Q: How does the application process for the PhD programme work?
To apply for the PhD programme, you must submit an application for admission to the Student Affairs Office. In addition to your Master's degree certificate (including proof of academic achievement), you must upload an exposé briefly outlining your planned dissertation project. For each application received, the study coordinator will set up a committee to assess whether the topic described in the submitted exposé is suitable and can be supervised at the department. It is therefore strongly recommended that you contact your desired main supervisor before submitting your application.
Q: Where can I find information about the expected achievements?
The curriculum provides an overview of the expected achievements (modules to be completed and structure of the dissertation): https://www.uibk.ac.at/media/filer_public/d7/41/d7416613-4730-4a8f-a9e5-37bc62cbbd41/phd_geographie_stand_01102024_en.pdf.
Q: Can I enrol in a PhD programme in geography if I do not have a master's degree in geography?
As part of the admission process, we will check whether you have a strongly or sufficiently related master's degree. Depending on the outcome of this assessment, you may be admitted to the PhD programme directly (provided that the topic described in the submitted exposé is suitable and can be supervised at the department), admitted with conditions (in which case you must complete certain courses worth a maximum of 30 ECTS credits within the first year of study), or rejected.
Q: Once I have been successfully admitted, does that mean my dissertation topic has already been registered?
No. The purpose of the exposé submitted as part of the admission process was only to ensure that every registered PhD student can be supervised at the department. The next step is to put together the supervision team, further develop the exposé, and then register the topic and the supervision team.
Q: How does a PhD supervision team look like?
The supervision team consists of a primary supervisor and a secondary supervisor. If necessary, an additional (third) supervisor and/or a contributing person may also be named. Please ensure that the selected supervisors meet the criteria described in §26 (1)-(5) of the statutes (https://www.uibk.ac.at/zentraler-rechtsdienst/richtlinien-und-verordnungen-des-rektorats/satzungsteile/stsb_konsolidierte_fassung.html.en).
Q: When should I register my topic and my supervisory team?
The dissertation topic and supervisory team must be registered using the form https://www.uibk.ac.at/fakultaeten-servicestelle/pruefungsreferate/forms/anmeldung-dissertation.docx and an accompanying exposé. Registration should take place shortly after the start of the PhD programme, at the latest after completion of Module 1. Please ensure that the exposé has been agreed with your supervisory team.
Q: How often do I have to submit an exposé?
Three times: A short exposé is required when applying for admission to the PhD programme, a second exposé when registering the dissertation topic. In addition, a detailed exposé must be prepared as part of the seminar in Module 1. After admission to the PhD programme, the following sequence can be chosen: You complete Module 1, prepare a detailed exposé as part of the seminar and then submit it with your dissertation topic registration (so that two of the three required exposés are identical). This sequence is not mandatory. If, for example, rapid registration of the topic is necessary for financial reasons, this can also be done before completing Module 1.
Q: What is the dissertation agreement?
Once the dissertation topic and supervision team have been registered, an agreement for the academic work is created in the VIS (administrative information system)(for detailed information see https://www.uibk.ac.at/studium/doktorate/dissertationsvereinbarung.html.de). The PhD student must upload the exposé (submitted when registering the topic) and schedule, and the main supervisor must also enter any meetings held as part of the supervision. In addition, this agreement specifies the courses and conference attendance required in Module 2 (Generic Skills), Module 3 (Core Academic Skills) and Module 5 (Participation in Academic Discourse). PhD students who hold a dissertation position financed from the university's global budget must send a screenshot of this agreement to the Human Resources Department so that their employment can be increased from 20 to 30 hours per week.
Q: How can I find the courses offered as part of the PhD programme?
The courses offered for modules 1, 2 and 4 can be found at https://lfuonline.uibk.ac.at/public/lfuonline_lv.home. You can also register for courses there (from 1 to 21 September for the winter semester and from 1 to 21 February for the summer semester).
Q: Which courses should I attend in Module 3?
Please consult with your primary supervisor to determine which courses you should take in Module 3 (Core Academic Skills). The courses you choose should provide you with the knowledge you need to complete your dissertation project. They may also be courses offered by other faculties (provided you can get a place there). Please check the course allocation for the respective course on LFU-online. If the desired course(s) relevant to your dissertation project is/are not assigned to a PhD programme but to a Master's programme, recognition must be clarified in advance with the programme coordinator (Studienbeauftragte:r).
Q: How do I complete Module 5?
Module 5 involves active participation in scientific discourse at conferences, workshops or summer schools. The events to be attended must be clarified with the main supervisor. Once you have attended the events, please send the details (date, abstract submitted, presentation/poster, etc.) to your main supervisor, who must issue an informal certificate. The certificate should contain information about the conferences/workshops/summer schools attended and must include a grade. This certificate will be forwarded to the Examination Office by the main supervisor.
Q: What role do IDCs play? What are the advantages of participating in an IDC?
The University of Innsbruck has internal doctoral colleges (Innsbruck Doctoral Colleges, IDCs, https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/forschung/forschungsprofil/doktoratskollegs/). It is best to discuss the possibilities for admission to an IDC with your supervisor. Being a member of an IDC has the following advantages: • Networking with other PhD students. • Access to special courses offered within the framework of the IDCs. • If you apply for a doctoral scholarship from the University of Innsbruck (https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/forschung/forschungsfoerderung/phd/dokstip/), applications from applicants who are involved in IDCs will be given priority if they are of equal academic quality.
Q: How do I inform the Examination Office that I have completed all courses?
To do so, you must fill out the examination record (available at https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/studien/phd-geographie/2009w/ --> Forms) and enter all completed courses in the corresponding modules 1 - 4. If the certificate for module 5 (see FAQ module 5) has not yet been submitted to the Examination Office, it must be submitted with the examination record at the latest.
Q: What do I need to bear in mind when submitting my dissertation?
The guidelines for submitting your dissertation are described here: https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/college-service-center/news/elektronische-einreichung-dissertation_en/
Q: What funding options are available?
It is best to discuss realistic options for funding your doctoral studies with your supervisor. In rare cases, dissertation positions are available at the institute (see https://lfuonline.uibk.ac.at/public/karriereportal.home?lang=en for announcements). Successfully acquired third-party funded projects may include dissertation positions. You can also apply for a scholarship (e.g. doctoral scholarship from the University of Innsbruck https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/forschung/forschungsfoerderung/phd/dokstip/, doc scholarship from the Austrian Academy of Sciences https://stipendien.oeaw.ac.at/en/fellowships/doc).