ABSTRACT
This chapter starts with an overview of the general framework conditions of doctoral education and examination in Germany, in particular pointing out those issues in which the conditions differ compared with other countries. The second section introduces the general principles of doctoral examination and leads the reader through the various steps of the examination process. A further section discusses the differentiation of doctoral degree types (e.g., PhD by published work, industrial PhD, cooperative PhD, etc.) and their forms of examination. In this section, it is also pointed out that the German university monopoly with regard to doctoral degree awards is currently contested. The conclusions emphasise that the basic principles of doctoral examinations have not changed much over time but also point out that there are a few critical issues currently under debate in Germany that might impact on the forms of doctoral examinations eventually: the degree of dependency of doctoral candidates on their supervisor is considered as being too high, there is degree inflation going on, and the monopoly of universities to award doctoral degrees is contested from two sides.
