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Are you in search of an inspiring research environment? Are you looking to improve your scientific and analytical skills to prepare you for a career in research and academia? The PhD programme at the Vienna School of International Studies might just be what you are looking for! The four-year doctoral programme ‘Interdisciplinary International Studies’ (IIS) is organised in cooperation with the University of Vienna open to graduates who wish to pursue a research project linking at least two of the four disciplines legal studies, political science, international economics and history.
Throughout the programme, doctoral candidates are guided by internationally acclaimed scholars from all over the world, who are dedicated to support our students' academic journeys exploring scientific skills, data collection and analysis as well as academic publications among others.
In addition to that, IIS students have the opportunity to participate in the academic life at the DA through teaching activities, research assistantships and more. The small but vibrant research community at the DA provides PhD students with opportunities to connect with peers in advanced academic positions.
The doctoral programme is built on three modules: Module 1 at the Vienna School of International Studies (“DA”), Module 2 at the University of Vienna (UW) and Module 3 “Disssertation”.
- For Module 1 (DA), doctoral students are required to complete coursework and sit field examinations in both disciplines. Coursework includes research seminars, workshops, courses relevant for their research topic and extensive reading courses focussing on their research disciplines.
- For Module 2 (UW), students are required to develop their research project. To complete this module students are expected to hold a colloquium (“faculty public presentation”) to discuss their dissertation prospectus with the dissertation committee to gain approval for the project.
- Module 3 focuses on research and writing of the doctoral thesis. The primary purpose of PhD study is the preparation and presentation of a substantial piece of original research in the form of a thesis.
For more detailed information on the PhD IIS programme, please consult the information tabs and documents on this page or contact us. To apply, please visit our application portal at https://application.da-vienna.ac.at .
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Phd iis key facts.
Programme start: September 2025
Application deadline: 15 January 2025
Admission results: Beginning of June 2025
Tuition fee*: EUR 15,500
Financial assistance: Financial Support Application Form
* applies to Module 1 only
PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
Supervision, faculty list of potential reserach supervisors.
"There really is no other place like the Diplomatische Akademie Wien; not only is the level of commitment by the students incredible, the academic possibilities are also endless. My favourite part of pursuing my PhD at the DA are my weekly meetings with my supervisor, Professor Patrick Müller, where we not only discuss my project in depth, but all stages and processes related to my PhD. This highlights the level of dedication of my incredible supervisor at the DA. I could not imagine a better place to pursue my PhD!"
Charlott Gebauer 3 rd PhD in IIS programme, Vienna School of International Studies
"During the first year of the doctoral programme, classes at both the Vienna School of International Studies and the University of Vienna helped me to broaden and deepen my knowledge of international relations and African studies, and to get to know my fellow students. Furthermore, I was in close contact with my supervisors, who greatly helped me to refine my proposal."
Colin Hendrickx 3 rd PhD in IIS programme, Vienna School of International Studies
"The first year of the programme has allowed me to come away with an excellent understanding of all of the requisite fundamentals of both international relations theory and international law. The strong and vibrant faculty at the DA was of paramount importance throughout the planning process of my research project."
Vanessa Sant’Anna Bonifacio Tavares 2 nd PhD in IIS programme, Vienna School of International Studies
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PhD Law and Politics
University degree.
Doctor of Philosophy „PhD“
Start of studies
Summer term 2025
Duration of study
6 semesters
Teaching language
Type of study programme, about the study programme.
The PhD programme in Law and Politics brings together research and teaching of law and political science, combining subjects and disciplines from both areas, at the doctoral level. A problem-oriented understanding of the interactions and interdependencies between law and politics is essential for the scholarly development of theory and method in these disciplines, and thus also for the further development of basic research in universities. This approach is also important from a practical perspective for academically informed legal and political advisory purposes.
- Qualifications profile
The aim of the PhD in Law and Politics is to provide junior researchers with an outstanding education of an internationally recognised standard. Active participation in the compulsory and elective courses will ensure doctoral students gain an insight into the forefront of current national and international research, and make their own material contribution. This gives early-career researchers an interdisciplinary and comparative academic education at the interface between questions which can be better researched from a legal perspective or a political one. By developing their critical and reflective thinking skills, young researchers are also appropriately prepared to formulate recommendations for improvements in public policy.
Over the course of the doctoral programme, young researchers learn to examine current issues in these disciplines independently, and to develop these into specific research projects, thus making an effective contribution to scholarly discourse through their own autonomous research work. To facilitate this, the programme includes comprehensive teaching of the theory and methodological skills needed for academic research between and into several different disciplines.
- Career prospects
Graduates of the PhD in Law and Politics are ideally qualified to work as junior researchers in national and international projects at universities and in non-university institutions, and for research roles or to provide academically informed legal and political advice in public administration, international organisations and the private sector. Their extensive knowledge and skills in the crossover area between law and political science, and ability to take perspectives from the humanities, social and economic sciences into account, mean they are well prepared to help find solutions for current complex interdisciplinary problems in the academic world, politics, the economy and society. Consequently they are highly qualified not only for academic work, but also for expert legal and political roles in national and European administrative bodies, international organisations and business functions concerned with strategic management.
- Note on registration
A prerequisite for admission to the doctoral programme at the University of Graz is a degree or diploma in a relevant subject area from a recognised Austrian or foreign post-secondary institution, as well as the fulfillment of the qualitative admission criteria.
Doctoral Academy
Deadlines for application
The submission deadlines for admission applications vary depending on the doctoral programme.
Further information
Questions about PhD Law and Politics?
The academic coordinator is happy to help you, send us a message.
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