Doctoral Program Structure
The three-year doctoral program is separated into six semesters. Postgraduate students of communication studies must not study a secondary area of academic specialization. The program consists of three compulsory modules, each of which offers a range of seminars and other activities to choose from.
| Module I | Module II | Module III |
| Specialization module | Research colloquium | Other activities |
| 1 specialization module | 4-6 research colloquia | Methodology course |
| min. 5 credit points (ECTS) | Research colloquium | Teaching |
| max. 8 credit points | Research colloquium | Conferences |
| Research colloquium | Publication | |
| min. 12 credit points (ECTS) | Summer School | |
| Research colloquium | Academic writing class | |
| Research colloquium | Language class | |
| max. 18 credit points | and others | |
| min. 34 credit points (ECTS) | ||
| max. 43 credit points |
The doctoral program is divided into three phases. During the first phase, which includes the first and second semesters of the doctoral degree course, the students are expected to hand in a dissertation proposal, which is written in close cooperation with their supervisor, and to present this paper in the research colloquium. The doctoral students may further attend a class from Module III, e.g., a methodology class, in order to enhance their knowledge on social science research.
During the second phase of the program, i.e., in the third and fourth semesters, students select a specialization module. The module should be related to the topic of the Ph.D. project and should provide important theoretical input. Students may select an activity from Module III which is connected to their specialization module, e.g., they could join a supervised project group consisting of several Ph.D. candidates. The research colloquia continually assess the doctoral research process.
The third phase of the program, i.e., the fifth and sixth semesters, is the final phase of coursework in which students are expected to finish their dissertation. During their final year, students are encouraged to present their results to a wider public either at conferences or in publications. Conference presentations, publications, etc., can be counted as credit points in Module III. In the final year, the doctoral candidates have repeated opportunities to present and discuss their results in the research colloquia.
| Dissertation | Module I and II | Module III | |
Phase 11st and 2nd semester |
Literature review and evaluation Present dissertation proposal and develop dissertation structure with supervisors Presentation in research colloquium |
Two research colloquia (2 x 3 ECTS) Specialization module (8 ECTS) |
Methodology class (7 ECTS) conference attendance (2 ECTS) |
Phase 23rd and 4th semester |
Start writing dissertation Literature review and evaluation Presentation of selected chapters in research colloquia |
Two research colloquia (2 x 3 ECTS) |
Teaching assistance (8 ECTS) conference attendance (2 ECTS) |
Phase 35th and 6th semester |
Write academic article or conference paper First draft of dissertation Discussion and revision of the draft |
Two research colloquia (2 x 3 ECTS) |
Co-author a paper (5 ECTS) Conference presentation or publication (10 ECTS) |
| Credit Points | 120 ECTS | 26 ECTS | 34 ECTS |
Ph.D. students work closely with their supervisors throughout the entire doctoral program. The Graduate School thus offers a supportive environment to successfully obtain a doctoral degree.