Doctoral Programs

In this doctoral program, specific topics related to Buddhism are investigated on the basis of a broad range of subjects. As a co-operation between Indology, Japanology, Sinology, Tibetology and religious studies, the program combines philological, philosophical and historical issues as well as questions of religious and cultural studies. To strengthen the scientific and communicative skills of the doctoral students, the research-oriented study program is complemented by workshops and teaching internships as well as by transferable skills training. Intensive supervision by mentoring teams will help students to accomplish PhD projects at the highest level. In addition, the integration of the doctoral students into interdisciplinary and international networks will promote their professional and scientific development.

Web: www.buddhismus-studien.lmu.de

The Doctoral Program Classical and Ancient Studies (PAW) unites the skills of the subjects related to ancient cultures from a total of seven faculties (Catholic and Protestant Theology, Law, History, Philosophy, Cultural studies, Languages and Literatures) that are involved in the Munich Center of Ancient Worlds (MZAW). The aim of PAW is to improve the quality of the doctoral training by targeted promotion of individual talents and subject-specific skills, with elements aimed at academic qualification and with a structured supervision concept. The problems, methodical approaches and results of the various participating dissertation projects are integrated from the very beginning into a broader theoretical and historical context by means of accompanying interdisciplinary courses. In addition, regular colloquia allow an exchange of information and ideas amongst the participants and with the professors and lecturers.

Web: www.mzaw.lmu.de/paw

Research on the complex relationships between the environment and society can only be carried out on an interdisciplinary basis. The Doctoral Program Environment and Society is therefore aimed at graduates from the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences who wish to research questions concerning the nature/culture/environment interface. Within the scope of the program, the doctoral students acquire the ability to understand the origins and interactions of complex natural and social processes. The Doctoral Program brings together expertise on environmental research from university and non-university institutions in Munich. The program is based at the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, a joint initiative of LMU Munich and the Deutsches Museum. The stimulating research environment, the intensive supervision and the opportunity to form international networks mean that the program offers excellent conditions for doctoral students.

Web: www.proenviron.carsoncenter.lmu.de

The aim of ProMoHist is to help doctoral students of Modern and Contemporary History (16th–20th centuries) to develop a more methodical and systematic approach to research in an area which has been characterized for some time by a considerable pluralisation of theoretical approaches, methods and content-related perspectives. The program aims to enhance the methodological and theoretical skills of the doctoral students, encourage them to use their own initiative as independent researchers, and make their achievements visible to the outside world. The main focus of ProMoHist is on the doctoral dissertation: its conception, research, and completion. The structured program with its targeted support ensures that doctoral studies can be better planned and are more efficient. The joint involvement of the individual doctoral students, who are each conducting his or her own independent research, in a group of their fellows helps to tap into and further develop their academic potential. ProMoHist provides participants with assistance in preparing applications for grants and external funding and encourages the students to form networks with research institutions at home and abroad. Doctoral students’ meetings and colloquia, post-graduate seminars, workshops and summer schools give the doctoral students the opportunity to develop subject-specific qualifications and discuss their results, thereby strengthening their integration into professional circles.

Web: www.promohist.geschichte.lmu.de

The variety and scope of the research on the Middle Ages and the Renaissance carried out at LMU Munich is unique within Germany. The aim of the interdisciplinary doctoral program of the Center of Medieval and Renaissance Studies (ZMR) is to facilitate the early integration of young academics into the stimulating research landscape in Munich. Lecturers and professors from the faculties of Literature, Language, History, Art, Music, Law, Archaeology and Philosophy participate in the program, which offers the participants flexible structures that promote independent research work and are designed to facilitate the completion of the PhD project within three years. The program encompasses elements of practical training as well as a wide range of subject-specific and interdisciplinary modules. Courses and events that are specially tailored to the needs of the doctoral students guarantee that there is a regular, intensive exchange of information and ideas amongst the students themselves and with the supervising professors and lecturers. Workshops and conferences, which are held with guests and with partner institutions from home and abroad, complement the program and support the building of international networks.

