History

In 2016, the State of Hesse introduced the independent right to award doctorates for research-intensive disciplines at Universities of Applied Sciences. To be granted these doctoral awarding powers, at least twelve professors within a given academic discipline must demonstrate their research strength through the acquisition of third-party funding, a proven publication record, close alignment with the research program, and experience in supervising and examining doctoral candidates. In doing so, they must ensure that they can provide an appropriate and supportive academic environment for their doctoral researchers.

On November 1^st, 2017, the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture (HMWK) officially granted the independent doctoral awarding power in the discipline of Applied Computer Science to the University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt, the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, the University of Applied Sciences Fulda and the University of Applied Sciences RheinMain.

The doctoral awarding power is implemented through the Doctoral Centre for Applied Computer Science (PZAI), a joint inter-institutional academic organisation of the four partner universities. A core responsibility of the Doctoral Centre is to organise and conduct of doctoral procedures.

In early 2018, the first doctoral researchers began their work at the PZAI, and additional candidates were admitted soon afterwards. A major milestone followed in 2021, when the first two doctoral projects were successfully completed. For the first time in Germany, a University of Applied Sciences awarded doctoral degrees in Applied Computer Science — fifty years after Universities of Applied Sciences were established.

In 2021, the Hessian doctoral centres also underwent an external evaluation conducted by a structural commission appointed by the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture. The commission delivered a positive assessment, and in 2022 the doctoral awarding power was confirmed on a permanent basis.