External doctoral program

Hello,

We are very pleased that you are interested in pursuing a doctorate in the Department of Behavioral Economics and Intercultural Psychology at FernUniversität in Hagen.

This information is intended for individuals who wish to pursue a doctorate externally – without employment at FernUniversität in Hagen. If you are interested in a doctorate as part of a scientific staff position or a scholarship, please keep an eye on the university’s job postings or contact us.

An external doctorate is a lengthy process that involves many challenges. It requires a significant amount of time and mental effort, typically over a longer period (usually 3–4 years for scientific staff without additional professional commitments), often alongside existing professional and private obligations.

For this reason, the decision to pursue a doctorate should be well considered. Especially, balancing a doctorate with a full-time job outside academia is only possible under very specific conditions (e.g., extensive prior experience with similar projects, support from your employer, particularly good access to field sites), and in most cases, due to the time commitment involved, it is hardly feasible.

Before we discuss your doctoral project in an initial conversation, here are some basic details about the supervision process and the requirements for a doctorate in the Department of Behavioral Economics and Intercultural Psychology at FernUniversität in Hagen.

General requirements

• Conducting empirical studies aimed at publishing 2-3 manuscripts in academic journals (cumulative dissertation)
• Active participation in at least one academic conference per year
• Supervision of 1-2 bachelor‘s theses for preliminary studies
• Publishing all study materials and results in the spirit of transparent research

Supervision process

• Topic selection within the first 3 months
• Preparation of the exposé within the first 6 months
• At least one individual meeting/status update per month with the supervisor
• At least two scientific presentations at the university’s internal colloquium during the course of the doctorate

Organizational

• Early registration as a doctoral candidate (only possible after submitting the exposé and approval by the doctoral committee)
• Desired integration into the department (participation in team meetings, etc.)
• Early contact with the graduate services

Dropout criteria

• Failure to meet deadlines
• Scientific misconduct
• Lack of progress (e.g., no data collection after 24 months)