“Joining the PhD program not only advanced my academic studies through a wide range of courses and events across all universities in Berlin, but also connected me with peers from various economic sub-disciplines, many of whom have become close friends and invaluable support when research gets challenging.”
/// Fabian Gerstmeier, Germany, Berlin School of Economics - BSoE
“I am part of an incredible research group and I'm able to attend all the events that are constantly happening at the universities or other institutions, while getting to travel around the world for regular conferences and workshops. Due to this wonderful mix of activities I get to grow more and more academically and personally.”
/// Sofía Garzón, Colombia, Berlin Mathematical School - BMS
“As a doctoral student in the BIG-NSE/Einstein Center of Catalysis (EC²) program, I have the incredible opportunity to engage in cutting-edge interdisciplinary research on catalysis. This work thrives in a collaborative environment, bringing together researchers from diverse fields like biology, chemistry, and physics.”
/// Jonas Motter, Germany, Einstein Center of Catalysis - EC²/BIG-NSE
“Here at BIFOLD, I have been immersed in pioneering research on fault tolerance in data stream processing. BIFOLD provides a supportive environment with resources and mentorship from leading experts in data management. This experience has greatly enhanced my ability to contribute to the field and nurtured my development as an innovative researcher.”
/// Anastasiia Kozar, Germany, Berlin Institute for the Foundations of Learning and Data - BIFOLD
“Berlin offers an excellent environment for my doctoral studies in the history of ancient Israel, providing access to renowned experts in the field and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration for a comprehensive exploration of the subject.”
/// Jonathan Böhm, Germany, Berlin Graduate School of Ancient Studies
“The foundation of my research lies in the seamless collaboration of diverse disciplines. The Berlin Graduate School of Ancient Studies not only provides me with a comprehensive platform to embark on my PhD journey, but also offers me invaluable opportunities to foster interdisciplinary perspectives.”
/// Lu Tian, China, Berliner Antike-Kolleg
The capital region of Germany is the place to be for
Doctoral researchers:.
Five universities offer doctoral programs with excellent funding opportunities and join forces with outstanding non-university research institutions to generate a unique, vibrant academic environment.
This website will give you an insight into what the Berlin area has in store in all disciplines, ranging from ancient history to astrophysics – browse and be inspired!
Search Programs
Klick here if you wish to browse through relevant disciplines.
Doctoral Programs
The Literary and Epistemic History of Small Forms
/// Humanities, Languages and literature
Berlin School of Integrative Oncology
/// Berlin School of Integrative Oncology, BSIO, Cancer
Berlin School of Mind and Brain
/// Berlin School of Mind and Brain, mind sciences, brain sciences, linguistics
Berlin School for Regenerative Therapies
/// Berlin-Brandenburg School for Regenerative Therapies, BSRT, endogenous tissue...
Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience
/// Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, BCNN Berlin, brain
Clinical Exercise Science
/// exercise, prevention and rehabilitation
Biomedical Sciences (DRS)
/// life sciences, infectious diseases
Hertie School of Governance
/// Governance, social science
International Doctorate for Experimental Approaches to Language And Brain
/// Erasmus Mundus, laboratory-based, language, brain
MDC Exchange Program in Medical Systems Biology
/// Genomics, Medical Systems Biology, single cell, transciptomics, translation, DNA,...
International Graduate Program Medical Neurosciences
/// Neurosciences, central nervous systems, peripheral nervous systems, medical...
Multiscale Bio-Systems
/// biosystems, macromolecules in aqueous solutions, molecular recognition, free energy...
Plant Sciences
/// Plant Sciences, extinction of species, climate change
ZIBI Graduate School Berlin
/// infection biology, immunology, virology, bacteriology, parasitology
The International Max Planck Research School on Computational Methods in Psychiatry and Ageing Research
/// computer science, applied mathematics and statistics, psychology, psychiatry
Einstein Center of Catalysis/Berlin International Graduate School of Natural Sciences and Engineering
/// catalysis-related research, natural sciences, engineering
Berlin Mathematical School
/// Mathematics
Dahlem Research School of Molecular Science
/// molecular natural science, Molecular Switches on Surfaces, Protonation Dynamics in...
Dynamical Phenomena in Complex Networks
/// Networks with complex topology, self- organization in evolving complex networks
Gravitational Wave Astronomy
/// gravitational waves, astronomy, GEO600 gravitational wave detector
Helmholtz Graduate School for Macromolecular Bioscience
/// Biomaterial Science, Macromolecular Bioscience, natural sciences, engineering
Mass, Spectrum, Symmetry: Particle Physics in the Era of the Large Hadron Collider
/// Large Hydron Collider, elementary particle physics, astro-particle physics
Research School Materials for Solar Energy Conversion (MatSEC)
/// kesterite materials, semiconductor, absorber material, film solar cells,...
