If you are planning to apply for admittance to the doctoral examinations by 21. September 2026 (thesis submission by 05.10.2026), please note the deadline to inquire the signatures from the GSfBS coordinator is Thursday, 17.09.2026 12:00 (noon). 

A smooth processing of your requests can only be assured if they reach the GSfBS by the indicated date and you have followed the instructions provided below. Doctoral Candidates seeking consultations for this final stage of their PhD are encouraged to drop an email to the GSfBS coordinator to arrange an appointment.

PhD Candidates are kindly asked to refrain from sending inquiries to the Doctoral Office and instead, to consult the GSfBS coordinator regarding the composition of their Doctoral Examination Committees. Should further consultation with the Doctoral Office be necessary, you will be provided with appropriate guidance by the GSfBS coordinator.

To streamline the process and address any questions from PhD candidates preparing to submit their theses (specifically for the upcoming examination period), you can participate in the open consultation hours via Zoom on:
- Tuesday, 08 September, from 15:00 to 16:00
- Tuesday, 15 September, from 15:00 to 16:00

You can join the meetings without prior registration via the following link:

https://uni-koeln.zoom.us/j/95366016463?pwd=Z1NXcFlkb0V5NkFDaC9XcDA5WmNrQT09

To facilitate the procedure, please comply with the following

• Visit the website of the Doctoral Office of the FMN informing about the procedure “Completion of the Doctorate”: https://mathnat.uni-koeln.de/en/doctorate/completion-of-the-doctorate
• You have filled the application form correctly and completely; ideally, the application has been signed electronically by you and your PhD advisor
• IMPORTANT: Note that Section 6 "Acknowledgement by the Department's Graduate School" in the "Application for admission to the Doctoral Examination" form is meant to be filled by the coordinator. DON'T tick or select any of the options, DON'T enter any comments in this part of the form.
• Throughout the entire procedure, solely use the current forms and documents provided on the website of the Doctoral Office of the FMN (see link above).
• It is recommended to coordinate with your examination committee in advance to determine the date of the defense within the examination period.

Activities in Docfile:

• You have uploaded all documents associated with your TAC meetings to the GSfBS G-folder in Docfile.
• You have uploaded the certificate of attendance of the Good Scientific Conduct workshop to the GSfBS G-folder inDocfile.
• To assist in verifying the accuracy and completeness of your GSfBS G-foder status, please include the exact dates of all TAC meetings you had during your PhD in your email to the GSfBS coordinator.
   

Members of specialised programmes

• You inform the coordinator of your programme about your plans to complete your PhD and have them Cc'ed when you contact the GSfBS. 

The GSfBS has prepared a leaflet with suggestions on how to approach the writing of a doctoral thesis in Biological Sciences. The document is intended solely to provide guidance on certain aspects. Advanced Doctoral Candidates who wish to access the document are welcome to contact the GSfBS coordinator.