Programme
© Uni MS – Stefan Klatt

What suits you best – an individual doctorate or a structured doctoral programme?

There are two paths to a PhD in History at the University of Münster: an individual doctorate or a doctorate in a structured doctoral programme.

In both cases, doctoral candidates decide – with the support of their doctoral supervisors – on a research topic and work on it independently, usually on an individual basis, if necessary also in research teams.

Also in both cases, there are also other courses, seminars, conferences or other assignments that must be taken in addition to the work on the dissertation according to the Münster doctoral regulations. You determine with your supervisor which courses are suitable for you and put these down in the supervision agreement.
 

What the PGM has to offer

With its structured doctoral programme, the PGM offers a diverse range of courses in the form of academic but also non-subject-specific courses, for example on university didactics, career orientation or job application training.

At the same time, the PGM also supports the participating university teachers in offering courses specifically geared to the needs of doctoral students, and actively screens events for the teaching of career-specific skills.

Primarily, structured doctoral programmes open up the opportunity for networking with peers: they create opportunities to regularly exchange with other doctoral researchers about the progress of their own work.

To this end, the PGM organises together with the doctoral students a meeting of all members at least once a year. It serves the scientific discussion of the projects, the orientation of the newly admitted doctoral students as well as the farewell of the graduates.

Curriculum

Doctoral studies at the PGM comprise a total of 180 ECTS. Of this, 145 ECTS are awarded for the realization of the dissertation project and the writing of the dissertation itself, and 35 ECTS to the doctoral studies in the narrower sense, consisting of compulsory and elective parts.

  • Compulsory Requirements (12 ECTS)

    • 2x evaluation of the work progress incl. a written report, work plan and brief protocol
      (8 ECTS)
    • active involvement in the annual meetings of the PGM
      (4 ECTS in total)

  • Elective Requirements (23 ECTS)

    The elective requirements are selected by the doctoral candidate, depending on his or her needs and in consultation with the supervisor, from the list of activities below and must be stated in the supervision agreement (required for the enrolment in the doctoral programme).

    • Attendance of suitable courses, e.g. research colloquia offered by the participating departments/institutes, summer schools, trainings in digital literacy (up to 6 ECTS credits). A certificate of attendance is necessary.
    • Participation in a reading group organized internally by doctoral candidates for the duration of at least one year (up to 6 ECTS credits)
    • Attendance of an academic conference or a research colloquium at another university, to which the doctoral candidate must contribute a presentation (up to 9 ECTS credits)
    • Poster presentation at a conference (up to 3 ECTS credits)
    • Publication of a journal article, an article in an edited volume, a book review, a research blog or a similar type of publication (up to 12 ECTS credits)
    • Organization of an academic conference (up to 6 ECTS credits)
    • Organization of a colloquium (up to 2 ECTS credits)
    • Organization and conduct of a field trip (up to 6 ECTS credits)
    • Participation in a field trip (up to 3 ECTS credits)
    • Participation in the conceptional design of an exhibition (up to 12 ECTS credits)
    • Internship and subsequent reflection on how the doctoral candidate was able to provide his or her expertise and which career prospects the field of work allows (up to 12 ECTS credits)
    • Teaching of an own university course (up to 6 ECTS credits)
    • Participation in a training of rhetoric skills, in courses of the Graduate Centre or the Career Service, or in didactics courses of the Centre for Teaching in Higher Education (Zentrum für Hochschullehre) (up to 3 ECTS credits)
    • Attendance of courses aiming to improve foreign language skills (up to 6 ECTS credits)
    • Participation in measures promoting equal opportunities in the doctoral studies (diversity, gender, reconciliation of family life and doctorate; up to 3 ECTS credits)
    • Performance in the area of research transfer (up to 6 ECTS credits)