The IMPRS-QBEE guide to a doctoral degree at the Biology Department, Universität Konstanz

Overview

Max Planck associated graduate programs – like the International Max Planck Research School for Quantitative Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution from lab to field (IMPRS-QBEE)  – do not award degrees themselves. Instead, the degree is awarded by a collaborating institution. In the case of the IMPRS-QBEE, the collaborating institution is the University of Konstanz (U KN) who awards the successful doctoral students with the title Dr. rer. nat (Doctorate of Natural Sciences), the equivalent to the American/UK PhD without philosophy. Hence, IMPRS-QBEE doctoral students have to abide by the doctoral regulations of the U KN to their full extent and validity at the time of doctoral students’ registration. The doctoral regulations are laid down in the so called “Promotionsverordnung” which you can find here, including various dated amendments and specific regulations of each department, so called “Fachspezifische Regelungen”.

In this guide, each step of your PhD journey is described, with a special focus on the administrative part, starting from the moment you accepted the offered doctoral project and started your contract until you receive your title.

• Getting started
  • Arriving in Konstanz (Onboarding)
  • Applying for acceptence as a doctoral student at the Biology Department at U KN
  • Enrolment as a doctoral student at the Biology Department at U KN
  • Joining the IMPRS (this step may happen before 2 and 3)
• Thesis Advisory Committee
• IMPRS Curriculum
• Travels and Grants
• Ready to finish
  • Submitting your thesis
  • Defense
  • Publishing your thesis
  • Alumn* (Offboarding)

The IMPRS coordination office will guide you through all of these steps – just reach out to us! (In case you find outdated information or non-functional links, do not hesitate to inform the IMPRS coordination office – we greatly appreciate your help!)

OpenCampus

You have used the OpenCampus platform already for applying to the IMPRS. With this platform, if you are from the 2024 cohort onwards, you can also keep track of your curriculum, your TAC, and your budget.

To keep track of your curriculum, you may also use the Curriculum Overview, especially if you are from the 2023 cohort or previous cohorts.