Young researchers can pursue doctoral projects in all the subjects and research areas represented at Bielefeld University. As well as faculty-based and disciplinary research areas, Bielefeld University has a number of university-wide interdisciplinary research areas which bring together scientists from several faculties, in particular strategic research fields in "Theories and Methodologies in History and Sociology", "Human Development, Conflict and Violence", "Interactive Intelligent Systems", "Molecular and Nanosciences" and "Theoretical Sciences".
Information on the research areas in the Faculties as well as the strategic interdisciplinary research areas represented at Bielefeld University can be found on the web pages of the individual faculties and here.
There are a large number of research training groups, graduate schools and doctoral study programmes at Bielefeld University, in particular focused around the strategic research areas, which attest to the importance of structured doctoral degree programmes at Bielefeld University. Bielefeld University is in the process of strategically developing existing structures at this level and is in the process of establishing lage, interdisciplinary graduate schools in the strategic research areas which themselves serve as a umbrella for further programmes. The Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology and the graduate school of the Cluster of Excellence in Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC), both of which financed in the framework of the Excellence Initiative, exemplify this strategy.
In many subjects the traditional individual doctorate ("freie Promotion") with intensive supervision continues to play an important role.
Information on the formalities associated with doing a PhD at Bielefeld University (entry and admission requirements, application procedure, enrolling at the university) is available here.
The doctoral degree regulations of the individual Faculties can be found here.
Further information on the graduate schools and research training groups at Bielefeld University is available here.
Bielefeld University offers doctoral candidates a high-quality, needs-oriented supervision and has committed itself to "Guidelines for supervising doctoral theses" ("Leitlinien der guten Betreuung von Promotionen"). These guidelines were drawn up in an internal working group in which academic staff from different disciplines and faculties were involved. The Guidelines for supervising doctoral theses are at present only available in German, but are in the process of being translated. They are available as a download here.
A brochure PhD Projects at Bielefeld University which was published to mark the 40th anniversary of Bielefeld University is available here.
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