The departmental rules and regulations for the doctorate ("Promotionsordnung) define which doctoral degrees are conferred. The traditional German doctoral degrees are disciplinary and in latin: e.g. doctor philosophiae, Dr. phil.; doctor rerum naturalium, Dr. rer. nat.; doctor medicinae veterinariae, Dr. med. vet. etc.).

With the exception of Freie Universität's Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Department of Law, and the School of Business & Economics, all other departments offer the alternate degree Philsophical Doctor (PhD/Ph.D.); partly with disciplinary suffix, e.g. Ph.D in Natural Sciences at the Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy).

Prerequisite for the conferment of the degree PhD/Ph.D. is the successful completion of the curricular requirements of a structured doctoral program under the umbrella of Dahlem Research School, thus following the anglosaxon tradition. After completion of structured doctoral studies, DRS issues a Program Certificate and a Transcript of Records for successful candidates of the DRS-programs. Doctoral researchers from structured programs need to hand in this DRS Program Certificate and Transcript of Records at the respective departmental doctoral degree office in order to be able to be conferred the PhD-degree. All doctoral researchers receive a Doctoral Certificate after completion of a doctorate (issued by the resprective doctoral degree office).