Graduate Schools

Earn a doctorate at one of Freie Universität’s graduate schools in an academic environment devoted to excellence. Source: Bernd Wannenmacher

Since graduate schools play a pivotal role in the development of internationally competitive centers of top research, the Excellence Initiative called on universities to submit draft plans for the development of a central research area on the basis of existing structures. The selection criteria included the quality of the academic and scientific work done by the participating researchers and the quality of the location as a site of scientific and academic work, planned admissions criteria, plans for educating and supervising doctoral candidates, structures to promote autonomy early in researchers’ careers, the ability to recruit students both nationally and internationally, and quality assurance across the academic and scientific education process.

Across Germany, 39 graduate schools were granted funding under the Excellence Initiative, five of them at Freie Universität. Under the umbrella of the Dahlem Research School, these graduate schools represent an important aspect of Freie Universität’s strategic efforts to promote and support the next generation of scholars and scientists. At the schools, structured doctoral study programs that offer holistic education and supervision of doctoral candidates create a unique, inspirational, and productive environment for graduate students.