Concept of the Graduate School of Politics

The Graduate School of Politics was founded in 2005 and is an academic organization of the University of Münster.

Exceptional students from Germany and abroad get together to learn, carry out research and to complete their doctoral thesis projects.
Through the involvement of German and foreign professors, a high degree of multi-disciplinarity and a mentoring system, geared to individual strengths and development needs, GraSP students have the ideal studying conditions in which to complete their doctorate.

The graduate school primarily offers intellectual support. This includes the intensive supervision of the dissertation by at least two professors, the thematic consolidation of the doctoral thesis projects into research groups and a study program, which is composed of individual focuses and an optional curriculum.
In addition the GraSP also provides information on current calls for proposals, conferences and developments on the labour market for political scientists holding a doctorate.

On acceptance into the graduate school, members of the GraSP sign a contract with their supervisors which defines a study program for the duration of the doctorate. It may include the participation in conventions and conferences, report and essay writing, the participation in the method school, creating their own courses or the participation in events at the GraSP. Furthermore the doctoral students are invited to participate in the curriculum of the GraSP which deals with methodical and theoretical issues of a dissertation as well as with social aspects of a doctoral project. In addition, they participate in colloquiums of the research groups, which are mentored by the professors of the GraSP.

The GraSP is currently unable to offer financial aid and scholarships are not available. Nonetheless we assist our doctoral students with the application for scholarships from academic organizations and foundations. However we offer students a workspace with a computer at the Institute of Political Science and they are able to use the institute's infrastructure. At the moment the GraSP offers seven workspaces.
Members of the GraSP are given preference in the allocation of graduate assistantships.