Woman holding a Thoska card

Enrolment / Withdrawal of Enrolment

How can I enrol as a doctoral candidate?
Woman holding a Thoska card
Image: Jan-Peter Kasper (University of Jena)

You may find all information on enrolment, withdrawal of enrolment and academic leave of absence here.

Enrolment

Doctoral candidates at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena have the possibility to enrol. Enrolment is not compulsory, but it offers a whole range of advantages.

  • What are the advantages of enrolment?
  • What are the requirements for enrolment?

    Requirements for enrolment as a doctoral candidate are:

    • a university degree
    • the admission as a doctoral candidate at one of the faculties of Friedrich Schiller University (FSU)
    • payment of the semester fee (all information regarding the money transfer can be found on the application form in doc-in)
  • What is the semester fee?

    The semester fee consists of contributions to the StudierendenwerkExternal link, for public transportation in JenaExternal link, for the train ticket for ThuringiaExternal link, for a cultural ticket in JenaExternal link and for the Student Representative CouncilExternal link. You can find the current amount of the semester fee here.

    For the issuance of the thoska chip card you will have to pay a one-time fee of 20,00 EUR.

    If you have an intact and current student Thoska, you have the possibility to continue using it by request. If you wish to do so, please bring your Thoska along with the Thoska form (included in the enrolment form) to the Thoska office or send a scan or a photo to the office (thoska@uni-jena.de). Then, your Thoska will be examined and it will be decided whether reusing is possible.

  • How can I enrol?
    1. Open the doc-in start pageExternal link – Click on ‚Login‘ on the menu and enter your login details.
    2. Select the option ‚Application for Enrolment‘. On the following pages doc-in will take you through the application process step by step.
    3. Hand in the signed application form by post or in person, together with the other documents (see next tab) needed:

    Welcome and Service Desk for
    Doctoral Candidates and Postdocs
    Johannisstraße 13
    07743 Jena

    After successful enrolment, the thoska card will be sent to you via postal mail.

  • Which documents will I need?
    • Enrolment form
    • Copy of your university degree: certificate and transcript of records
    • Certified translation, if the degree certificates are not in English or German
    • Photocopy of the letter of admission as a doctoral candidate by the faculty (available from the Dean‘s Office)
    • CV in tabular form
    • Proof of payment of semester fee (photocopy of bank statement)
    • Photocopy of your passport
    • Passport photograph for your Thoska (Thuringian student card)
    • Photocopy of the statement of removal from the register of students („Exmatrikulationsbescheinigung“), if you were enrolled at a German university before

Announcements of changes

Please notify us in case of any relevant changes. This could be for example:

  • Changes of address
  • Changes of email address
  • Changes of name, e.g. after marriage

Re-enrolment

During the year, you will receive information about re-enrolment for the coming semester. Then you will have time to pay the semester fee and meet any requirements until the deadline of re-enrolment.

  • How will I receive the information on re-enrolment?

    Approximately six weeks before the re-enrolment date, the university will email the payment information to all enrolled doctoral candidates. Your university email address will be used (which you automatically received upon enrolment). If you do not regularly use this address, you should forward External linkit to your regular account. You can also check your re-enrolment information and status via the Friedolin portalExternal link. Here you will also find information about any requirements.

    If you use a calendar app, you can create a regular deadline for this. The re-registration deadline for the summer semester is always 15 February and for the winter semester 15 August. You can download the calendar dates as a file here: Summer semesterics, 39 kb · de, Winter semesterics, 39 kb · de

  • Are there any requirements for re-enrolment?

    There may be additional requirements for re-enrolment:

    • Doctoral candidates who have been enrolled for more than 7 semesters have to submit a confirmation of their supervisor or their faculty stating that they are still working on their dissertation. The confirmation form can be found herepdf, 899 kb · de.

    We will attempt to inform you about any requirements in a timely manner. However, enrolled doctoral candidates are generally required to report changes to their employment contracts (e.g. extensions) without being asked.

  • What happens if I do not transfer the semester fee?

    If the University did not receive your semester fee in time and you did not apply for withdrawal from enrolment or leave you will have to pay an additional fee of 25 EUR.

  • I do not want to re-enrol. What do I have to do?

    If you do not want to stay enrolled (for example because you finished your doctorate), please apply for withdrawal from enrolmentpdf, 696 kb · de (see below).

Withdrawal of enrolment

If you no longer fulfil the requirements for enrolment, you will need to withdraw.

  • What are the reasons for the withdrawal of enrolment?
    • You have completed your doctorate: You need to withdraw by the end of the semester in which you defended your thesis.
  • What do I need to consider when I withdraw my enrolment?

