The Berlin Graduate School for Transnational Studies (BTS), a joint endeavour of the Freie Universität Berlin, the Hertie School of Governance and the Social Science Research Center Berlin, announces its next call for applications for its full-time PhD programme. All three are leading institutions in the field of international relations and EU studies. The programme draws upon their faculty, research projects, facilities and services.

The three-year English language doctoral programme at BTS is designed for exceptionally talented and motivated graduate students. It offers state-of-the-art survey classes, a solid training in research methods and research design, soft skills courses and individualized supervision. The programme has a strong focus on transnational processes analysed by social science methods. BTS welcomes applications from political science and adjacent disciplines like economics, history, law, and area studies. Research at BTS focuses on the structures, risks and chances of cross-border interaction at various levels, assuming that as a result of the globalization process, the relevance of national societies and actors is declining in favor of transnational ones. 

BTS is financially supported by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Hertie Foundation. The graduate students profit from renowned international scholars and from international PhD workshops offered in cooperation with its international partners.

A complete application must include the following: 

• An exceptionally strong completed postgraduate (master’s) degree qualifying for PhD studies in political science, international relations, sociology, economics, law, or related disciplines;
• Proof of C1-level English language skills or the equivalent;
• An up-to-date CV;
• A short letter of motivation (600 words maximum);
• A research proposal (5,000 words maximum) with a timetable for your project;
• Two letters of reference from professors at universities or research institutions.
• Applicants should familiarize themselves with the research interests of the BTS faculty members and indicate one or several supervisors in their application.

Deadline for Applications: 31 January 2015. For more information please click here