Doctoral candidates therefore come into contact with the committee at an early stage, usually through contact with Sarah-Christin Uhlmann, who guides the doctoral candidates through the initial phase. For admission to the doctoral program, the achievements and competencies are examined and prepared for recognition. In this process, not only study and examination achievements are taken into account that were obtained in courses of study in Catholic theology, but also relevant competencies, learning contents and study achievements that were obtained in the study of other subjects - for example, in 2-subject Bachelor's and Master's courses of study. In this way, the achievements brought along can be valued and appreciated in their significance for the understanding of theology in its entire breadth. With the in-depth consultation in the initial phase, a reliable agreement is made for the doctoral candidates at the faculty, which in individual cases can also specify achievements and requirements that are subsequently still performed by the applicants in self-study or post-study.

The good culture of support and welcome for doctoral students is one of the hallmarks of Catholic Theology in Bochum. The gallery of Bochum alumni is colorful and covers the whole field of the wide Catholic world. In order to keep it that way, the general conditions concerning the recognition of academic achievements were discussed in the meeting and adapted in some points to the currently changing study biographies. Thus, in the future it will be even easier to make competences of scientific writing, which have been acquired in written work in other subjects, fruitful for the theological doctorate.