Eine Studierende lernt an einem Tisch in der Universitätsbibliothek und blättert in ihren Lernunterlagen

Interdisciplinary Doctoral programme Antiquity and Modernity in a European Context

Inter-faculty study programme

University degree

Doctor of Philosophy „Dr. phil.“

Start of studies

Summer term 2025

Duration of study

6 semesters

Teaching language

German, English

type of study programme

Full-time

About the study programme

In the interdisciplinary doctoral programme Antiquity and Modernity in a European Context, students research and analyse the way in which individuals and groups relate to their social, material, and transcendental world in ancient and modern European social systems. Doctoral students learn how to investigate sociological, philosophical, political, and theological or religious questions from an academically rigorous perspective in the context of European cultures and societies, and those with close connections to Europe, now and in the past. Since scholarly analysis in these fields of research and enquiry touches on many different subject areas, it requires interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches and working methods. This study programme therefore combines the study of theology, philosophy, religion, sociology, law, politics, language, literature, culture, and ancient history, integrating methods and theoretical approaches from all these areas. As a result, these junior researchers become opinion leaders with a historical focus in socially relevant topic areas, such as “tradition”, “memory”, “the modern world”, “individualisation”, “religion”, and “culture”.

Curriculum*

*courtesy translation

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Qualifications profile

Graduates of this doctoral programme will have acquired expertise in the following areas:

Highly developed methodological and methodical skills in the various individual disciplines, which are also appropriate backgrounds for admission (ancient history, theological and religious studies, sociological and cultural studies),
Familiarity with current research issues in religious, social and cultural studies, and historical sciences, as well as in theoretical aspects of the humanities and social sciences, and qualitative, empirical research,
The ability to devise specific research methods and theoretical concepts for the analysis of selected problems and issues, and to contribute to scholarly discourse in these topic areas,
Authorship of scholarly publications at an internationally recognised level.

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Career prospects

Graduates of the Doctoral Programme in “Ancient and Modern Cultures and Societies in the European Context” will be qualified to work as junior researchers in universities and non-university research institutions. They are also eligible for roles in practical contexts such as archives and museums, media and cultural organisations, educational institutions, academies, and church organisations; they will be able to lead projects in cultural and religious organisations, as well as in the field of cultural pluralism, and to contribute to their development. This broad education gives graduates an overview of interdisciplinary and social relationships and discourse, informed by in-depth historical understanding, linking modern and premodern perspectives; they will be able to work not only in university research, but also in roles at the intersection of academic research and the arts, cultural policy, adult education, or public administration and church organisations, as well as in consulting roles. As historians, literary and cultural scholars, philosophers, sociologists, or theologians in academic and professional contexts, graduates of this programme are destined to contribute to the development of the international research landscape, for prestigious careers in the social sciences and humanities, and to use the extensive knowledge they have acquired to examine the structures of everyday life in detail and to work for the benefit of society.

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Note on registration

A prerequisite for admission to the doctoral programme at the University of Graz is generally a degree or diploma in a relevant subject area from a recognised Austrian or foreign post-secondary institution.

First of all, the supervision agreement and the application for admission to the doctoral school as well as the application for admission to doctoral studies must be completed. The application must then be submitted via UNIGRAZonline.

Admission

Qualifications profile
Career prospects
Note on registration

„For my research project I’m finding the broad range of expertise amongst the teaching staff and other students enormously helpful. I also like the fact that the curriculum includes specific elements that help me with my doctoral thesis, and recognises non-university experience.“

Teresa

Deadlines for application

The submission deadlines for admission applications vary depending on the doctoral programme.

Further information

Questions about Doctoral Programmes?

The Doctoral Academy is happy to help you!

: Personal meetings by appointment only.
: doktorat(at)uni-graz.at
: doctoral-academy.uni-graz.at
: Heinrichstraße 22/2, 8010 Graz

: +43 316 380 - 1212

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