Under both the old and the new doctoral regulations, doctoral candidates at TU Bergakademie Freiberg have the option of choosing how they wish to complete their doctorate:

1. conventionally or
2. as a structured doctoral programme

What are the differences?

With a conventional (or traditional) doctorate, you have to complete the following examinations at the end of your doctorate:

• Dissertation
• Rigorosum (only at Faculties 3, 5 and 6)
• public defence of the dissertation

"The Rigorosum is an oral examination that requires the candidate to demonstrate knowledge in an extended subject area. This examination relates to a major subject and a minor subject in front of an examination committee. The major subject is the sub-field of the subject area or the interdisciplinary field to which the topic of the dissertation is assigned. The minor subject is a subject area that is meaningfully related to the major subject, but which should be clearly distinct from the major subject." (see §14 of the doctoral regulations of TU Bergakademie Freiberg).

If a structured doctoral programme is completed, an application can be made to replace the rigorosum if all requirements are met.

In addition to your research work, the structured doctoral study programme will provide you with subject-specific and interdisciplinary qualifications, important key skills that will prepare you specifically for your future role as a manager and open up excellent career opportunities for you. You can complete this study programme either individually (own study plan) or as part of a doctoral college.

Advantages of structured doctoral studies at a glance

• As well as researching your doctoral topic, you will complete a specialist programme of study and gain additional cross-disciplinary qualifications. In this way, during the structured doctorate, you will acquire subject-specific and interdisciplinary qualifications – important key skills that will prepare you specifically for your future role as a manager and open up excellent career opportunities. You can do this by taking advantage of the courses we offer.
• A supervision agreement, which specifies the research and learning objectives and defines the time and work plan as well as the reporting system, can be concluded between the doctoral candidate and the supervisors.
• Contacts with an institution of professional practice (company, research institution, etc.) or a cooperating university are funded if this is necessary for the doctoral procedure.
• In the context of structured doctoral training, own teaching activities are recognised with credit points.
• The Rigorosum can be waived upon request after successful completion of the Structured Doctoral Training and attainment of at least 15 credits (applies to Faculty 3) or 30 credits (applies to Faculties 5 and 6).

Structured doctoral studies – general conditions

• A total of 15 credit points must be achieved in Faculty 3. Members of the Collaborative Research Centres and doctoral candidates in Faculties 5 and 6 are required to achieve a total of 30 credit points.
• At least 4 credits (Faculty 3) or 6-12 credits (Faculty 5) of these must come from subject-specific courses in which a graded performance record has been achieved. This grade, or the average of several grades, replaces the rigourosum grade. Further details can be found in the relevant module handbooks.
• A maximum of 6 credits can be awarded for own teaching activities.
• The prerequisite for the recognition of courses with a certificate of achievement (grade) is that the same or similar courses have not already been completed as part of the student's own degree programme.
• The faculties can also set other requirements (see faculty regulations below).
• Courses attended at other universities or research institutions can also be recognised. The Faculty Council decides on the recognition of these achievements.
• The Faculty Council of the relevant faculty decides on the recognition of other achievements, such as publications, presentations and/or posters at conferences, supervision of student qualification theses (Bachelor's, Master's, Diploma theses).
• Only achievements that fall within the official doctoral period - the period specified in the letter of intent or confirmation of supervision between the start of the doctorate and the date on which the doctoral application is submitted (i.e. the completed doctoral thesis) can be recognised.
• PhD students who complete their doctorate as part of a doctoral programme must fulfil the requirements of the relevant study programmes.

Planning structured doctoral studies

You should decide at an early stage whether you would like to complete a structured doctoral study programme, as the time required for this should not be underestimated. We recommend that you plan your attendance at courses, active participation in conferences with posters and presentations, publications and other achievements in good time and in consultation with your supervisor.

You should also make use of the counselling opportunities in your faculty and at the GraFA.

When it comes to gaining additional interdisciplinary qualifications, the GraFA has a wide range of courses to offer.

Regulations of the faculties on the recognition of achievements

Each faculty can make special arrangements for recognising certain achievements as a substitute for the rigorosum. These special regulations can be found in the following tables. They apply to doctorates according to both the old and the new doctoral degree regulations (exceptions are marked).