Molecular Biophysics
/// biophysics, biomolecular processes, protein-protein interactions
PharMetrX: Pharmacometrics & Computational Disease Modelling
/// life sciences, pharmacy, drug development, drug therapy, pharmacotherapy,...
IMPRS for Molecular Plant Science
/// biochemistry, biology, plant science, plant growth, plant biomass, primary metabolism
Quantitative Spectroscopy in Astrophysics
/// Quantitative Spectroscopy, Astrophysics, solar physics, stellar research,...
School of Analytical Sciences Adlershof
/// chemistry, biology, physics, natural sciences, analytical sciences
Helmholtz Research School on Security Technologies (HRSST)
/// physics, optical engineering, electrical engineering, informational techniques,...
Service-Oriented Systems Engineering
/// Software Systems Engineering, IT Systems, Human Computer Interaction, Computer...
Berlin Graduate School for Global and Transregional Studies
/// transnational relations, international relations, globalization, governance, regional...
Berlin Graduate School of Ancient Studies
/// Berliner Antike-Kolleg, ancient languages and texts, ancient philosophy, ancient...
Berlin Graduate School of Social Sciences
/// sociology, political science, social inclusion, democratic performance
Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Societies
/// Islam, muslim cultures, muslim societies, Area Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies
Doctoral Program in Business Research
/// business administration, management, marketing, information systems, FACTS, business...
Graduate School Global Intellectual History
/// intellectual history
Centre for Contemporary History
/// Cold War, contemporary german history, contemporary european history, communist...
Das Wissen der Literatur
/// deutsche Literatur, german literature
European PhD in Socio-Economic and Statistical Studies
/// socio-economic research, labor markets, employment, inequality, Welfare state, social...
Friedrich Schlegel Graduate School of Literary Studies
/// literature, textaul practice, transnational perspective, intermediality
Graduate School of East Asian Studies
/// east asia, social sciences, institutions in east asia, interdependence of...
Graduate School of North American Studies
/// American Studies, Area Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, American Literature,...
High Dimensional Non Stationary Time Series
/// stochastics, statistics, volatility, copulae, high-dimensional time series,...
International Max Planck Research School on the Life Course (LIFE)
/// development of human behaviour, human life course, evolution of culture, learning,...
Latin American Studies from a Comparative and Transregional Perspective
/// Cultural Anthropology, Social Anthropology, Gender Studies, History, Literature of...
Ludwig Rosenberg Kolleg: Historical Relations between Labor Movements and Modern Jewry
/// european-jewish studies, laboro movements, modern jewry
DIW Graduate Center PhD in economics
/// economics, microeconomics, macro-economics, econometrics, public economics,...
THESys Graduate Program - Transformations of Human-Environment Systems
/// IRI THESys, use of land, use of resources, urbanization, climate change impact, ...
Selma Stern Zentrum für Jüdische Studien Berlin-Brandenburg (ZJS)
/// jewish studies, jewish history, jewish philosophy, jewish theology, jewish...
Thinking Differences: Structures – Order – Communication
/// comparative history, histoire croisée
Walther Rathenau Kolleg: Liberalism and Democracy
/// European-Jewish Studies, democratic constitutional state, european post-war...
Wicked Problems, Contested Administrations: Knowledge, Coordination, Strategy
/// public administration, climate change, demographic tranistion, international...
Computational Systems Biology
/// biological networks, cellular systems, protein-protein interactions, systems biology
Global and Area Studies PhD Program
/// Globalization, Alternative Futures
Philosophy, Science and the Sciences
/// philosophy, ancient Greek, ancient Roman, ancient Arabic, classicist, ancient...
Berlin Graduate School of British Studies
/// british studies
Parasite Infections: From Experimental Models to Natural Systems
/// Parasite Infections, Immunology, molecular approaches, cellular interactions,...
Berlin International Graduate School in Model and Simulation based Research (BIMoS)
/// Modellierung, Smimulierung, modelling, modeling, simulation, optimation
Urban Water Interfaces (UWI)
/// urban water (systems), interfaces, modelling, urban soil, surface water, groundwater,...
IMPRS for Mathematical and Physical Aspects of Gravitation, Cosmology and Quantum Field Theory
/// Gravitational Physics, Geometric Analysis, String Theory, quantum mechanics, black...
Religion – Knowledge – Discourse
/// Humanities, Social Sciences, Sociology, Political Sciences, Economics, Law
Berlin School of Movement Science (BSMS)
/// Humanities, Social Sciences, Sociology,
/// education, mathematics, informatics, natural sciences, technology, engineering
Identity and Heritage
StRATEGy: Surface processes, Tectonics and Georesources: The Andean foreland basin of Argentina
Cropstrengthen - european industrial doctorate.
