Department for Political Science
University of Zurich
Department for Political Science
Affolternstrasse 56.
CH-8050 Zurich
Phone +41 44 634 38 41
Fax +41 44 634 49 25 www.ipz.uzh.ch
This guideline provides together with the doctoral degree regulations
(Promotionsverordnung) of the University of Zurich, Faculty of Philosophy, and the doctoral rules (Doktoratsordnung) of the Institute of Political Science about the
Doctoral Program of the Institute of Political Sciences (to accept under reserve until the
Doktoratsordnung will be enacted) the basis for the doctorate in political science at
UZH.
Preface
The University of Zurich is member of the League of European Research Universities
( LERU ). LERU University members are committed to deliver the highest standards of excellence in a doctoral education.
Europe must support and promote excellence as a primary goal of research-driven doctoral training. The doctoral education, the third cycle in the Bologna process, differs widely from the first two cycles in that it is intimately tied to the research process. It is more flexible and more individualized than the Bachelor and Master level. Quality assurance of a doctoral training contains quality of supervision and curriculum, high completion and reasonable time to degree rates.
1. Profile of the Doctoral Program
In addition to the top priority of pursuing an academic career in Social Science, the aim of the
Doctoral Program in Political Science at the Institute of Political Science (IPZ) is to develop disciplinary skills, that is, the Ph.D. students learn to develop competencies in their own research field, especially in methods and applications, and beyond. Moreover, transferable skills are achieved including university didactics, communication, writing research grant applications, leadership skills, project management, scientific writing and presenting as well as international research experiences. At the same time they will also qualify as future scientists or for positions in demanding positions in the public and private sector. These skills promote the qualification.
Co-operation among institutions creates opportunities to achieve excellence in Doctoral programs for all institutions throughout network initiatives. To develop an international perspective, co-operations with European and non-European universities and research institutions as well as mobility are actively promoted, and researchers from other universities are invited regularly. Doctoral candidates are encouraged to spend some time at another research university.
The professors of the Institute provide assistance in co-operation through their international scientific network. Moreover, such efforts are acknowledged with ECTS points. Professors and researchers of national and international universities will be invited regularly to give lectures within summer schools and in other parts of the curriculum.
There are no funds offered by the program.
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Department for Political Science
2. Structure of the Doctorate at the IPZ
The IPZ provides two different tracks for doctoral training: the general doctoral program
(Allgemeines Doktorat) with 12 ECTS volume course work, and the Structural Doctoral
Program “Political Science” (strukturiertes Doktoratsprogramm) with 30 ECTS volume course work. Generally the doctorate is conceptualized according to the recommendations of the Extended University Board (Erweiterte Universitätsleitung). For both tracks, the core element of the Ph.D. is the conduction of broad academic research, the completion of a doctoral dissertation and the defense exam of the Ph.D. thesis. Ph.D. students elaborate the doctoral agreement (Doktoratsvereinbarung) together with their doctoral committee
(Promotionskommission). The committee has to be installed within the first year of study.
During the first meeting the doctoral agreement has to be signed.
This committee is composed of the main supervisor (hauptverantwortliche Betreuungsperson) and additional supervisors. For the general doctorate the committee consists of two
Professors, for the Structural Doctoral Program, it consists of at least three professors. The majority of the supervisors MUST be from the UZH.
The doctoral agreement ensures the quality of the Ph.D. degree. Students can select their course work individually within the intended 3 years (extension is possible) according to the doctoral program regulation and the doctoral agreement (Doktoratsvereinbarung). This document ensures the quality of the Ph.D. degree while it serves as an orientation instrument; it can be adapted to needs and requirements at all times. The doctoral committee meets regularly with the Ph.D. student (at least annually) in order to assess the status of research and to provide feedback. Meetings are guaranteed at the beginning of the Ph.D., annually and at the end of the Ph.D. studies to offer advice for the future career. The prescribed period of study (3 years) implicates at least 4 meetings with the doctoral committee. The Coordination of the Doctoral Program offers support at all times. The agreement can be adapted to changing conditions.
Fig. 1: Meetings of Ph.D. students and their doctoral committee time
1. Year after 1. Year
2. Year
3. Year target
Entrance consultation (main supervisor, additional committee member and program co-ordination (Project-and module planning), presentation in the PhD colloquium is required
Adaptation of project and selected modules, (doctoral committee)
Adaptation of project and selected modules; interim report to doctoral committee, copy handed to the program co-ordination; short presentation (oral, poster, etc.) within the IPZ, e.g. in the PhD colloquium, or other scientific circles, e.g. international conferences
1
Adaptation of project and selected modules; interim report to doctoral committee, copy handed to the program co-ordination; short presentation (oral, poster, etc.) within the IPZ, e.g. in the PhD colloquium, or other scientific circles, e.g. international conferences
X Year Completion Career advice
1 At least one additional presentation has to take place within the PhD colloquium.
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Department for Political Science
3. Doctoral Studies –
General Doctoral Program - Curriculum
The curriculum of the General Doctoral Program comprises modules of minimum 10 ECTS points in disciplinary skills and of minimum 2 ECTS points in transferable skills . Skill categories are grouped into disciplinary and transferable skills as listed in Table 1. The doctoral colloquium (2 consecutive semesters, 2 ECTS each semester) is compulsory. In each module category a max. of 6 ECTS points can be accredited. The PhD colloquium is compulsory and has to be book for two consecutive semesters, normally starting within the first semester of enrolement. Exceptions can be made by agreement of the program director.
