University of Basel

Department of
Social Sciences

Search

Doctoral curriculum

As a doctoral student in the social sciences, you are obliged to attend courses or other events for academic exchange in addition to your research work and thus earn credit points. It is possible to attain a doctorate in the social sciences with or without a connection to the G3S. With an affiliation to the G3S, the curriculum is extended by several credit points and the certificate of your doctoral degree indicates membership. Without affiliation to the G3S, you are automatically part of the faculty's Graduate School of Social Sciences and Humanities, the umbrella structure for all doctoral students at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Curriculum as a G3S member

Throughout the entire project phase, G3S members commit to attending courses of the doctoral program for a minimum of 18 credit points, with at least

  • 6 credit points in the area of "Methods and Theories of the Social Sciences"
  • 3 credit points in the "Interdisciplinary area" and
  • 3 credit points from the subject-specific offerings of the participating disciplines.
  • The remaining 6 credit points can be taken flexibly.

As a rule, G3S members acquire significantly more credit points. This is partly due to the fact that credit points can also be earned by presenting research results at scientific conferences, participating in courses offered by other universities and teaching. The governing body decides on the allocation of these and equivalent achievements to the three areas.


The G3S confirms the acquisition of the 18 credit points in the above-mentioned areas in writing. The confirmation is then submitted together with the dissertation manuscript. Further information on the procedure for formally completing the dissertation at the Faculty of Philology and History can be found here.

Further information

Quick Links

  • Professorships
  • Head & Organization

Social Media

To top