Qualification Program

In addition to receiving advice from their thesis committee, BAGSS students will go through a rigorous qualification program. The qualification period normally lasts three years (with allowances for students with parental obligations). During the first two years, doctoral candidates will attend a number of compulsory and elective courses, while the final year is primarily devoted to completing the doctoral thesis.

The compulsory part of the program offers appropriate methodological training, deepens subject-specific knowledge, and provides opportunities for the presentation and discussion of doctoral research. The doctoral seminar lies at the heart of the qualification strategy. It is the focal seminar 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 will use the colloquium to present their research proposals to the group and supervisors and finalize detailed thesis outlines. In subsequent semesters they will use the colloquium to discuss their work in progress and receive feedback from peers and BAGSS faculty.

The qualification program is designed and applied flexibly, accounting for each student’s personal needs and development. It allows for the recognition of skills and experiences gained elsewhere. Credits may also be awarded for activities outside the BAGSS curriculum (for example, teaching activities or the organizaton of graduate conferences). The individual research training plan is regularly reviewed and revised if necessary.

The elective part of the program is intended to help students acquire important soft skills that improve their career prospects in and outside academia. It includes lectures, seminars, and workshops on a variety of issues such as didactics, rhetoric, or academic writing in English. BAGSS also arranges special courses and mentoring schemes for female and international students (career planning for women and language courses).

BAGSS' current course program can be found here.