1 Generalities

The procedures of a PhD research study is laid down in the PhD Regulations of the Faculty of Architecture (Promotionsordnung), which unfortunately is available only in German for the time being. Generally, a PhD proposal must be submitted to the faculty secretariat, seconded by a first and second supervisor (with the status of a Professor) and approved by the faculty’s PhD commission. The preparation of the dissertation will typically take between two and four years during which the candidates should discuss their progress with the supervisor on a regular basis and seek further feedback from tutors and colleagues during the doctoral seminars. There are no mandatory classes for PhD students at Darmstadt University. Once the dissertation has been concluded, it will be assessed by two professors (usually being the supervisors) and defended in a public hearing (disputandum). Thereafter the applicant must publish his or her dissertation within 12 months before the PhD title may be adopted.

2 Eligibility and application

PhD applicants must hold a previous degree in architecture or urban planning from a university with a curriculum corresponding to a minimum of 5 years academic study (equivalent to a master’s degree). Some universities outside Germany are recognized without further examination, others are not. To find out whether your university is recognized you may send simple copies of your diplomas to the Faculty secretary’s office at the University of Darmstadt and ask for advice. In case your degree is not recognized, the PhD commission will have to assess the application case-by-case and may request additional studies before the application can be accepted.

Any application for being accepted as a PhD student at Darmstadt University must be accompanied by a detailed research proposal, the applicants Curriculum Vitae and testified copies of previous university diplomas. The application must be addressed to the faculty dean (Dekan).

The faculty’s PhD regulations further require the applicant to discuss his or her research proposal with the supervisors in person before submission for acceptance.

3 The research proposal

The PhD dissertation is a piece of scientific research and this must already be reflected in the form of a proposal following the typical conventions for this type of work. Such a proposal requires considerable input of time and exceeds the requirements for acceptance at most other universities. However, this extra effort will be a good investment, since a good advance planning will considerably smoothen and accelerate the actual research project thereafter. Also, by selecting the honestly interesting applicants, more supervision time will be available for individual PhD students.

The actual research proposal will generally be between five and ten pages and contain the following information:

a) Executive summary

A half a page outline of the research topic and context, geographical and historical setting, main research questions(s) and relevance of expected outcomes. The executive summary is best formulated once the rest of the proposal is completely finished.

b) Introduction

The introduction should be limited to a statement of the context and relevance of the proposed research. To be considered for supervision in the PAR department of Darmstadt University, the subject must be closely related to the field of planning and building in the Developing World and respond to a contemporary or future problem and have recognizable social relevance.

c) State of the arts

The most relevant dozen of pieces of research (generally publications) directly connected to the topic of research must be named and briefly assessed. This means you should evaluate their scientific contribution and – even more significant – what they could not achieve. This is important since a PhD research must produce original (=new) knowledge and not repeat what has already been found out by other people before.

d) Research question

After the blank spots in existing research on a topic has been identified, a clear and ultimately (affirmatively or deniable) answerable research question must be formulated. The research question may be split in a central question and several secondary or supporting questions. It often helps if a theoretical concept and a hypothesis has been formulated in the first place.

The research question may be considered a provisional proposal, as very often first findings in the research work require reformulation of the initial assumptions and hence, the research questions as well. It is a good idea to reflect on the expected outcomes and to point out what they could be useful.

e) Proposed methodology

The list of main and secondary research questions require answers from a wider selection of different sources, such as secondary literature, qualitative and quantitative interviews, measurements, participatory observation etc. A matrix indicating which of the research questions should be contested by which source of information is a useful tool to explain your intended research methodology. The methodology must not be confused with the steps in the work programme or with the likely chapters of the final dissertation.

f) Working plan

The research methodology will allow you to identify necessary research tasks at home and in the field and to estimate the necessary time input for such work and its documentation (thesis writing). This work programme is best translated into a bar chart and tailored to the intended length of PhD study – say 24 months of the length of any stipend if available. If you want to apply for financial assistance from any agency it helps to estimate any external costs connected to particular research tasks and to draw up a budget for the entire project.

g) Personal circumstances for carrying out the project.

The PhD. Commission is concerned about the applicant’s ability to carry through a PhD proposal, its feasibility and about the commitment towards the proposed research topic. Therefore it is a good idea to mention why you selected this particular theme, whether you have already established any contacts with key informants for the topic, and how you intend to finance your living and research expenses.

4 Supervision

PhD applicants are advised to discuss their work progress with the supervisors about twice per semester. In addition, doctoral seminars are organized by the department and your participation is expected.

5 Funding

The preparation of a PhD thesis is a full time job and therefore, resources to cover your living and research expenses must be secured. Most PfD students receive a scholarship from some sort of foundatin, such as the German Academic Exchange (DAAD). In some cases they may formulate a research proposal of high social and academic interest which can attract third party source funding on its own and thus pays a salary to the PhD student. Once the department has agreed to supervise a PhD proposal, advice will be offered on funding options if required.

It must be pointed out, however, that most agencies offering grants or scholarships require prevoius acceptance of the PhD proposal by the faculty., which implies several week’s systematic work for the preparation of the same without funding. Also, in many cases there are age limits. Usually, eligibility for special scholarships for foreigners is limited to those applicants normally living outside Germany.

6 Adresses

Faculty secretary’s office:

Technische Universität Darmstadt
Der Dekan
Fachbereich Architektur
El-Lissitzky-Strasse 1
D-64287 Darmstadt

jhuge@hrz2.hrz.tu-darmstadt.de