Structural Doctoral Program “Political Science” - Curriculum
The Structural Doctoral Program “Political Science” offers a broad education to prepare doctoral candidates to establish themselves successfully in the highly competitive international job market. The Structural Doctoral Programs will assert their position as the third pillar in academic education of the Bologna process. Within the program 30 ECTS points have to be obtained. The PhD colloquium is compulsory and has to be book for two consecutive semesters, normally starting within the first semester of enrolement. Exceptions can be made by agreement of the program director. (PVO § 21b).
The curriculum of the Structural Doctoral Program comprises modules of min. 24 ECTS points in disciplinary skills and of min. 6 ECTS points in transferable skills. Skill Categories are listed in tab. 2 and are grouped into disciplinary and transferable skills. In each category, a maximum of 6 ECTS points can be accredited.
Compulsary Modules (18 ECTS):
4 ECTS for PhD Colloquium. (disciplinary skills)
2 ECTS for Module „Research Design & Implementation“ (disciplinary skills)
12 ECTS for Module „Advanced Methods“ (disciplinary skills)
The PhD Colloquium and Research Design & Implementation must be completed in-house, while the Methods module can be partly booked external.
Additionally, regular progress milestones (e.g. dissertation proposal, first conference participation, conference paper and presentation) must be achieved throughout the program.
- First year: dissertation proposal within PhD colloquium
- Second year: first conference or Workshop participation with poster or presentation
- Third year: conference paper and presentation, national or international
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Department for Political Science
Elective Modules (12 ECTS)
Categories of skills
Disciplinary skills (6 ECTS)
Colloquium : Internal, compulsory
Research experience : grant application, scientific manuscript, which is not part of the cumulative dissertation
Research methods : coursework in statistics, evaluation, empirical research methods etc.
Conference : Scientific conference with an own contribution
Courses of the own research area and relevant fields
Research visit at another university or research institute
Publications
Workshops : Academic/university workshops
Summer Schools : Academic/university summer schools
Transferable skills (6 ECTS)
Workshops/Summer Schools : Academic/university workshops/Summer Schools in transferable skills
Committees : Collaboration in academic committees
Mentoring : Academic/university mentoring
Language courses relevant for a research visit abroad or for publishing
University didactics , e.g. coursework in how to teach students
Scientific Communication , e.g. presentation skills, writing research papers for publication
Teaching at university level
Management & Financing , acquisition of research grants, project management, time management,
Communication skills, leadership
The doctoral committee in co-operation with the program co-ordination may recognize and accredit ECTS points that were obtained outside the University of Zurich.
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Department for Political Science
„disciplinary skills“
(10 ECTS)
„transferable skills“ (2 ECTS)
General Doctoral Program
Module
Workshops
Summerschool
Workshop, Summerschools etc.
Committees
Mentoring/Brown Bag Lunch
Language courses
ECTS-
PhD – colloquium (compulsory)(1. + 2. semester)
Research Experience
Research Methods
Conference
Course of own field of research and dissertation relevant field (also e-learning)
Research visit/stay abroad
4
In each category, a maximum of
6 ECTS points can be accredited
Publications
University Didactics
Scientific Communication
Teaching
Management & Finance
Writing Dissertation
Final difense
12
–
–
12 ECTS-Punkte
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Department for Political Science
Structural Doctoral Program „Political Science” ECTS-Punkte
Module
„disciplinary skills“
(24 ECTS Punkte)
„transferable skills“
(6 ECTS Punkte)
Writing Dissertation
Final difense
PhD – colloquium (compulsory)(1. + 2. semester) 4
Advanced Methods (compulsary)
Research design & Implementation (2. Semester)
Course of own field of research and dissertation relevant field (also e-learning)
Research Experience
Research visit/stay abroad
Publications
Workshops
In each category, a maximum of 6 ECTS points can be accredited
12
2
Summerschool
Workshop, Summerschools etc.
Committees
Mentoring/Brown Bag Lunch
Language courses
University Didactics
In each category, a maximum of 6 ECTS points can be accredited
Scientific Communication
Teaching
Management & Finance
6
6
–
–
30 ECTS-Punkte
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Department for Political Science
Upon approval by the doctoral committee, modules may be selected individually in accordance with the doctoral agreement. Modules MUST be booked via the UZH module booking tool.
If there are problems please contact the co-ordination doctoral program via Email
Petra.Holtrup@pw.uzh.ch
. Further details for each course are posted on the internet.
ECTS points will be approved by the program co-ordination. The number of participants in the courses may be restricted. Further information is available on the website of the IPZ- doctorate - curriculum
Following regulations apply in the case of overbooking:
Doctoral students of the Structural Doctoral Program will be considered first, then doctoral students of the General Doctoral Program, and last other Ph.D. students, who are not participating in the Doctoral
Program and thus do not need any ECTS points. Also, the registration point of time is taken into account among Ph.D. students of the same status. If Ph.D. students wish to participate in coursework of other institutions, they must consult the Coordination of the Doctoral Program to discuss whether and how many ECTS points will be accredited for those courses.
External courses are credited by the program co-ordination. You will find a sheet for accreditation of external modules on the website of the doctorate – forms. If you are unsure, that the planed course work will be adequate to the PhD level, please contact the program co-ordination in advance,
BEFORE doing the course work. This is of mayor importance for the selection of specific summer school courses in methods training.
Upon application it is possible to switch from the General Doctoral Program to the Structured Doctoral
School and vice versa if the doctoral committee approves.
The Doctoral Program is completed, if the doctoral thesis has been successfully defended and 12 or
30 ECTS points have been accredited. 1 ECTS point is equivalent to 30 hours of workload including course attendance, preparation and follow-up time, and assignments. ECTS points are accredited only, if the assignments of the corresponding module were met sufficiently. Partial module accreditation is not possible
The University of Zurich, Faculty of Philosophy, awards students who completed the Doctoral
Program with the title of «Doctor of Philosophy» or Ph.D.
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