Dr. rer. nat.
Doctor rerum naturalium (
Latin for 'Doctor of Natural Sciences', lit. 'Doctor of the Things of Nature'), abbreviated Dr. rer. nat., is a doctoral academic degree awarded by universities in some European countries (e.g. Germany, Austria and Czech Republic) to graduates in physics, chemistry, biology, geology
,
natural sciences and similar areas. Universities might also award different titles for these fields, depending on the topic of a PhD thesis and which titles a university can award. In German-speaking Switzerland the equivalent of Dr. rer. nat. is Dr. phil. nat. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology for example might award a Dr. rer. nat. or a Dr.-Ing for computer science graduates, differentiating between degrees in theoretical and practical topics.[1]
These doctoral degrees are equivalent to the PhD awarded in English-speaking countries.[2]
German universities often translate a Dr. rer. nat. to doctorate of natural sciences or Doctor of Science.
To start a PhD in Germany, students must typically possess a master's degree in the related field. PhD programs in the natural sciences are often designed to allow graduation in three to five years, with an average graduation time of 4.3 years.[3] The exact requirements for graduation differ by university but usually include the requirement of a substantial contribution to the field of study.[4]
In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, a similarly designated degree, abbreviated RNDr., is awarded. It should not be confused with Dr. rer. nat., as the former is nowadays an extension of a master-like degree, but it used to be equivalent to PhD.
See also
References
- ^ Promotionsordnung des Karlsruher Instituts für Technologie 67(KIT) für die KIT-Fakultät für Informatik zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Naturwissenschaften (Dr. rer. nat.) oder der Ingenieurwissenschaften (Dr.-Ing.)
- ^ "Führung ausländischer Hochschulgrade". Archived from the original on 11 February 2015.
- ^ Academics.de: Zeitspanne der Promotion: Dauer im Durchschnitt
- ^ Hochschulkompass: Promotion in Deutschland