/// PhD training, stress acclimation in plants, crop improvement, plant priming
Natural Hazards and Risks in a Changing World
/// natural hazards, risk, climate change, floods, landslides, earthquakes
BioMove - Integrating Biodiversity Research with Movement Ecology in dynamic agricultural landscapes
/// Biodiversity, Movement Ecology, Biological Science, Natural Science
Minor Cosmopolitanisms
/// Humanities; Social Sciences; Postcolonial Studies; Cultural Studies; Anglophone...
Theory – Empirics – Practices of Pedagogical Teaching Processes
/// Educational science – adult and further education – music pedagogy – school pedagogy...
Agricultural Economics
/// Agriculture, Doctoral Program
Biodiversity, Evolution & Ecology
/// Biological sciences, Natural Sciences
CRC 1114 Scaling Cascades in Complex Systems
/// /// Mathematics, Biochemistry, Physics, Geo-Sciences
CRC / TRR 227 Ultrafast Spin Dynamics
TRR 170 Integrated Research Training Group in Planetary Sciences
Cinepoetics - Center for Advanced Film Studies
/// poetologies, audiovisual images, cinema, film philosophy, aesthetics
BB3R - Innovations in the 3R Research: Genetic Engineering, Tissue Engineering and Bioinformatics
/// Berlin-Brandenburg research platform BB3R, 3 R, Genetic Engineering, Tissue...
CRC / SFB 1078 Protonation Dynamics in Protein Function
/// CRC SFB Protonation Dynamics in Protein Function
Re-Figuration of Spaces
Helmholtz Einstein International Berlin Research School in Data Science (HEIBRiDS)
Health Data Sciences
/// Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Meta-research, Big Data, Health Data Sciences, Causal...
IMPRS Biology And Computation
/// sequence analysis, theoretical structural biology, computational chemistry, drug...
Robert Koch Doctoral Program
/// Robert Koch Doctoral Program, RoKoDoKo
Fluorine-Specific Interactions: Fundamentals and Functions
/// Collaborative Research Center 1349 „Fluorine-Specific Interactions: Fundamen-tals and...
Research Training Group (RTG) "Bioactive Peptides – Innovative Aspects of Synthesis and Biosynthesis"
/// Natural Sciences, Computer and information sciences, Chemical sciences, Biological...
Berlin School of Economics
/// Berlin School of Economics
Max Delbrück Center Graduate School
/// Biochemistry, Cancer research, Cardiovascular biology, Cell biology, Computational...
BfR Doctoral Training Programme
/// Aasessment of food and feed, microbiological and chemical substance safety, safety...
Stochastic Analysis in Interaction
iNAMES-MDC-Weizmann Helmholtz International Research School for Imaging from the NAno to the MESo
/// computational sciences, imaging data sciences, artificial intelligence, machine...
BIOphysical Quantitative Imaging Towards Clinical Diagnosis
/// Bridge, imaging, clinical, translation, medicine
Berlin School of Optical Sciences and Quantum Technologies (BOS.QT)
Berlin Industrial Engineering and Management (BIEM)
/// Engineering, Technology, Economics, Business
Doctoral Program History and Cultural Studies
Berlin Institute for the Foundation of Learning and Data (BIFOLD)
/// Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Computer and information sciences, Physical sciences,...
"Charging into the future": Understanding the interaction of polyelectrolytes with biosystems
/// GRK 2662 „Charging into the future“: Understanding the interaction of...
Science of Intelligence (SCIoI)
Dynamic Hydrogels at Biointerfaces
/// IRTG of CRC / SFB 1449 Dynamic Hydrogels at Biointerfaces Biophysics,...
Doctoral Program Natural Sciences
/// Natural Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Physics
IMPRS - Knowledge and Its Resources: Historical Reciprocities
/// Media and communications Humanities History and archaeology Languages and...
Normativity - Critique - Change
Crc1644: phenotypic plasticity in plants – mechanisms, constraints, and evolution, data assimilation - the collaborative research centre sfb1294.
Global Health
Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin
/// neurology, neuroscience, neurosciences, translation, translational neuroscience,...
TJ-Train – Tight junctions and their proteins: Molecular features and actions in health and disease
/// proteins, tight junctions, medicine, translation, molecular, regulation,...
approx. 3000
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Humboldt-Universität has proved to be a particularly attractive place for doctoral students.
Every year hundreds of top achievers on Master’s courses at German and international universities decide to take up doctoral studies at Humboldt, either within a structured doctoral programme or individually under the supervision of a professor.
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