PhD Programme Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology

Credits and curricula

To support doctoral students and structure the phase of researching and writing a PhD thesis, they choose different courses to earn credits. The respective amount of credits has to be completed before registering for the doctoral exam.

Doctoral students of Forest Sciences complete a course of study worth 24 credits (C). Within the focus area, students have to choose at least three components and earn at least 9 C. The focus area consists of the following components: research methods, subject-related concentration, interdisciplinary topics, and doctoral colloquium. Course credits earned from other departments at Göttingen University may be transferred, and the graduate committee decides on an individual basis whether external courses can count towards the completion of a candidate's doctoral studies. At least 6 C have to be completed in the area of soft skills. Credits can be earned for the following activities: supervised teaching and student support activity lasting one semester (3 C), responsible participation in managing a scientific project or acquiring third-party funds (3 C), presentation of the doctoral candidate's own research results at a scientific conference (3 C), and successful completion of foreign-language courses, including those offered by external institutions.

Focus area: minimum of 9 C from at least 3 different areas (research methods, subject-related concentration, interdisciplinary topics, and doctoral colloquium)

Soft skills: at least 6 C


In the module handbooks you can find the corresponding modules and additional information.