Academic work at the University of Oldenburg is governed by the Regulations on the Principles for Safeguarding Good Academic Practice at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg. In the event of suspected academic misconduct, the suspicion will be investigated in accordance with the Regulations on the Principles of Safeguarding Good Academic Practice at the Carl von Ossietzky University. The responsible bodies and contact persons are in particular the ombudspersons and the Commission for Good Academic Practice at the University of Oldenburg.

The recommendations published at the end of 2023 recommendations for dealing with generative artificial intelligence (GKI) in studies and teaching at the University of Oldenburg, published at the end of 2023 also provide researchers in early career phases with a framework for dealing appropriately with generative artificial intelligence (e.g. ChatGPT) in the sense of good academic practice in studying and teaching. At the end of 2024, the Presidential Board also issued general recommendations on the use of generative AI in doctoral studies published.

Answers to questions about correct academic work can also be found in the eLearning course "Good academic practice in doctoral studies"which is available in German and English on the Graduate Academy website.

The counselling services offered by the Central Student and Career Counselling Office (ZSKB) is open to all doctoral candidates and doctoral students at the University of Oldenburg. If you have any questions about orientation or career prospects, the doctoral counselling service is available to you free of charge and confidentially. NEW: The writing counselling of the ZSKB is now also available for doctoral students.
If you are looking for support in challenging situations or cases of conflict in the doctoral process, you can contact the counsellors at the Counselling and coaching for employees
You can find subject-related advice, for example on financing and qualifications in structured doctoral programmes, on the Graduate School websites 3GO (for the Schools I - IV) and OLTECH (for School V and VI and for the Institute of Computing Science).

Counselling on non-academic topics (e.g. visa, accommodation, etc.) is offered by the Welcome Service of the International Office offers counselling to all international doctoral candidates.

When you start working on your doctorate, you should conclude a supervision agreement with your supervisor as early as possible and have this countersigned by the relevant doctorate committee (the supervision agreement is an annex to the doctoral degree regulations). The respective doctorate committees, including their Chairs and the doctoral offices/offices, can be found on the School websites. Here you will also find all doctoral degree regulations of the University in their currently valid form (see below). The doctoral degree regulations contain all the regulations for doctorates, which is why you should definitely know and study the one that applies to your doctorate/your intended degree. The signed supervision agreement is a prerequisite for obtaining the status of an accepted doctoral candidate (you may have to complete or submit additional documents for acceptance to the doctorate, this varies from School to School). Accepted doctoral candidates should enrol: Early enrolment is advisable, especially with regard to insurance law issues, but also for the use of some university services.

It is also advisable to enrol for admission to doctoral studies at an early stage, as most Schools only check all the necessary conditions and documents for admission to doctoral studies, not for acceptance (in some Schools, acceptance and admission are linked and therefore take place at the beginning of the doctorate, in others they can be quite far apart). As the requirements and regulations, including the supervision agreement, differ in the various Schools and according to the doctoral degree, you should read the doctoral degree regulations that apply to you for detailed information. In addition to your supervisor, your contact person for acceptance and admission is the doctorate committee of the School responsible for you (Doctoral Office). For enrolment, please contact the Admissions office.

Depending on personal preference, subject culture and the regulations of the respective School, there is the option of an individual doctorate or a doctorate in a structured doctoral programme or degree programme. If you wish to do a doctorate in a structured doctoral programme or degree programme, further administrative steps are necessary and you must indicate the assignment when you enrol. An overview of the university's structured doctoral programmes and degree programmes can be found on this website under "Structured doctorate". The Graduate School of Social Sciences and Humanities (3GO) and the Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Medicine and Technology (OLTECH) form the framework for structured doctoral programmes at the University of Oldenburg. The University is required by law to record accepted doctoral candidates and to collect some data on each doctorate. Some of this data is visible to you as a doctoral candidate in Stud.IP under the "Doctorate" tab, provided you have already been accepted for a doctorate. Behind the "Doctorate" tab is a doctoral service system based on the admission of doctoral candidates, which simplifies administrative processes, for example by bringing together information from different organisational units. 

As a doctoral candidate, you will be admitted to doctoral studies at one of the six faculties of the University of Oldenburg. The doctoral degree regulations of each individual School regulate all the details of the doctoral process; however, for the Dr. rer. nat. degree, for example, there are joint doctoral degree regulations for several Schools.

In addition to the two Graduate Schools 3GO and OLTECH, the University of Oldenburg has achieved great success in recent years in attracting coordinated doctoral programmes across all subjects and specialisations. The University of Oldenburg thus occupies a leading position within Lower Saxony.

In addition to the externally funded Research Training Groups, there are also the following doctoral programmes and degree programmes at the University of Oldenburg:

Representation of doctoral candidates

The doctoral candidate's representationhas the task of advising on issues concerning doctoral candidates and making recommendations to the university's governing bodies.

Staff Council

TheStaff Council represents the interests of the employees of the University of Oldenburg. Academic staff can turn to the Staff Council with questions about employment contracts, among other things. In addition, the Staff Council bundles relevant current information and offers advice and assistance on the following topics:

• Collective labour agreement (TV-L) and the transitional regulations (TVÜ)
• Appraisal system
• Transfer of leave in the event of illness

In addition, the Staff Council refers to other important information for academics at the University of Oldenburg, such as recruitment guidelines, service agreements and other regulations.

Representative for Employees with Disabilities

TheRepresentative for Employees with Disabilitiesof the University of Oldenburg represents the interests of all employees with a severe disability and their equals and provides them with advice and assistance.

The tasks of the Representative for Employees with Disabilities elected by employees with severe disabilities at the University of Oldenburg are as follows

• Promoting the integration of severely disabled persons
• Representation of interests
• Counselling and assistance for the severely disabled

Commission for Research Impact Assessment and Ethics

TheCommission for Research Assessment and Ethicsof the University of Oldenburg advises and assesses ethical aspects and impact assessments of research projects. For the assessment of research projects, the deadlines for the submission of proposals must be observed.