• Regulations of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science (only valid for doctoral candidates who submitted their declaration of intent before 7 August 2017)
  (Dean's Council: pia [dot] wittenburg [at] math [dot] tu-freiberg [dot] de (Pia Wittenburg))
• Regulations of the Faculty of Chemistry and Physics (only valid for doctoral candidates who submitted their letter of intent before 26 July 2017)
  (Dean's Council: Jana [dot] Kriehme [at] chemie [dot] tu-freiberg [dot] de (Dr. Jana Kriehme))
• Regulations of the Faculty of Geosciences, Geotechnics and Mining
  (Dean's Council: Andrea [dot] Docekal [at] fggb [dot] tu-freiberg [dot] de (Andrea Docekal))
• Regulations of the Faculty of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering (only valid for doctoral candidates who submitted their letter of intent before 12 June 2017)
  (Dean's Council: Dana [dot] Gehler [at] dekanat4 [dot] tu-freiberg [dot] de (Dana Gehler))
• Regulations of the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology (valid for doctorates from 12 December 2017): A total of 30 credit points are required. Approximately 20 to 40 per cent of these are to be obtained by attending courses.
  (Contact and further information: Representative for Education, Dirk [dot] Renker [at] tu-freiberg [dot] de (Dr Dirk Renker) or Dean's Councillor, Ulrike [dot] Moerters [at] fakultaet5 [dot] tu-freiberg [dot] de (Dr Ulrike Mörters))
• Regulations of the Faculty of Economics (valid from 09.02.2021)
  Regulations of the Faculty of Economics (valid for doctorates started between 07 August 2017 and 08 February 2021).
  For doctorates started before 7 August 2017, the Faculty Council will decide on a case-by-case basis which achievements will be recognised as a substitute for the rigorosum.
  You can obtain detailed information from Faculty 6 from the Dean's Council of the Faculty: Annett [dot] Presse [at] bwl [dot] tu-freiberg [dot] de (Annett Preße).

Special regulations of the graduate schools of the Collaborative Research Centres

It should be noted that members of the Collaborative Research Centres generally have to provide 30 credit points.

• SFB 920 "Multifunctional Filters for Metal Melt Filtration – a Contribution to Zero Defect Materials" - see regulations of the Faculty of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering
• Dr. Erich Krüger Research College - Bio-Hydrometallurgical Centre for Strategic Elements: see regulations of the Faculty of Chemistry and Physics
• PhD College "Raw Material Acceptance": see regulations of the Faculty of Geosciences, Geotechnics and Mining
• Graduate College GRK 2802 "Refractory Recycling: A Contribution to Raw Material, Energy and Climate Efficiency in High Temperature Processes" - see regulations of the Faculty of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering

Credit points are awarded for participation in structured doctoral training courses and for other additional achievements. Once you have obtained the required total of 15 (Faculty 3) or 30 (Faculties 5 and 6 and Research Training Groups of the Collaborative Research Centres) credit points, you can apply to your faculty for a waiver of the rigorosum.

The calculation of points for the achievements made is based on the specific regulations of the faculties (see Structured Doctoral Training).

Please be sure to observe the special procedures of your faculty listed below for the application and recognition of certain achievements!

PhD students at the Faculty of Geosciences, Geotechnical Engineering and Mining

The application to replace the rigorosum with comparable academic achievements (as part of the structured doctoral training programme) can be submitted at any time up to the submission of your dissertation.

For your application to replace the rigorosum, please use this form. Fill in the header and the two left-hand columns carefully.

For publications and posters, please include the full authorship, the title of the paper and the journal or conference. If you are not the first author, please also state your approximate percentage share of the publication or poster. The credit points to be awarded will be calculated accordingly.

Certificates/evidence of graded work must be submitted in the original, all other evidence as a (scanned) copy.

Furthermore, written confirmation from your supervisor is required that they agree with the application for the rigorosum in general and with the graded courses in particular. This confirmation can be sent informally by letter or email or by using this form.

The application process is described in detail in this handout on the process for the substitution of the rigorosum.

Send applications for substitution of the rigorosum to:

Dr Corina Dunger
GraFA
Email: corina [dot] dunger [at] grafa [dot] tu-freiberg [dot] de

Previous consultation is recommended.

PhD students of the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology

On the application for substitution of the rigorosum or recognition of the work completed in substitution of the rigorosum, please contact The Faculty Council decides on a case-by-case basis whether to recognise the credit points/credits earned in lieu of the rigorosum as part of the doctorate when the doctoral procedure is opened.

Doctoral candidates are advised to consult with their supervisor at an early stage of their doctoral project regarding the subject and content of the achievements that may be considered in lieu of the rigorosum.

For formal questions, you can contact the Education Officer, Dr Dirk Renker, and the Dean's Advisor, Dr Ulrike Mörters.

PhD students at the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics

The faculty will only decide on a case-by-case basis about an application to substitute the rigorosum at the end of the doctorate, when the doctoral procedure is opened.

For detailed information from Faculty 6, please contact the Chair of the Doctoral Committee, Prof. Karina Sopp (Tel.: +49 3731 39-2734, e-mail: Karina [dot] Sopp [at] bwl [dot] tu-freiberg [dot] de).