Dissertation

The dissertation has to be the result of independent, academic work in German on law or its foundations contributing to the progress in methodically and systematically structuring and obtaining knowledge (for exemptions from the requirement of writing the dissertation in German see below no. 3). Doctoral students have to comply with general academic standards. It might be recommendable to have a look into the bylaw of the University of Heidelberg of November 10, 1998 (Satzung der Universität Heidelberg vom 10.11.1998 zur Sicherung guter wissenschaftlicher Praxis und zum Umgang mit Fehlverhalten in der Wissenschaft, Mitteilungsblatt 13 / 1998, p. 175). You find further information in the links on this site. The German Association of Faculties of Law (Deutscher Juristen-Fakultätentag [DJFT]), in 2012, approved and published online recommendations concerning academic integrity when producing texts (Empfehlungen des Deutschen Juristen-Fakultätentages zur wissenschaftlichen Redlichkeit bei der Erstellung rechtswissenschaftlicher Texte) within what in German is called Rechtswissenschaft (systematic, thorough and methodical work on obtaining knowledge on legal issues or matters of historical, philosophical, sociological etc. foundations of law). It might also be helpful to have a look at numbers I. and II. of the Guiding Principles on Good Academic Practice in Public Law (Leitsätze Gute wissenschaftliche Praxis im Öffentlichen Recht) of the Association of German Constitutional Law Teachers (Vereinigung der Deutschen Staatsrechtslehrer e.V.) [decision of October 3, 2012] or one at the Advice on Good Academic Practice for the Writing of Academic Qualification Works (Hinweise Gute wissenschaftliche Praxis für das Verfassen wissenschaftlicher Qualifikationsarbeiten) of the Assoociation of Civil Law Teachers (Zivilrechtslehrervereinigung).

a. Submission of Dissertation

The doctoral student has to submit the dissertation and further documents in the office of the dean. This comprizes:

1. the original of the dissertation;
2. an electronic file of the dissertation on a data carrier (storage medium),
3. a so-called eidesstattliche Versicherung (literally: declaration instead of an oath; a declaration functioning in a somewhat similar manner as an affidavit) according to the appendix to section 12 PromO. You can downoad the form;
4. a personally signed copy of the form explaination of the meaning and consequences according to criminal law of an eidesstattliche Versicherung. You can download the form for this;
5. a declaration of consent to an electronic examinationof the dissertation on plagiarism. You can download the form for this.

Please submit the three declarations together with the dissertation, but do not connect or attach them physically with it.

b. Evaluation of Dissertation and Granting Access to Other Professors

After the doctoral student has submitted the dissertation, two competent persons, who have been appointed by the dean, evaluate it. At first, the supervisor usually evaluates the dissertation, later another academic expert. If both approve the acceptance of the dissertation, it is to be made accessible for at least two weeks in the office of the dean to the members of the enlarged Doctoral Research Board (erweiterter Promotionsausschuss) together with both evaluations and their reasoning. If the evaluations do not agree, the enlarged Doctoral Research Board decides about the acceptance of the dissertation.

c. Acceptance or Rejection of the Dissertation

If the dissertation has been made accessible to the members of the enlarged Doctoral Research Board (erweiterter Promotionsausschuss)  and none of the members contradicts the acceptance with a reason submitted in written form within the set time limit, the dissertation is accepted.

If a member contradicts the proposed acceptance, the enlarged Doctoral Research Board (erweiterter Promotionsausschuss) decides, as it does, when the two evaluations do not agree on the question of acceptance. The dissertation is rejected, if either both examiners, in their evaluation, propose to reject it, or the enlarged Doctoral Research Board (erweiterter Promotionsausschuss) decides thus.

The dissertation may, with the approval of the Doctoral Research Board (Promotionsausschuss), be written in another main European language than German, if

• the subject of the work justifies this,
• three persons from the group of professors of the field of expertise, to which the subject of the work belongs, declare to be ready and able to evaluate a work in this language and
• a professor of the concerned field of expertise, to whom the language is her or his mother tongue and who is proficient in that language in writing and orally, has declared to be ready, to evaluate the work under linguistic aspects and has been appointed examiner by the Doctoral Research Board.

The dissertation written in another language than German has to contain a detailed and meaningful summary in German.