PhD Candidates usually have a three or four year appointment in which their primary task is to do research towards a doctoral dissertation. However, pursuing a PhD also involves taking courses in the PhD Training Programme (a cooperation between AISSR and the Graduate School of Social Sciences-GSSS), teaching Bachelor courses within the Departments of Social Sciences (SoCa, Pol and GPIO), and participating in the research community, not only at AISSR, but also at national and international levels.

PhD students are embedded in the AISSR programme group where their research is conducted. Their training programme is jointly offered by the AISSR and GSSS. AISSR and GSSS offer a PhD programme of up to 40 ECTS of courses. The programme consists of five basic parts: 

1. Methodology: advanced level qualitative and quantitative courses Methodology Clinic A and B (12 ECTS)
2. Theory: an advanced Social Science Theory Course (12 ECTS)
3. Choice and tailor made courses: courses fitting the individual PhD candidate's needs and featuring skills and topics that complement personal expertise and contribute to the project (6/9/12 ECTS)
4. Short Intensive Courses (SICs), organized by the PhD candidates themselves, these highly specialized courses offer in-depth lectures by visiting professors. (6 ETCS)
5. Transferable skills such as writing in English, publishing, use of media, presentation skills, etc. (1/3 ECTS)

AISSR Methodology Clinic A

The emphasis of Methodology Clinic A is on ethnographic and qualitative PhD projects, which mainly rely on participant observation, in-depth interviewing and detailed case studies.  It will concentrate on those methodological problems that occur in the everyday research processes as they develop. Moreover, it will try through mutual discussion (hence the label ‘Clinic') to distil and refine the participants' individual research agendas. 

AISSR Methodology Clinic B

The objective of this course is to help AISSR students of all disciplines to develop the research design and methodology for their own research project. We will discuss all stages of research: the theoretical conception of the research question via concept- and/or hypothesis-building, the definition and operationalisation of propositions, case and/or data selection and choice of method of analysis, as well as analysis and interpretation of results. This is not a methods course, but a course about research design. Using practical examples drawn from participants' projects, we will discuss the merits and shortcomings of different epistemological and methodological approaches, the ways in which research using these different approaches and methods can be designed and which common mistakes need to be avoided.

AISSR Theory Course

The Advanced Social Science Theory Course is organized in 15 meetings with a maximum of 10 students. Per meeting social science key concepts are being discussed based on old and modern classics. Each meeting will consist of an introduction by the lecturer, followed by a close reading of selected texts.

AISSR English Academic Writing Course

The course focuses on preparing participants to write up fieldwork, write articles for publication and to write PhD theses. It covers aspects of structure, grammar, the conventions of academic writing, the differences between writing for publication, for dissertations, and for information purposes (lay readers, 'popular science writing) and provides practical guidance on error correction.

AISSR Short Intensive Courses (SICs)

Short Intensive Courses (SICs) are initiated, developed and organised by PhD candidates themselves. Requirements of a SIC are:

1. To run a minimum of 67 hours, which if fulfilled, can grant a PhD candidate 2.5 ECT points for the course
2. To run a minimum of 3 days (3 days = 22 hours)
3. To specify a literature minimum: for first-year PhDs 50 pages = 2 hours; for later-year PhDs 25 pages = 2 hours
4. To conclude with the writing of a final paper = 15 hours
5. SIC proposals must be submitted to the programme group director and PhD coordinator. A proposal must include: a structured outline with education targets, educational tools, methodology, content, specification of which staff members are participating (at least one staff member must be available for the SIC) and a budget indication. The proposal may not exceed 2 pages.
6. At least 5 people must participate in a SIC and there must be clear statement of their commitment.

Examples of previous SICs (which may be repeated in similar form) include:

1. Time series analysis
2. Migration, medicine and reproductive insecurity
3. Visualisations, infographics and visual communication design for social science
4. Decision-making under information uncertainty, from perception to action
5. The body and technology
6. Authenticity beyond social constructionism

More information

• You can find more information in the attached AISSR PhD Guide.
• The actual running courses are announced on the Courses webpage.
• Concerning the Social Science Research Master you can visit the website of the Graduate school.