Rules and Regulations
BIGS Neuroscience by-laws
The current Bonn International Graduate School of Neuroscience by-laws (German version) describe the tasks and objectives of the graduate program. In addition, it provides information about a membership in BIGS Neuroscience, informs about the rights and duties of the members, and describes the program structure. PhD theses within the Bonn International Graduate School of Neuroscience are closely supervised and incorporate a number of measures for quality control and measures for support of PhD students. Participation in the progress reporting system and other measures for quality control is mandatory.
Registration of the doctorate at the University of Bonn
The doctoral program Bonn International Graduate School of Neuroscience is part of the University of Bonn and offers PhD students the possibility to perform a doctorate in one of the following three involved faculties – Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, and Faculty of Arts.
The involved Faculties confer the degrees Dr. rer nat., PhD or MD/PhD, and Dr. phil., following their rules and regulations at the University of Bonn. BIGS Neuroscience members need to be registered with one of these Faculties in order to obtain a doctoral degree at the end. The graduate program BIGS Neuroscience itself has no rights to confer a doctoral degree without the Faculties. If you have specific questions about the admission requirements, the required documents, or the suitability of your current degree for a doctorate in Bonn, please contact the graduation offices directly.
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (Dr. rer. nat. degree)
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Wegelerstraße 10
D – 53115 Bonn, Germany
Contact details, opening hours and templates/forms for an application at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences are available at the graduation office (Promotionsbüro).
Rules and Regulations for Doctoral degrees in the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (German only). Please check the Faculty website also for updates of the rules and regulations.
Faculty of Medicine (PhD or MD/PhD degree)
Faculty of Medicine
Venusberg-Campus 1, Haus372
D – 53127 Bonn, Germany
Contact details, opening hours and templates/forms for an application at the Faculty of Medicine are available at the graduation office (Promotionsbüro).
Doctoral Degree Regulations of the Faculty of Medicine (old English version from 2014). Note: Only the German version (new version 2021) is the legally binding version. Please check the Faculty website also for updates of the rules and regulations.
Faculty of Arts (Dr. phil. degree)
Faculty of Arts
Am Hof 1
D – 53113 Bonn, Germany
Contact details, opening hours and templates/forms for an application at the Faculty of Artsare available at the graduation office (Promotionsbüro).
Rules and Regulations for Doctoral degrees in the Faculty of Philosophy (German only) Please check the Faculty website also for updates of the rules and regulations.
Dr. rer. nat. versus PhD?
While the classical degree of doctor is widespread in Germany and awarded at the end of a doctoral program, in English-speaking countries it is mainly the PhD (derived from lat. philosophiae doctor). Both degrees entitle students to teach independently at a university and both are internationally recognized. In order to make a better decision between the two degrees, it is important to think about the future. This includes, for example, the question of where you would like to work later.
The admission requirements differ for the three Faculties. More information are available at the links further up.
Attention: Do not translate Dr. rer nat. into PhD
Academic degrees may only be held in the original form in which they were earned at a university. A PhD from England or USA, for example, can be converted into a Dr. in Germany (in the technical term „nostrified“). But this does not work the other way round. So, even if the German doctorate is recognized abroad in the same way as the PhD, you should not translate it at all. Who does not consider this, commits a misdemeanor or a crime and risks a fine.
