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Graduiertenschule für die Geisteswissenschaften

Overview of the most important elements of the structured doctorate according to the interpretation of the GSH/UWGS

Our structural elements: Tailored to a "promotion with added value". Image: T. Schmid/GSH.

(As at: May 2024)

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The Graduate Schools as Best Practice:

Elements of a structured doctorate that have been anchored in the GSH/UWGS since 2006 and have since been adopted in theUniversity's Framework Doctoral Regulations and in the Doctoral Regulations of theHumanities Faculties:

  • Three-member doctoral committee.
  • Admission at the beginning of the doctorate (i.e. not only by admission to the doctoral examination).
  • "Opus eximium" rule (if the dissertation is graded with this top mark, a third, external expert opinion is required).
  • Qualification programme (defined as an option in the faculty doctoral regulations, not as a doctoral programme, not quantified, not structured in terms of content; cf. below A.1).
  • Supervision Agreement between the doctoral candidate and the supervisory committee as a prerequisite for admission.

In this form still only anchored or provided elements in the GSH:

A. Especially for doctoral candidates

1. interdisciplinary doctoral programme "Humanities".

  • Scope 16 SWS, structured according to subject-specific and interdisciplinary/non-subject-specific qualifications, can be flexibly organised.
  • Limited admission period for six semesters, with several extension options with consensus between committee, doctoral candidate and director; if necessary : individual counselling by GSH managing director.

2. counselling and support before , during and after the doctorate

  • Individually, by personal welcome letter"Tips & tricks for starting a doctorate", via a semesterly information event "Your doctorate with added value" by the managing director and detailed Internet pages.
  • Scholarship information and advice via a semesterly information event "The scholarship grabber" and individually, plus scholarship overviews for financing a doctorate (website with overviews of doctoral and postdoctoral scholarships, project funding, travel grants, etc.).
  • After completing the colloquium, further support by providing information on postdoctoral scholarships, funding calls, individual counselling on publication and career issues.
  • After completion of the doctorate, continued contact and support via postdoc calls for applications and the recruitment of doctoral candidates for workshops on scientific paths after the doctorateafter the doctorate etc.

3. qualification programmes

4. networking/representation/outreach

  • Doctoral candidate spokesperson: Involvement in Board meetings, regular exchange with the Managing Director for suggestions on new events, further development of the Graduate School, clarification of doctoral issues, etc.
  • Profile pages for doctoral candidates to publicise themselves and their dissertation project, for contact and networking opportunities and as a reference for applications.

B. Especially for supervisors

  • Annual workshops "Doctorates well supervised" for doctoral supervisors at the beginning of their supervisory experience through collaboration in the graduate school network QualitätsZirkel Promotion/QZP.
  • Information and application support for suitable research calls in the humanities (by e-mail, online overviews and individual counselling).
  • Membership model with opportunities to participate in various committees.

C. For doctoral candidates and supervisors alike

  • Interdisciplinary and interfaculty overall structure: Board of Directors, Extended Board, classes, Joint Doctoral Commission.
  • An office specialising in doctoral studies and all related issues , so that:
  • Counselling Clarification of questions, problems etc. on the part of supervisors/examiners/assessors and doctoral candidates during the entire doctoral period and in the examination process.
  • Local networking and participation: constant internal exchange and joint semester events with the other UWGS degree schools; special aspect: internationalisation.
  • National networking of the GSH through the involvement of the Managing Director in the supra-regional graduate school network QualitätsZirkel Promotion/QZP. Through this, among other things, significant involvement in the design of best practice handouts:
    - Handbuch "Shaping the doctorate together" for doctoral candidates and supervisors (German and English);
    - Handbook "Doctorate - make conscious decisions and get off to a good start".
  • Infrastructure of the joint building of the graduate schools, with rooms also for individual use by doctoral candidates and members of the GSH, self-organised working groups, seminar and lecture events, doctoral colloquia, summer schools, etc.