Web: www.zmr.lmu.de/promotion

The doctoral program "Poland and Germany in Modern Europe" supports research projects on German and Polish history, culture and politics and focuses primarily on the study of bilateral relations between Germany and Poland. It takes into consideration transnational influences between these two countries and the European context of Germany's and Poland's present and past. The program offers doctoral students a great opportunity to work on their thesis in an international and interdisciplinary environment and exchange.

Web: www.lmu.de/pdme

The purpose of this Research Training Group is to investigate prestige in the very broadest sense, as a social, economic, religious, legal and cultural phenomenon. Thus detailed investigations of social and cultural factors and contexts in which prestige plays a role are realized. In addition to the relationship between the assignment and possession of prestige and the fulfillment of expectations which are connected to it, this Research Training Group also offers research projects investigating the representation of prestige in written sources and in material culture. In addition to societal and physical components, abstract cultural elements of prestige should also constitute part of the field of investigation, that is, the positive evaluation not only of individuals, social groups and objects but also of practices and ideal concepts, in other words the collective forms of cultural expression of prestige. The principal investigators supervising the research projects are representatives of research disciplines dealing with the diverse ancient cultures of Europe, the Near East, and Asia. Teaching is conducted mostly in German.

Web: www.grk-prestige-im-altertum.lmu.de

The DFG Research Training Group sets out to examine the function of literature in processes of globalization from a broad historical perspective, ranging from antiquity to the present day. Research interests focus on the question of how literature may be both a product and an active generator or producer of the cultural, economic, and political dynamics, collectively described as globalization. Researchers work in close consultation with a group of supervisors whose fields of competence include literature written in English, French, German, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, and other languages. The study program, including critical theory and theories of globalization, is designed to provide a forum for intense exchange between fellows, professors and visiting scholars from the fields of both literary studies and social studies.

Web: www.graduatecenter-lmu.de/global

The International Doctoral Programme LIPP offers a research-oriented, well-structured and optimally supervised doctoral study programme, which will lead to a PhD in three years. The programme is interdisciplinary and focuses on linguistic theory and language use and their interrelation. Doctoral dissertations comprise studies from a general linguistic viewpoint, comparative approaches, the investigation of a specific language (synchronic or historic), as well as studies of texts and discourses with a view to their institutional context, the social significance and impact of their language. Lectures, tutorials, symposia, guest lectures, workshops and doctoral colloquia introduce the research of the professors and doctoral candidates participating in the programme as well as that of leading international experts. The programme actively cooperates with other universities in the awarding of double degrees. Teaching is conducted mostly in German.

Web: www.lipp-lmu.de

The Doctoral Program Empirical Speech and Language Processing (ESP) is at the intersection of the disciplines Computer Linguistics, Computational Statistics, Information Science and Phonetics and Speech Processing. A characteristic of these disciplines is the increasingly empirical-based approach to research and the goal of the ESP is to make use of the synergies between these disciplines and to extend them. ESP is conceived as a research-based and systematically structured training program. Doctoral students will have many opportunities to present and discuss their research in colloquia, thematic workshops and symposia with invited researchers. Contributions will be made to the program by internationally acclaimed scientists and the program will draw upon extensive speech and language corpora, well established infrastructural support and a wide range of research projects in both basic and applied research.

Web: www.lmu.de/esp

The PhD Program in Literature (ProLit) is supported by all faculties involved in literary studies at LMU Munich. The program offers a systematically structured curriculum with an emphasis on academic research, covering new ground both in terms of organisation and of professional specialisation. The interdisciplinary design aims at establishing literary studies as a basic discipline in cultural research and in the realm of media research. The required credits are earned in courses specially suited to the demands of doctoral students. ProLit provides individual supervision as well as team mentoring for each candidate. Applications are invited from highly qualified graduate students with experience in their chosen field of work. International applications are welcome. A solid working knowledge of German is a prerequisite for a successful application.

Web: www.prolit.lmu.de

The interdisciplinary PhD program ProArt of the Department of the Arts (Kunstwissenschaften) with its five subject areas Art history, Art education, Musicology, Music education and Theater studies offers structured and research-oriented doctoral training. The guiding idea of the PhD program ProArt is the insight that the arts are increasingly marked by a dissolution of boundaries and by mutual enrichment. These, to some extent controversial, developments do not only affect artistic practice, they also shape the academic investigation of art, music, theater and film. The teaching is carried out jointly by the participating professors. The graded certificates of achievement required for conferral of a doctorate will be predominantly acquired in courses which are specially tailored to the needs of the doctoral students. The doctoral students will have the opportunity to present and discuss their research in regular colloquia, symposia and workshops.

