CDSS Doctoral Program Structure
The CDSS doctoral programs consist of two semesters of course work and span three years overall. Doctoral students must commit to advanced, graduate-level studies in mandatory and elective courses. During the first year, students are expected to write a literature review that will lead to their dissertation proposal. Doctoral students decide on their thesis topic and supervisor during the first year.
Programs
Program requirements (general overview)
1st semester
- Mathematics for Social Scientists (2 ECTS)
- Current Research Perspectives (2 ECTS)
- Crafting Social Science Research (6 ECTS)
- Literature review (6 ECTS)
- CDSS Workshop in respective discipline (2 ECTS)
2nd semester
- Theory Building and Causal Inference (6 ECTS)
- English Academic Writing (3 ECTS)
- Dissertation Proposal Workshop (2 ECTS)
- Dissertation proposal (8 ECTS)
- CDSS Workshop in respective discipline (2 ECTS)
1st and 2nd semester
Further mandatory and elective course requirements are set out in the subject-specific attachments to the CDSS program regulations.
3rd semester onwards
- Research colloquia (2 ECTS per semester)
- CDSS Workshops in respective discipline (2 ECTS per semester)
- Dissertation work leading to thesis submission and defense (90 ECTS)
Degree requirements
- Completion of the CDSS course program
- Completion, submission and acceptance of the thesis
- Thesis defense
- Degree awarded: Dr. rer. soc. (Doctor rerum socialium / Doctor of Social Sciences)
CDSS doctoral thesis
A CDSS doctoral thesis may consist of several original papers in one area, all of which will be published in reputable scholarly journals. However, a traditional dissertation (monograph) format is also possible, provided the dissertation's contents are used for articles published in scholarly journals. The student and their supervisor will decide together on the form of the thesis.
Germany and the Ph.D.
In Germany most universities confer doctoral degrees that use specific Latin designations to indicate the field in which the doctoral degree was obtained. This is different for the Ph.D. (doctor philosophiae), which is conferred across many different academic fields.
Both titles are awarded after an intensive study and research period which concludes in the successful submission and defense of a doctoral thesis.
At the GESS the following doctoral titles are conferred:
- Faculty of Business and Economics: Dr. rer. pol (doctor rerum politicarum)
- Faculty of Social Sciences: Dr. rer. soc. (doctor rerum socialium)