PROGRAMME

「Doctoral Programme」

The primary goal of our doctoral programme is to provide doctoral scholars with an outstanding, supportive environment for learning, research, and career development. We believe this aim is best achieved by combining the flexibility of individual supervision with the benefits of a structured doctoral training and education.

Learn more about the Graduate School's doctoral programme:

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// QUALIFICATION PROGRAMME

In addition to working on their doctoral thesis, doctoral members complete a structured doctoral programme, built on the Agreement of Supervision and the Individual Research Training Plan (IRTP).

Throughout the programme, doctoral members receive personal advice from a dedicated supervisory committee of three professors, the composition of which is agreed with doctoral members at the beginning of their doctoral projects and is tailored to the specific requirements of the project. Wherever possible, the supervisory committee has an interdisciplinary outlook and comprises of scholars representing different intellectual traditions. While two thirds of the supervisory committee, including the main supervisor, must be faculty members of the Graduate School, the Graduate School allows external supervisors to be included in the supervisory committee, especially from the School's international partners. The supervisory committee offers support not only in academic concerns, but also in matters of post-doctoral career planning. Doctoral students and their supervisors discuss career and employment options following completion of the thesis and consider venues for publishing the research results.

In an Agreement of Supervision, the main (first) supervisor and the doctoral member agree upon a time and work plan for the doctoral research to ensure timely completion of the dissertation project. Moreover, the Agreement of Supervision provides a clear and binding framework for the cooperation between the doctoral candidate and the supervisors, setting the terms and conditions for their common work throughout the doctoral project.

The Individual Research Training Plan (IRTP) is the key element of the structured programme and monitoring tool of progress, agreed upon by the doctoral member and the supervisory committee, regularly discussed and updated to evaluate progress, timely completion and successful transition of the doctoral member into the labour market. The doctoral member and the main supervisor define milestones to be reached each semester, which serve as a means to structure the research process. Once per semester in a supervisory meeting doctoral members and the supervisors evaluate whether the milestones have been reached and draft a progress report.

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// COURSE PROGRAMME

In addition to receiving advice from their supervisory committee, doctoral members go through a course programme that enhances their education and employability.

Our course programme offers appropriate methodological training, deepens and broadens subject-specific knowledge and provides opportunities for the presentation and discussion of ongoing research. Moreover, it is intended to help doctoral members acquire important professional skills that improve their career prospects in and outside academia. It is designed and applied flexibly, accounting for each member's pre-existing qualifications, personal needs and development. The Graduate School may also accept activities outside the School's curriculum as equivalent to its offered courses, for example, participation in external summer or winter schools or the organisation of graduate conferences. The School also puts a strong emphasis on tailored seminars and workshops proposed by the doctoral members themselves. This reflects our understanding of the Graduate School's doctoral candidates as active stakeholders taking ownership of their education.

Attendance of the weekly doctoral seminar is required for all doctoral members throughout the programme. The doctoral seminar lies at the heart of the qualification strategy. It is the focal course for doctoral candidates, contributing to the development and nurturing of a community where early-career researchers share experiences and jointly discuss solutions to research problems. In their first semester, doctoral students use the colloquium to present their research proposals to the group and supervisors and finalize detailed thesis outlines. In subsequent semesters, the colloquium offers them an opportunity to discuss their work in progress and receive feedback from peers and the School's faculty.

+ COURSES CURRENTLY OFFERED BY THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

+ LIST OF PAST COURSES

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// MENTORING

Our mentoring programme at the Bamberg Graduate School of Social Sciences is designed to provide support and guidance to doctoral students as they navigate through their academic and professional journey. Experienced doctoral students and postdocs are paired with doctoral students to provide guidance, advice and support.

You can register via the flink below to become a mentor/mentee. We will match you with a potential partner and facilitate the initial connection. Once both parties confirm that the matching is suitable, you will sign an agreement on the mentoring programme, including a confidentiality agreement. Mentors and mentees then meet approximately every 6 to 8 weeks to discuss academic progress, personal challenges, and career development. The initial period of the mentorship is set for one year.

+ Join our mentoring programme here

Female members of the Graduate School have the opportunity to participate in the University's FeRNet-FemaleResearcherNetwork. This programme offers a mentoring scheme where senior female professors share their experiences and advise on gender-specific issues in academic careers.

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// FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Doctoral members at the Bamberg Graduate School of Social Sciences either receive a Starter Scholarship from the Graduate School or are funded by an external source, typically a position as research or teaching fellows at a university chair or a scholarship from one of the numerous national or international foundations.

In addition, the Graduate School offers Completion Scholarships on a yearly basis for doctoral members of BAGSS towards the end of their doctoral studies to complete their doctoral thesis.

Further information on running scholarship programmes for doctoral candidates you can find here. Moreover, the Graduate Center Trimberg Research Academy (TRAc) of the University of Bamberg offers consultation hours for doctoral candidates in search for funding opportunities.

The Graduate School might provide its doctoral members with appropriate office accommodation, equipment and research related funds, based on the School´s internal guidelines and availability of funds.

+ Learn more about our Starter Scholarships

+ Learn more about our Completion Scholarships

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