Web: www.lmu.de/proart

This PhD program investigates the manifestations, functions and uses of texts in pre-modern Europe, that is, in the period from antiquity to the Enlightenment, and the conditions governing textuality as such. Applying methods from cultural studies as well as more traditionally philological ones, our main focus is on the ways in which pre-modern textuality differs from the textuality of a modernity brought on by rationalism, empiricism and increasing secularization. A solid working knowledge of German is a prerequisite for a successful application.

Web: www.textualitaet.lmu.de

This International Research Training Group aims to make a fundamental contribution to the analysis of the relationship between religion and the Modern era, using approaches derived from historiography, religious science, and theology. Religious cultures are to be examined with regard to their inter-relations with systems and frameworks of a secular nature. The research program comprises five central clusters of topics: changes in religious systems under the circumstances of the Modern era; the conflict-laden relationship of science and religion; the relations between religion and European nationalism; religion in an urban environment; the correlation between religion and gender. Due to the intensive collaboration between LMU Munich and the Charles University in Prague, the main focus is placed on developments in Central and Eastern Europe. Teaching is conducted mostly in German.

Web: www.igk-religioese-kulturen.lmu.de

The Doctoral Training Program Learning Sciences is the central training component of the Munich Center of the Learning Sciences (MCLS).
The Learning Sciences are a multidisciplinary research field, which focuses on conditions, processes, and outcomes of learning with research perspectives ranging from medicine, neurosciences, psychology, education, economy, sociology, science and mathematical education, and language education to computer sciences.
The program offers a structured set of courses and seminars and organizes visits by guest speakers, research colloquia and key qualifications. It is aimed at excellent students who have a strong research interest in the field of Learning Sciences and very good knowledge of methodology and research skills. The language of instruction is English.

Web: www.mcls.lmu.de/dtp

The Munich Graduate School of Economics (MGSE) offers a distinguished three-year doctoral program in Economics to outstanding young and motivated researchers.
Doctoral students at the MGSE are provided with thorough training in advanced methods in economics. Members are integrated into a stimulating research environment composed of an ambitious and excellent faculty and a large network of research institutions and facilities. Applications to the MGSE are welcome from students who hold a Master's degree or a German university diploma in economics or a closely related field, passed with distinction.

Web: www.mgse.vwl.uni-muenchen.de

SFB TR5 is a Collaborative Research Centre, in which 14 research teams from LMU Munich and Helmholtz Zentrum München explore basic principles of chromatin structure, gene regulation and nuclear architecture. The interdisciplinary nature of the Collaborative Research Centre, which clusters expertise in molecular virology, cell biology, structural biology and biochemistry, provides a strong basis for ambitious PhD projects within this research field. The Research Centre’s doctoral program, PhD-TM, creates an environment in which doctoral students are exposed to a variety of different topics, broadening their scientific and personal horizons and promoting cross-frontier thinking. Special emphasis is placed on the research training program, including an SFB seminar series, workshops on special experimental techniques as well as transferable skills training and annual events like PhD retreats or "mini symposia". Doctoral students are encouraged to actively participate in the planning and organization of the program.

Web: www.transregio5.uni-muenchen.de

The Graduate School Life Science Munich (LSM) offers an international doctoral program in life sciences to outstandingly motivated and qualified graduates. Using state-of-the-art approaches, the members of the school aim to answer essential questions relevant to basic and applied biological and biochemical research. The program is taught entirely in English and provides comprehensive scientific training. Laboratory work is supplemented by participation in seminars, summer schools and international conferences as well as training in soft skills. The doctoral program is open to students that hold either a master’s degree / diploma or a bachelor’s degree. The members of the Graduate School belong to the Faculty of Biology and the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy.

