Photo credit: Anna Logue
General Information
The Graduate School of Economic and Social Sciences (GESS) is unique in Germany and one of the few graduate schools worldwide, which foster the exchange of ideas, methods and approaches to research across the boundaries of the economic and the social sciences. It equips students with a broad scientific vision in a critical phase of their academic socialization and enables them to achieve excellence in their own field of research. Taking part in one of the PhD programs at the GESS prepares students for academic positions at leading universities and institutions worldwide.
The CDSS as part of the GESS was established through the Excellence Initiative of the German federal and state governments. We offer a unique experience to our doctoral students, including the opportunity to engage with leading professors and conduct research across the program disciplines. All doctoral programs are taught in English. Benefit from government funded first-class education.
The CDSS was a great experience that I wouldn't want to miss. It provided me with an excellent environment for my Ph. D. and prepared me in the most optimal way for a job in academia. I particularly profited from the fruitful exchange with other Ph. D. students, the interdisciplinary orientation, and the diverse course program. The CDSS encourages you to think outside the box and to getting yourself inspired by all the different perspectives that it integrates. This is not only a great asset for one's dissertation but also highly valuable for what comes after.
Isabel Thielmann, alumna of our psychology program and currently working at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law in Freiburg / Photo credit: Isabel Thielmann
Benefits for GESS students
- innovative research topics under the supervision of internationally renowned professors
- meeting and working with graduate students from all over the world from diverse social and cultural backgrounds
- a vibrant and international research community
- no tuition fees and guaranteed financial support
- own office space, IT systems and software
- one of the best equipped university libraries in Germany with over 1.5 million books and approximately 5,000 journals
- a supportive and collaborative administration
