Doctoral study (Promotionsstudium) is the phase in which you write a dissertation at a university to earn a doctorate. The term appears in job advertisements, funding programmes and university regulations, but it is not used everywhere in the same way. This glossary explains the key terms with figures and sources.
Short answer: Doctoral study covers the time from admission to the completed doctorate, that is, until the dissertation is defended. The rules are set by the doctoral regulations (Promotionsordnung) of the faculty. How you are insured, how you are funded and who supervises you depends on your university’s model.
The most important points
- Doctoral study (Promotionsstudium): the phase of work on a dissertation until the oral defence.
- Doctoral regulations (Promotionsordnung): the binding rules of your faculty on admission, procedure and examination.
- Doctoral post or scholarship are the most common ways of funding.
- According to the Federal Statistical Office, about 216,200 people were pursuing a doctorate in 2025, and 28,800 completed one (as of October 2026).
- Health insurance depends on your status, not on the doctoral title.
Terms on enrolment and supervision
- Doctoral study (Promotionsstudium): the umbrella term for the phase in which you produce a dissertation. Whether you are enrolled at the university is decided by the university.
- Doctoral candidates (Promovierende): people working towards a doctorate.
- Supervision (Betreuung): an academic supervisor accompanies the work. The scope is often set out in a supervision agreement.
- Research proposal (Exposé): a short outline of the question, method and timetable. It is usually a condition for acceptance as a doctoral candidate.
- Defence (Disputation): the oral defence of the dissertation before an examination committee. Procedure and weighting are set out in the doctoral regulations.
Terms on funding
- Doctoral post (Promotionsstelle): a fixed-term employment contract at the university, often under the collective agreement for the federal states (TV-L) in pay grade 13. Level 1 has been 4,759.37 euros gross per month since 1 April 2026 (as of October 2026, reported by the GEW). Hesse applies its own collective agreement (TV-H).
- Doctoral scholarship (Promotionsstipendium): funding without an employment contract. According to the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the basic scholarship in BMFTR-funded programmes is at most 1,750 euros per month (as of October 2026). It is supplemented by a research cost allowance of 100 euros and a family allowance of 155 euros. Other funders set their own rates.
- Health insurance: for doctoral candidates it depends on enrolment, employment and scholarship. Your health insurer clarifies your status using your documents.
How many people earn a doctorate?
The Federal Statistical Office reported about 216,200 doctoral candidates for 2025, an increase of 1.8 percent on the previous year. In the 2025 examination year, 28,800 people completed a doctorate, a rise of 2.4 percent (as of October 2026). These figures show that doctoral study is a large field in which the rules vary considerably by subject and university.
Frequently asked questions
Is doctoral study a separate course of study?
It is a separate phase with its own rules. Whether and how you are enrolled is decided by the university. The doctoral regulations set the framework, and supervision fills it in.
Do I need a job to do a doctorate?
No. A doctorate is possible without a post, for example with a scholarship or your own funding. Admission follows the doctoral regulations of the faculty.
What happens at the defence?
The defence is the oral examination of the dissertation. An examination committee conducts it, and it is described in the doctoral regulations. The doctorate is complete only after it has been passed.
Where do I find the rules for my doctorate?
The doctoral regulations of your faculty are the authoritative source. The doctoral office or the graduate academy advises on deadlines, documents and procedures.
How to proceed now
- Read the doctoral regulations of your faculty and note the deadlines and documents.
- Clarify supervision and the supervision agreement before you start the research proposal.
- Check your funding: post, scholarship or your own means.
- Ask your health insurer about your insurance status once funding is settled.
Related reading
- Health Insurance for PhD Students in Germany
- Promotion in Deutschland: Wege, Dauer, Finanzierung und Doktortitel (in German)
- Scholarships for students: Types, providers, requirements
- Health insurance for students: glossary from A to Z
Sources: Destatis: doctoral candidates 2025, as of 26 August 2026 (in German), Destatis: doctorates 2025, as of 2 October 2026 (in German), Heinrich Böll Foundation: scholarship rates, as of October 2026 (in German), GEW: collective agreement TV-L, as of April 2026 (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
