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 part of a structured doctoral training 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
• viva voce (only at Faculties 3, 5 and 6)
• public defence of the dissertation

"The viva voce 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 training programme is completed, an application can be made to replace the viva if all requirements are met.

In addition to your research work, the structured doctoral training 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 training either individually (own study plan) or as part of a doctoral college

Advantages of structured doctoral training at a glance

• In addition to research on your doctoral topic, you will complete a specialist study programme and acquire additional interdisciplinary qualifications. This enables you to acquire subject-specific and interdisciplinary qualifications during the structured doctoral training programme - important key skills that will prepare you specifically for your future role as a manager and open up excellent career opportunities for you. To this end, you can take advantage of courses from our range.
• 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 viva voce can be waived on application after successful completion of the structured doctoral training and achievement of at least 15 (applies to Faculty 3) or 30 credit points (applies to Faculties 5 and 6).

Structured doctoral training - 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.
• A minimum of 4 (Faculty 3) or 6-12 credit points (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 is valid as a substitute for the viva voce grade. More detailed regulations can be found in the relevant module handbooks.
• A maximum of 6 credit points can be credited 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 training

You should decide at an early stage whether you would like to complete structured doctoral training, 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.

In the area of interdisciplinary additional qualifications, the extensive course programme of the GraFA is at your disposal.

Regulations of the faculties on the recognition of achievements

Each faculty can make special arrangements for the recognition of certain achievements for the replacement of the viva voce. These special regulations can be found in the following tables. 2017)
(Dean's Council: Mrs Pia Wittenburg)

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

Points are awarded for participation in the courses within the structured doctoral training programme and for other additional achievements. If you have achieved the required total of 15 (Faculty 3) or 30 credit points (Faculties 5 and 6 as well as Research Training Groups of the Collaborative Research Centres), you can apply to your faculty for a waiver of the viva voce.

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 viva voce 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 viva voce, 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 viva 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 viva substitution.

Send applications for viva substitution 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 viva voce or recognition of the work completed in substitution of the viva voce, please contact The Faculty Council decides on a case-by-case basis whether to recognise the credit points/credits earned in lieu of the viva 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 can be considered in lieu of the viva.

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 viva voce 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).