Option | What it means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Own savings | Savings, support from family or a partner | How long the money realistically lasts |
| Part-time job | Paid work alongside the doctorate that can be scheduled | Time required, social insurance and tax |
| Doctoral scholarship | Funding from a foundation or scholarship body, usually monthly | Deadlines, selection criteria, amount |
| University post | Salaried employment, but not an external doctorate | Whether the post allows a doctorate |
For doctoral scholarships financed by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), the Heinrich Böll Foundation gives a maximum basic scholarship of 1,750 euros per month plus a research cost allowance of 100 euros (status October 2026). These rates apply to BMFTR-funded scholarships. Other foundations often align with them, but always check the figures of the specific foundation. An overview of funders is in our guide PhD in Germany: routes, titles and requirements.
What does a PhD without a post cost you each month?
A simple calculation helps before you decide. The following amounts are assumptions chosen for illustration, not averages. Replace them with your own figures.
- Assumption: rent 600 euros, living costs 500 euros, health insurance 250 euros, travel and materials 100 euros.
- Total monthly costs: 1,450 euros.
- Assumption: a part-time job that pays 900 euros net per month. The gap is then 550 euros per month, which you must cover with savings, family support or a scholarship.
- Assumption: the doctorate takes three years, that is 36 months. The gap over the whole period is then 19,800 euros.
- Run the calculation with real figures before you accept an offer, and plan a buffer for delays.
Which duties apply to your thesis?
The thesis normally has to be published. The HRK states that publication is a duty and that extensive secrecy is incompatible with an academic qualification. Copyright in the thesis lies with you as its author. For results that need protection, release should follow transparent rules within short deadlines that are agreed in advance. Rights to results from an external contract should be settled in writing before the doctorate begins.
The university that grants the doctorate must be named as the affiliation, and conflicts of interest must be disclosed. If you work with a partner from practice, read our guide on the Promotionsordnung (doctoral regulations) (in German) before you sign any contract.
Which questions should you clarify before you accept?
- Does the regulation expressly cover external candidates, and what exceptions apply to the minimum time at the faculty?
- Who formally supervises you, and is the supervision agreed in writing?
- Which attendance periods at the university are expected?
- How long is the funding secured, and what happens when it ends?
- Who decides on extensions, and when must the thesis be submitted?
Common questions
Do I need a university post for an external doctorate?
Not necessarily, but this depends on the doctoral regulations. Some faculties require full-time academic work at the department, others allow an external connection. Ask the doctoral office early for the exact rule before you spend time on a research proposal.
Can I do an external doctorate with a scholarship?
Whether a scholarship is open to external candidates is decided by the foundation in its funding rules. Read the call carefully and ask the foundation if the status is unclear. Also check early whether the foundation requires a link to a particular university.
How many people do a doctorate in Germany?
According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), there were about 216,200 doctoral candidates in 2025 (press release of 26 August 2026). In the examination year 2025, Destatis counted 28,800 completed doctorates (press release of 2 October 2026). These figures show the size of the field, but they say nothing about the share of external doctorates, and the two numbers should not be confused.
What happens if my funding runs out?
Then the doctorate has a funding problem that should become visible early. Discuss timeline and milestones with your supervisor. Stopping a doctorate has consequences for insurance and for recognition. Our guide on this is available in German: Promotion abbrechen: Folgen für Stelle, Stipendium und Versicherung.
Do I have to live close to the university?
The HRK position paper recommends agreeing attendance periods with the university. How much presence is required is set by the regulations and the supervision agreement. Ask specifically before you choose where to live.
Can I do an external doctorate and stay insured?
That depends on your insurance status, in other words whether you are still enrolled or insured through another route. A binding answer needs your details. Our guide on health insurance for doctoral scholarship holders (in German) describes the typical options.
What to do next
- Read the doctoral regulations of your faculty and mark every rule on admission, minimum time and form of thesis.
- Ask your possible supervisor in writing whether they will supervise you externally and which attendance periods apply.
- Build a funding plan for the first twelve months with realistic assumptions for rent and living costs.
- Apply in parallel for scholarships whose rules allow external candidates, and note every deadline.
- Agree a supervision agreement before you start and settle the rights to your results.
Related guides
- PhD in Germany: routes, titles and requirements
- Health Insurance for PhD Students in Germany
- Promotion in Deutschland: Wege, Dauer, Finanzierung und Doktortitel (in German)
- Promotionsstipendien 2026: Stiftungen im Vergleich
- Promotion als Externer
Sources: German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), position paper on doctorates with an external contract (decided 14 November 2017), PDF; Goethe University Frankfurt, doctoral regulations, new version (UniReport, status 22 April 2026), PDF; Destatis, press release on doctoral candidates 2025 (status 26 August 2026), Destatis; Heinrich Böll Foundation, scholarship rates (status October 2026), PDF.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
