A Graduiertenkolleg (structured doctoral training programme) or a Graduiertenschule (graduate school) is a structured doctoral programme. Several supervisors form a shared research programme, and doctoral candidates receive a defined qualification and supervision concept. The details differ by programme, university and funder. This guide explains the basic idea, the typical process and the funding points you should check.
Short answer: A Graduiertenkolleg is a structured doctoral programme with a shared research programme, a defined supervision concept and often a study programme. Funding usually comes through positions or scholarships, whose conditions the programme sets. Last updated: October 2026.
The Most Important Points in Brief
- A Graduiertenkolleg brings several supervisors together in one shared research programme.
- Your doctorate sits within a qualification and supervision concept, often with its own study programme.
- The lead university applies for the programme and is the recipient of the funding.
- Funding often comes through doctoral positions or scholarships, and the programme sets the conditions.
- Before applying, check the supervision concept, the duration, the funding and the insurance.
What Is a Graduiertenkolleg?
The German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) describes the Graduiertenkolleg as a research and qualification programme. A small group of cooperating researchers forms a shared research programme as its umbrella. The doctoral candidates are at the centre, with a qualification and supervision concept and a study programme tailored to them (DFG, presentation on Graduiertenkollegs, status 2016, in German).
A Graduiertenschule follows a similar idea, but its design varies between universities. Whether a graduate school or a college suits you is usually shown in the university’s programme description. There you find which supervision is planned, which courses you must take and how funding works.
How Does a Doctorate in a Graduiertenkolleg Work?
The process is more prescribed than an individual doctorate. You are part of a programme that regulates courses, colloquia and supervision meetings. The lead university is central here, because it is the applicant and the recipient of the funding. For you, this means that the programme’s rules are binding, even where they differ from the doctoral regulations of the university.
- Read up on the programme and its supervision concept before you apply.
- Clarify whether a study programme with courses and certificates is planned.
- Agree a timetable for research, progress reports and submission with your supervisors.
- Check how participation in colloquia, retreats and research visits is organised.
How Is a Graduiertenkolleg Funded?
Important is the difference between a position and a scholarship. A position is an employment relationship with duties within the programme and has consequences for social insurance. A scholarship is funding without an employment relationship and has different consequences for insurance and tax. How this applies to you depends on the programme and on your personal situation.
Funding usually runs through a programme that a university applies for. For DFG Graduiertenkollegs, a presentation from 2016 described doctoral positions as generally limited to three years, with scholarships for doctoral candidates from medicine. These figures are old, so treat them only as an indication of structure. Ask the programme for the current conditions.
For the wider picture, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reported around 216,200 doctoral candidates in Germany in 2025 (status: October 2026, press release of 26 August 2026, in German). The statistic does not show how many of them work in a Graduiertenkolleg.
Which Funding Conditions Should You Check?
Look closely at each advertisement. The most important points are rarely in the short description and usually appear in the contract or the job advert. The list helps you ask the right questions.
- Whether you receive a position with an employment contract or a scholarship, and how long the funding runs
- Whether the position is full-time or part-time, and which tasks come with it
- Which extensions are possible, for example because of illness or parental leave
- How social and health insurance is arranged, depending on whether you are employed or funded
- Whether travel or material budgets are available, and who decides on them
Ask specifically about the rules for extensions and record them in the agreement. This mainly concerns periods when you cannot research because of illness, care duties or parental leave, and for your planning it can matter more than the nominal duration.
The guide PhD funding: position, scholarship or own savings explains how the options compare, and the overview of insurance is in Health Insurance During a PhD in Germany.
A Graduiertenkolleg can be a good fit if you want a clear structure, fixed points of contact and a shared research environment. If you prefer to develop your own topic independently, check whether the framework leaves enough room for that. Both routes are possible, but they suit different ways of working.
Also look at how the supervision concept works in everyday life. Ask who supervises you regularly, how often progress meetings take place and how conflicts between supervisors are resolved. A written concept helps if expectations change later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Graduiertenkolleg the same as a Graduiertenschule?
Both are structured doctoral programmes, but their design, form of funding and name differ between universities. Read the programme description of the institution concerned and compare supervision, courses and funding, rather than relying on the name.
Do I have to apply for a Graduiertenkolleg?
That depends on the programme. Whether there are fixed application deadlines is stated in the advertisement. Check it and ask the lead university about the exact procedure, so that you do not miss a deadline.
Can I pursue a different doctorate within the programme?
A Graduiertenkolleg has a shared research programme, and your topic has to fit into it. Clarify before you apply how much room there is for your own questions and whether changes of topic are possible.
Do the university’s doctoral regulations still apply?
Yes, the doctorate is completed under the rules of the university where you are enrolled. The programme may add its own requirements. Check both sets of rules before you start.
What to Do Next
- Search for programmes in your field and read the programme descriptions carefully.
- Compare supervision, duration, funding and insurance in a table.
- Ask the lead university about the application procedure and the conditions of the positions.
- Get the funding conditions confirmed in writing before you accept.
Related Topics
- PhD in Germany: routes, titles and requirements.
- PhD funding: position, scholarship or own savings.
- Health insurance during a PhD: what applies in Germany.
- Cooperative doctorate (in German): Kooperative Promotion an der Fachhochschule.
Sources: DFG, presentation on Graduiertenkollegs (status 2016, used for structure only) (in German); Federal Statistical Office, press release on doctoral candidates, 26 August 2026 (in German).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
