HONEST PhD CHATS // things i DIDN'T know about the German PhD system 

It is clearly one of the drawbacks if the German university system, particularly for foreign students, that you are expected to be a self-starter in lots of ways whereas US universities, to use an example I am acquainted with, take care of students by continuously providing a vast amount of academic advisory. The grading of your German PhD thesis should not be too much of a worry unless you are targeting "summa cum laude" which is tough. The vast majority receive "magna cum laude" or, more rarely, at least "cum laude". The "rite" which is the German 4 is hardly ever given in reality. (I know such a case but the candidate in question really messed up in major fashion) A good working relationship with your professor and continuous academic efforts will certainly do the trick for you.

Hi Michaela. I'm currently a masters student in global history at Freie and Humboldt in Berlin. Thank you for this video! I am wanting to pursue a PhD as well. Keep up the good work and keep the videos coming

Hi Michaela I love how you talk so openly about your struggles in this video. I'm from Australia, studied 6 months of my undergrad in Germany, and finished my Masters in Australia. I'm researching doing my PhD in Germany or London, but its such a stressful and emotional process especially given the pressure of thinking about the future! I remember my first two months in Germany were the hardest in terms of acquainting myself with my academic and physical environment, overcoming my loneliness and finding really great friends. I would love to hear an update on this video, you should rewatch this and do a reflection on how things have changed! Best wishes, Anastasia

The "Doctoral degree regulations of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Tübingen" says in section 18 (4): "The obligation to publish and distribute the doctoral thesis is met either by proof of publication in a journal or in a publication series or as an individual publication via the book trade by a commercial publisher with a minimum print run of 150 copies". This means you do not have to actually sell 150 copies, you just have to find a publisher (usually by paying them) that prints 150 copies and makes them available for distribution so that book stores can order the book. Since this is a standard requirement for a PhD in Germany there are countless publishers who offer this service.

You dont have to have to do all of that. Just talk to your professor and you will get all the information you need. Doktoranden is considered as a job in germany and the proffesor is like your boss and he or she is responsible for your entire progress. Here in germany doktortitel is not uncommon and i dont know anyone who has to sell 150 copies!

Hello Michaela,thank you for the information. I really enjoyed the video. I want to apply for a Ph.D. in Finance, both myself and my wife. I was wondering if it is necessary to meet our supervisor in person every time. The reason I ask is that we want to live together, and we would like to know if it's possible to pursue our Ph.D. degrees in different cities. Can we enroll in different universities, or do we have to be in the same city or even the same university? I would appreciate your thoughts on this.