Graduate School of Arts

PhD students in the Arts open up culture in innovative ways and from multiple perspectives. A wide range of fields is available for those interested in languages and literature, for culture and history from the present to the remotest past. Twenty-three research units are grouped into five departments (history; linguistics; literature; archaeology, art history and musicology; area studies). They interact with each other within an international context. PhD students receive assistance in these different fields, each with its own methodology. The curriculum does not only lead to innovative research, but also contributes to communicative and management skills and introduces the participants to international networking. To open up culture does not only require knowledge, but also efficiency.

The PhD students enter into direct contact with the sources of our civilisation (Greece, Rome, and the Ancient Near East) and with other civilisations (China, Japan, the Muslim world) and are taught to understand the complex meanings of texts and artefacts. Research includes the historical dimension and present day culture, the roll of literature, music, plastic arts, but also the most recent political and social developments. Linguists study the system of language and its variations, often with the help of computer technology.  The doctoral programme is linked up with philosophy, sociology, economy, religion and performative arts.