HCIAS Doctoral Training HCIAS Structured Doctoral Program: Application and admission

Your Profile

• Outstanding academic achievements and above-average M.A. degree or equivalent (at least 4 years of study) in area studies, humanities, or social sciences.
• A good knowledge of the theories and methods relevant to the main subject area of the project.
• Very good proficiency in English.
• Motivation to work on interdisciplinary issues in an international research environment.

When to apply

• Apply from March 1st to April 30th (to start between October and February)
• Apply from September 1st to October 31st (to start between April and July)

The Application and Registration Process

Application and registration as a participant in the HCIAS doctoral program is a three-phase process involving our center, different faculties, and the Graduate Academy.

1. In PHASE 1, you apply for admission to the program at the HCIAS, the center which organizes the program.
2. In PHASE 2, you apply for admission to the faculty which shall award the doctoral degree after the successful defence and publication of the thesis; doctoral researchers at the HCIAS must register with the faculty of their first thesis supervisor.
3. In PHASE 3, you enrol as a doctoral student at Heidelberg University.

Checklist for the Application and Registration Process

Phase 1 – Pre-admission to the HCIAS doctoral program

Step 1: You have an idea for a doctoral project that you would like to carry out within the framework of the HCIAS doctoral program. If you are already in contact with a potential supervisor at the HCIAS, you will discuss your first ideas with them. If you are unsure about supervision, please contact the program coordinator by e-mail. Please make sure to include in this e-mail (all in English):

• A brief letter of motivation for participating in the program (max. 1,500 characters)
• Your academic CV including the date and grade of your master’s degree as well as the topic of your master’s thesis
• A short proposal for a topic that you would be interested in developing in your doctoral thesis, including your research objectives and your ideas for the conceptual and methodological approaches (max. 3,000 characters)

Based on the topic that you propose to develop in your doctoral thesis and your disciplinary background, we will begin looking for a matching potential supervisor at the HCIAS and put you in touch with them.

Step 2: Discuss your proposal with your potential supervisor with whom you will then draft an approximate schedule for the doctorate together. You, your potential supervisor, and the program coordinator will also discuss your options for funding. The HCIAS does not offer a scholarship program for doctoral students but provides support for your application for scholarships offered by institutions in Germany or your home country.

Step 3: Apply with the program committee for admission to the program at the HCIAS. You send an e-mail to the program coordinator including the following documentation (all in English):

• A brief letter of motivation for participating in the program (max. 1,500 characters)
• Your academic CV including the date and grade of your master’s degree as well as the topic of your master’s thesis
• The updated version of your proposal for a doctoral thesis in which you now also indicate the supervisor with whom you wish to work and the external funding institution you wish to apply to (max. 4,500 characters)

Your application will then be discussed by the program committee who will decide if your proposal is endorsed, endorsed with reservation, or rejected.

Once the program committee endorses your proposal, you will be notified by the program coordinator and receive a letter of endorsement issued by the HCIAS, stating your pre-admission to the HCIAS doctoral program.

Phase 2 – Admission to the Faculty

Step 1: In coordination with your future supervisor, elaborate an exposé of your dissertation. The exposé is a synopsis of your research proposal and might be a more elaborate version of the proposal you presented to the HCIAS program committee (4,500 to 6,500 characters, in English). The exposé needs to be signed by your future supervisor.

Step 2: In coordination with your future supervisor, elaborate on an agreement for your doctorate ("Promotionsvereinbarung", form provided by the faculty); this agreement reflects the central and the mandatory complementary components of the structured program at the HCIAS.

Step 3: In coordination with the HCIAS program coordinator, register with the online portal heiDOCS and create an online doctorate profile.

Step 4: Make an appointment with the dean’s office to submit your request for admission to your respective faculty. The following documents must be presented:

• The exposé
• The doctorate agreement
• The filled-in application for admission (to be found on the faculty’s website)
• Authorized copies of graduation certificates and other documents from prior courses of study. In the case of certificates from countries other than Germany, please make sure to add authorized translations into German or English, authorized copies of the original graduation certificates, and authorized copies of the university entrance certificates
• Your CV including your personal and contact data
• A copy of your ID or passport
• A copy of the letter of endorsement issued by the HCIAS

All documents will be forwarded to the faculty’s doctoral committee which will evaluate your request for admission. More information on the application process can be found on the websites of the different faculties.

Phase 3 – Enrollment at Heidelberg University and final admission to the HCIAS doctoral program

Step 1: You a copy of the corresponding letter of admission (Annahme) from the faculty to the program coordinator at the HCIAS  and will be officially registered as a participant in the HCIAS doctoral program.

Step 2: You send a copy of the corresponding letter of admission (Annahme) from the faculty to the Graduate Academy and enroll as a doctoral student at Heidelberg University.