Bremen, like every German university, sets doctoral rules per faculty. The detail below comes from a faculty Promotionsordnung published in English translation, which makes it a useful worked example, but read your own faculty's version before acting on any figure. A more recent German version of the same regulations is linked above so you can check whether the translation has been overtaken.
The publication rule, and the word that matters
German doctorates carry a duty to publish. Bremen attaches a consequence sharper than most:
The thesis is to be published in a printed or reproduced form within two years of the doctorate being conferred. Under special circumstances, the deadline may be prolonged. At the request of the author, such cases shall be regulated by the Dissertation Commission. In the event the author culpably fails to meet the deadline they shall lose all rights acquired in the course of the doctoral performance.
Losing all rights acquired means losing the doctorate. That is as serious as it sounds, and it is why this rule leads the page.
But read culpably carefully. It imports a fault standard rather than a purely mechanical one. The rights do not evaporate because a calendar turned over; the failure has to be attributable to you. A publisher that collapses, a serious illness, a delay you could not control, these are the situations the extension provision exists for.
The practical advice follows from that, and it is simple: if the deadline is going to slip, apply to the Dissertation Commission before it does. Arguing about culpability afterwards is a far worse position than holding a granted extension.
What you submit for examination
- Five paper copies
- Three electronic copies on a data-carrier medium, in the format set out in a separate notice
- A written declaration that:
- the work was conducted without unauthorised assistance
- only the referenced sources and aids were used
- direct quotations from published or unpublished work are marked
That declaration is a formal statement with legal weight in the German system, not a tick-box. Take it seriously, particularly the second limb about aids used.
Prior publication is permitted. The thesis may have been previously published in whole or in part.
Grading
| Grade | Meaning | Numerical equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| summa cum laude | Excellent, outstanding performance | 0 |
| magna cum laude | Very good performance | 1 |
| cum laude | Good performance | 2 |
| rite | Satisfies the requirements of the regulations | 3 |
| non sufficit | Failed | 4 |
The grade is agreed among the voting members of the examining board.
One detail worth knowing:
The numerical grades form the basis of the overall assessment. They will not appear on the degree certificate.
So the certificate carries the Latin grade. The numbers are internal machinery for arriving at it.
The four publication routes
You supply copies free of charge to the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Bremen. Which route you choose changes what you owe substantially.
| Route | What you provide |
|---|---|
| Commercial publisher | 10 copies, plus evidence a commercial publisher distributed at least 150 copies via bookshops |
| Internal distribution | 30 copies in book form or photographic print, for distribution within the university |
| Book-on-demand | 10 copies, plus evidence of bookshop distribution by a commercial publisher under a book-on-demand arrangement |
| Electronic | 6 copies on permanent acid-free paper, plus an electronic version meeting the library's rules for electronic publication |
The electronic route is the cheapest at six copies, though note it still requires printed copies on archival paper: this is not a paperless option.
The book-on-demand route is worth knowing about because it drops the 150-copy distribution threshold while keeping the copy count at ten. For a thesis with a narrow readership, that is often the realistic publisher route.
What goes on the reverse of the title leaf
For the publisher and book-on-demand routes, the back of the title leaf must carry:
- Where the doctorate was conferred
- The dates of the oral examinations
- The names of all examiners and reviewers who took part
That is more than most universities require, and it means you cannot finalise the title leaf until the examination is complete and you know who sat on the board.
Electronic rights
For the electronic route you assign publication rights in data networks to:
- The Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Bremen
- Die Deutsche Bibliothek in Frankfurt and Leipzig
- Where applicable, the DFG-Sondersammelgebietsbibliothek, the relevant subject collection library
Revised or abridged versions
If you publish a revised or abridged version, the publication must contain a reference to the extent of the revision or abridgement. You cannot quietly trim the thesis for publication without saying so.
Supervision and the examining board
The dissertation committee comprises at least three and at most five professors and postdocs acting as supervisors.
Where the doctorate is run jointly with a partner university abroad, the regulations set out the arrangement in detail: the partnership agreement must specify who supervises at each institution, that both supervisors are appointed as examiners, where the oral examination is held, the composition of the examining board, the language the thesis and abstract are written in, and which degree each university will award. Where the oral examination takes the form of a colloquium held at Bremen, the supervisors also act as examiners, and the board must include the two reviewers plus one professor from the partner university and one from Bremen.
An appeal route exists
Bremen provides an Appeal Committee that rules on appeals against decisions of the Doctoral Commission, with the Doctoral Commission consulted before any ruling. Worth knowing it is there.
What to confirm with your faculty
- Which Promotionsordnung applies to you: Dr. rer. pol., Dr. phil., Dr. rer. nat., Dr.-Ing. and others differ
- Whether the version you are reading is current
- Length expectations, which the regulations do not fix
- Formatting: margins, font, line spacing
- Citation style, a disciplinary matter
- Whether a cumulative dissertation is permitted and on what terms
- The language your thesis and defence may use
- The oral examination format, including presentation length
Pre-submission checklist
- Reading the Promotionsordnung that actually applies to my degree, in its current version
- Five paper copies and three electronic copies prepared
- Written declaration signed, covering assistance, sources and quotations
- Prior publication of any part disclosed
- Publication route chosen deliberately, with copy counts and costs understood
- Acid-free permanent paper specified, if using the electronic route's printed copies
- Title leaf reverse prepared with conferral details, examination dates and all examiner names
- Any revision or abridgement in the published version flagged in it
- Publication planned well inside two years of conferral
- Extension applied for in advance if the deadline is at risk
Where to get help
Your faculty's Doctoral Commission runs the procedure and decides extensions through the Dissertation Commission. The Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek receives the copies and sets the electronic publication rules. BYRD, Bremen's early career researcher development centre, publishes the general guidance.
If the writing itself is the bottleneck, our thesis writing support works through it chapter by chapter, and our PhD thesis help covers doctoral work specifically.