    Once you have withdrawn your enrolment, you will no longer be able to access enrolment certificates in the Friedolin system. Please make sure that you have downloaded all the certificates you need before withdrawing.

    If you use software via campus licences, the licence may expire with your exmatriculation (e.g. Microsoft Office). This is not the case if you still have another role which allows you to use it, e.g. as an employee of the university.

  • How can I withdraw?
    1. Download the withdrawal formpdf, 696 kb.
    2. Unsubscribe from ThULB (university library). You were automatically registered when you enrolled. You can receive a deregistration certificate from the library via this websiteExternal link.
    3. Submit the signed form via e-mail, personally or by post together with the other documents to:

    Welcome and Service Desk for Doctoral Candidates and Postdocs
    Johannisstrasse 13
    07743 Jena

Academic leave of absence

Enrolled doctoral candidates may request leave of absence for important reasons.

  • What does academic leave of absence mean?
    • You continue to be enrolled and a member of the University
    • You can continue using the library and your University Computer Centre account
    • You do not have to pay the semester fee, but are also not entitled to benefits such as the semester ticket for public transport, discount in the student canteens or the student services organisation's insurance service.
  • What reasons justify an academic leave of absence?

    Potential reasons for requesting a leave of absence include:

    • Sickness (lasting more than 6 weeks, medical certificate required)
    • Research stay abroad (lasting longer than 6 weeks, 2 semesters maximum, confirmation by supervisor required)
    • Maternity/parental leave (please provide a document proving your pregnancy e.g. Mutterpass or your child's birth certificate)
  • How do I request an academic leave of absence?
    1. Download the application formpdf, 1002 kb and fill it in.
    2. Inform your supervisor of the interruption of your doctorate and, if applicable, the coordinator of your doctorate programme and/or scholarship sponsor.
    3. Hand in the signed application by post or personally to:

    Welcome and Service Desk for Doctoral Candidates and Postdocs
    Johannisstrasse 13
    07743 Jena

    If the application is complete and correct, you will receive a confirmation of your leave of absence by post within 5 - 10 working days.

Information

Please note: In general, handing in a leave of absence is possible at all times. But if you don't want to pay the semester fee for the semester of leave, the application form has to be handed in before the re-enrolment deadline (for summer semester: before 15 February; for winter semester: before 15 August).

Frequently asked questions about enrolment

  • Is enrolment obligatory?

    Enrolment is optional. There are no enrolment deadlines – doctoral candidates can enrol at any time during semester.

  • I am still enrolled as a student. How can I enrol as a doctoral candidate?

    The enrolment as a doctoral candidate is different from the enrolment as a student. Therefore, you have to de-register as a student first and then you can enrol as a doctoral candidate. But before you can enrol as a doctoral candidate, you will need to apply for the admission as a doctoral candidate at the Dean’s Office of your faculty. You can find all information about the admission here.

    In order to apply for the admission you will need a final degree certificate, which means that, as a rule, you can only start the admission process once you finished your prior studies.

    Once you handed in the application for admission at the Dean’s Office, it may take up to two or three weeks until you receive an admission letter. With this letter, you can start the enrolment process. Enrolment as a doctoral candidate is possible at any time. You can find all information about enrolment here.

    It is possible to further use your current thoska if the thoska office has confirmed that your card is still usable. Therefore, please send a scan or a photo of your Thoska via the Service DeskExternal link to the Thoska Office. Please attach the confirmation from the Thoska office to your enrolment application.

  • I am enrolled and need a certificate of my student status. How do I get this student status certificate?

    Please log in to FriedolinExternal link with your computer centre log-in credentials (which follow the pattern "ab12cde"). There you will find the option "Student certificates" on the left-hand side that allows you to download and print the student status certificates for the respective semester.

    If you do not see the item "Student certificates", please check with which role you are registered in Friedolin. You can find the role in the top bar. You can only see the student status certificate if you are in the role "Student".

    Please note: The student status certificates you receive in Friedolin cannot be used as proof for the Foreigner's Office! To get a proof for the Foreigners' Office, please contact the Welcome and Service Desk for Doctoral Candidates and Postdocs (see below). Please include a copy of your current residence permit or visa.

Welcome and Service Desk for Doctoral Candidates and Postdocs

House for Young Researchers "Zur Rosen", Room Ground floor
Johannisstraße 13
07743 Jena

Opening hours:
Monday, Wednesday:
10.00h – 12.00h

Tuesday, Thursday:
10.00h – 12.00h, 14.00h – 16.00h