Web: www.lsm.bio.lmu.de

The Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences offers a well structured and optimally supervised training for a new generation of neuroscientists giving them not only the ability to develop new approaches and methods but also to gain a broad understanding of the complexity of the scientific subject and a profound knowledge of the theory of science. Based on a good understanding of the molecular and cellular foundations of neurobiology, the participants should acquire a deeper knowledge on neuron-neuron interaction (synaptic transfer and the dynamics of development and function), the dynamics of neuron-glia interaction, the rules of information transfer in simple and complex circuits of single brain centers, and the interaction of different brain centers. Courses and topics for PhD projects include a broad range of experimental techniques and theoretical approaches. Since neuroscience has an increasing impact on our self-conception and on society, teaching and research in the school also addresses philosophical and ethical questions.

Web: www.mcn.lmu.de/gsn

Beginn 2012

Web: www.grk1721.genzentrum.lmu.de

Studying the signals that navigate leukocytes within the vascular system and between different compartments on the cellular and molecular level is the main focus of the Collaborative Research Center CRC 914 `Leukocyte Trafficking in Inflammation, Development, and Disease’. This demanding and interdisciplinary research requires a broad methodological spectrum. Selected students receive a structured training program consisting in advanced methodological courses with a major focus on bio-imaging tools, basic principle seminars with an emphasis on leukocyte trafficking, soft skill seminars on communication skills and scientific writing, and scientific education with lecture series, annual retreats, and an international summer school. A thesis advisory committee monitors the individual progress of every student. The purpose of this committee does not only consist in the supervision of the scientific work, the committee also advises the students in planning their careers and supports them in building up their own scientific network.

Web: www.sfb914.de/en/graduate_program/mission

Nanobiotechnology is an emerging and highly promising field that combines nanoscience and biotechnology. The exploration of nanoscale structures and material properties at a molecular level is part of the research of nanoscientists. The goal is to achieve control on molecular interactions and functionalities in such a way that novel applications become feasible in fields such as nanoelectronics, nanophotonics and nanomedicine. The doctorate program, funded by the Elitenetzwerk Bayern, offers an ambitious training and research program with intensive support for excellent young scientists. The program involves faculty members from the Center for Nanoscience (CeNS) working at different natural science and life science departments. Regular lectures, seminars and workshops provide the students with an effective introduction to the interdisciplinary field of nanobiotechnology. Professional skills workshops and German language courses complete the program offered to the members of the International Doctorate Program.

Web: www.cens.de/doctorate-program

This Research Training Group combines two important current research fields: immunologically active oligonucleotides that control the immune system and RNA interference (siRNA, small interfering RNA) to selectively knock down gene expression. It is our goal to develop innovative strategies for the therapy of cancer, infection and autoimmunity by selectively controlling the immune system and inhibiting target gene expression. The Research Training Group integrates nine research groups focusing on immunology, molecular biology and biophysics and guarantees a high degree of interdisciplinarity. The international orientation and integration of the training group is based on collaboration with scientists from all over Europe, USA, Australia and Japan.

Web: www.gkoligo.de

This Research Training Group focuses on topics related to understanding neuroscientific and psychological aspects of orienting and moving in space. It is based at the Munich University Hospital. Members come from different scientific groups at LMU Munich (biology, neurology, clinical neuroscience, psychology) and groups from the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology. Doctoral students have a wide variety of backgrounds, ranging from physics and engineering to neurobiology and psychology. The Training Group offers interdisciplinary and challenging research topics on complex central-nervous sensorimotor processes (acoustic, vestibular, visual, psychophysical, motor reactions). Optimal research training for 36 months, a structured education and financial, as well as administrative support for doctoral students from various fields are provided.

Web: www.klinikum.uni-muenchen.de/Graduiertenkolleg-1091/de/

This Research Training Group offers graduate students the opportunity to pursue their research on the central problems of elementary particle physics. Research topics include in particular the origin of mass, the hierarchy of fundamental scales, the unification of interactions at high energies, the supersymmetry between bosons and fermions, the origin and understanding of CP violation. An interdisciplinary exchange between theory and experiment within the training group inspires the students and motivates them to innovative approaches. The Research Training Group, established at LMU Munich and the Technische Universität München, closely cooperates with the International Max Planck Research School for Elementary Particle Physics (IMPRS-EPP). It is strongly associated with the Cluster of Excellence "Origin and Structure of the Universe" and the CERN, DESY, and FNAL research centers.