You are responsible for finding your own doctoral studies supervisor; one is not allocated to you by the doctoral board. Doctoral studies supervisors should preferably be professors within the Department of Philosophy and Humanities. These can be either professors whose main employment is with the university (university professors) or professors who work for the university on a part-time basis (honorary professors, irregular professors, private tutors). However, it is also possible to arrange doctoral studies supervision from selected representatives of institutions with which Freie Universität has concluded a cooperation agreement.

Where a justified case for their appointment can be made, professors from other departments may also be engaged as doctoral studies supervisors. Please see the doctoral regulations for more information.

Once you have found a supervisor, they must sign a supervision agreement. You must attach this signed agreement to your application for admission to doctoral study.

Each doctoral studies project must be approved by a professor within the Department of Philosophy and Humanities whose main employment is with the university. If your supervisor fulfills these criteria, the doctoral studies project is considered approved with the submission of their supervision agreement. If your supervisor does not fulfill these criteria, you must submit additional approval from a professor who does meet these criteria.