Compulsory enrollment

According to § 38 Abs. 5 of the Landeshochschulgesetz (LHG), doctoral candidates must enroll after being accepted as a doctoral candidate by the faculty (application for matriculation). This is also the case for doctoral candidates who have an employment contract with the University of Freiburg (e.g. research assistant). The Registration Office at the Service Center Studium is in charge of this.

With their enrollment, doctoral candidates establish their membership, i.e. their affiliation, with the University, and receive the active and passive right to vote in the status group of doctoral candidates.

If doctoral candidates do not comply with the obligatory enrollment, they cannot take the doctoral examination. If the examination procedure has already been initiated, it will be interrupted until the doctoral candidate is either enrolled again or exempted from enrollment (§ 38 Abs. 5 LHG). Once the doctoral examination has been passed, doctoral candidates can stay enrolled until they receive their diploma.

Exceptions from the obligation to enroll:

Doctoral candidates who have been accepted by their faculty before March 30th 2018 are entitled to enroll, but are not obligated to do so.
Doctoral candidates whose main occupation is at the University of Freiburg or who have a current working contract with the state of Baden Württemberg at the University Medical Center Freiburg (employment contract for at least half of a full-time position) can be exempt from compulsory enrollment. For this, please fill out an application for exemption and attach a copy of your current employment contract.

Process for exemption from the compulsory enrollment:

Should you be exempt from compulsory enrollment (see above for exceptions) and should you have decided against enrollment, you must submit an application for exemption. Just like enrollment, this application occurs after the acceptance as a doctoral candidate. Please present the application for exemption and the acceptance confirmation of your faculty at the Registration Office of the Service Center Studium. If you have been accepted at your faculty after March 30th 2018 and want to be exempt from compulsory enrollment (see above), please attach your current employment contract to your application.

FAQ

While there are fixed enrollment deadlines for students, doctoral candidates can enroll all year round. You can therefore start your application for enrollment directly upon receiving your letter of acceptance from the faculty.

Once you are enrolled, you can

vote for the representatives of doctoral candidates in the university-wide elections
run for office yourself in the university-wide elections
rely on the coverage of the student liability insurance
eat in the canteen for the reduced students’ price
get various discounts with your student ID card
use the services and counselling offers of the Studierendenwerk (e.g., psychotherapeutic counselling, student housing)

The table with the keys can be found on the website of the Student Service Centre: https://www.studium.uni-freiburg.de/de/studierendenservices/immatrikulation/docs/schluesselverzeichnis-zum-antrag-auf-immatrikulation.pdf

If you are/were already enrolled at the University of Freiburg, you do not need to submit a certified copy of your university entrance qualification again for enrollment as a doctoral candidate. If you have completed your Master’s degree at the University of Freiburg, we do not require a certified copy of your Master’s degree certificate.

International doctoral researchers have to pay the usual semester contribution (currently 190 Euro per semester) if they are matriculated. However, they do not have to pay tuition fees (1500 Euro per semester).

The enrollment and the exemption from enrollment are being handled by the Registration Office at the Service Center Studium. Information about the process, e.g. the required documents, can be obtained from the Registration Office at the Service Center Studium.

No, you do not also have to register. You can use the services of the University IT Services and other services through the Uni-Account as a doctoral candidate.

The University IT Services are summed up in this flyer.

You need to stay enrolled until you successfully passed your oral examination (or definitively failed it). You are not required to stay enrolled for the publication of your doctoral thesis. If you passed your oral examination and you do not want to remain enrolled, please submit an application for disenrollment at the Registration Office at the Service Center Studium.

In principle, doctoral candidates can also apply for taking a leave of absence at the Student Service Centre. This should, however, be considered with caution, as a change in your enrollment status does not imply any changes to your current doctorate. The time allocated for working on your doctorate will not be affected if you take a leave of absence.

To do this, please check the corresponding box in the enrollment/registration application for doctoral researchers to exempt them from the enrollment requirement. At the same time, you apply for registration as a doctoral candidate. Please enclose a copy of your current employment contract with your application.

Yes, you can be exempted if you have a current working contract with the state of Baden Württemberg.

No, the exception is only for doctoral candidates who have a current employment contract at the University of Freiburg.

Contact

Hanna Mahler