The programme comprises three years of fulltime supervised study and, according to the ministerial order, must include the following:
- independent research under supervision
- completion of a thesis which documents that the grant holder is able to contribute to his or her field of research on an international level, corresponding to the level of architectural PhD programmes
- participation in one or more courses equivalent to c. 30 ECTS points
- participation in active research environments, including a long-term stay at other, primarily foreign, research institutions
- gaining experience of teaching or other form of knowledge communication, which as far as possible is related to the researcher’s PhD project
- presentation of the thesis at a public defence.
In order to fulfil the requirements of the ministerial order and the doctoral school’s supplementary guidelines, the courses must include:
- an introduction to general research theories and methods – the scientific craft
- specific courses on architectural theory, techniques and planning.



