PhD

There are currently over 130 young researchers undertaking their PhDs at our university. Our thematically focused doctoral programmes provide an ideal environment for many PhD students to carry out their research and further their professional development.

In our PhD regulations, you will find all the key information on the currently applicable rules and the PhD programme process.

To pursue a PhD at the PHKA, you must first be formally admitted as a doctoral candidate by the faculties. Information on how to apply and the application process can be found in the public service area for external visitors and guests.

The service area also contains information on submitting your dissertation and the doctoral examination, as well as guidance on the use of AI-supported tools in dissertations. 

Our university regularly awards postgraduate scholarships under the State Postgraduate Funding Act (LGFG). These LGFG scholarships are advertised publicly across the university. You will find all the necessary information in the internal service section on LGFG funding.

Scholarship organisations run by political parties, trade unions, religious groups and the business community award scholarships to undergraduates and PhD students nationwide. In addition, there are specialist foundations that fund PhD scholarships in specific subject areas.

The Research Unit will be happy to assist you with your research and with submitting applications.

Our thematically focused doctoral programmes are research initiatives that provide our doctoral students with an institutional framework for their academic work and a wide range of additional activities. Selected doctoral programmes include:

Exchanging ideas and networking with other PhD students is beneficial for your own research. This helps to build networks that can be an important resource in your day-to-day life as a PhD student. The networking opportunities offered by our university provide you with the ideal chance to do just that.

We have set up a mailing list specifically for PhD students at our university. This is where information from the Doctoral Students’ Council, the Research Office, the Graduate Academy (graPH) and the faculties (details of events, meeting minutes, research newsletters, invitations to public doctoral defences) is published, amongst other things.

Subscription to the mailing list is voluntary. If you are interested, please contact the Research Office.

The Forum Promotion is an event organised specifically for PhD students at our university, which usually takes place at the end of the summer term. As a early-career researcher, this event offers you the opportunity to engage with leading academic experts on a range of topics, as well as to network with fellow PhD students. Details of the event are announced via the doctoral candidates’ mailing list and in the calendar on the ‘Qualification and Career’ page. The Forum Promotion is organised by the Vice-Rectorate for Research and Transfer.

As part of our academic staff development programme, we offer an ongoing range of professional development opportunities for researchers. These include, in particular, programmes focusing on research and methodological skills.

The Graduate Academy also runs a mailing list. You can sign up here. If you have any questions about graPH, please contact:

• Tailored training programmes, such as our regularly held workshop ‘Successful Applications for External Funding’, are organised and run by the Research Office. These are announced via the calendar on the Training and Careers page and via the mailing list for PhD students.
• In addition to individual methodological advice and introductory and advanced courses, the Institute for Empirical Educational Research at the University of Education also offers research workshops focusing on the empirical research process. Further information can be found on the Institute’s website.
• The EU Research Office of the Universities of Education regularly organises lectures and workshops on the topic of EU funding. Information on these events is provided via the monthly newsletter, which you can subscribe to by email. Please note: These services are available only to members of the six universities of education in Baden-Württemberg.
• Further services, some of which may also be used by our PhD students, are provided by the university’s Equality Office.