PhD / Doctorate •

Degree

Dr phil

Teaching language

• German
• English

Languages

Courses are held in German (50%) and English (50%). PhD students can choose to write the dissertation in either language.

Programme duration

6 semesters

Beginning

Winter and summer semester

Application deadline

31 May (winter semester)
30 November (summer semester)

Tuition fees per semester in EUR

None

Combined Master's degree / PhD programme

No

Joint degree / double degree programme

No

Description/content

The Graduate School Empirical and Applied Linguistics offers promising young researchers an interdisciplinary PhD programme with a focus on linguistics. Professors are drawn from the following broad range of subjects, thus ensuring multidisciplinary collaboration:

• General Linguistics (Typology, Language Documentation and Description, Theoretical Linguistics)
• Second Language Acquisition / Applied Linguistics
• German Linguistics
• English Philology
• Romance Linguistics (French)
• Romance Linguistics (Italian)
• Romance Linguistics (Spanish)
• Dutch Philology
• Scandinavian Studies
• Slavic Studies
• Indo-European Studies
• Greek Philology
• Byzantine Studies
• Latin Philology
• Medieval and Modern Latin Philology
• Psychology (Psycholinguistics)
• Anthropology

Doctoral students in the PhD programme Empirical and Applied Linguistics can write their dissertation on any linguistic subject area, including applied linguistics, second language acquisition, and a linguistic topic within the framework of a specific philology. Students can choose whether to focus on a more theoretical or a more practical topic, provided that the dissertation has a solid empirical basis. The goal of the PhD programme is to ensure that the doctoral student is proficient in various methods of linguistic data collection and analysis and can therefore use these methods in a critical and reflective way.

All doctoral students will receive individual supervision from two faculty members. In order to enable a well supervised and efficiently completed PhD programme, a written supervision agreement detailing the student's goals and time frame will be drawn up before the doctoral student takes up her or his studies.

Studying at the Graduate School thus involves a constant exchange of ideas with the other doctoral students and exposure to the everyday workings of scientific enquiry. Because of its flexibility, the programme can accommodate each student's individual interests and plans for the future.

Course organisation

All doctoral students will meet on a regular basis in an informal type of colloquium or workshop in order to discuss methodological and theoretical issues. On three different occasions, they also have to attend the more formal Colloquium of the Doctoral Students where they have to report on the progress of their dissertation research and preparation:

• Proposal defence, usually at the end of the first semester
• Mid-term review, usually towards the end of the third semester
• Thesis defence at the end of the fifth semester

In addition to these obligatory courses, the programme comprises elements that can be tailored to meet each student's individual preferences and needs:

• An individually planned obligatory study programme covering 10 ECTS points
• An elective course from the element Teaching, Lecturing, Publishing that comprises at least 8 ECTS points
• An elective course from the element Organisation of Scientific Activities and Supplementary Studies equalling at least 12 ECTS points

Studying at the Graduate School thus involves a constant exchange of ideas with the other doctoral students and exposure to the everyday workings of scientific enquiry. Because of its flexibility, the programme can accommodate each student's individual interests and plans for the future.

International elements

• International guest lecturers
• Specialist literature in other languages
• Language training provided

Course-specific, integrated German language courses

No

Course-specific, integrated English language courses

No

Tuition fees per semester in EUR

None

Semester contribution

Students must pay a semester contribution fee of 316.98 EUR per semester. This includes a "semester ticket" covering public transportation in the greater Münster area as well as the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

You can find more information here:
https://www.uni-muenster.de/studieninteressierte/en/einschreibung/semesterbeitrag.shtml

Costs of living

We recommend that students budget at least 900 EUR per month to cover personal expenses (accommodation, living expenses, health insurance).

Funding opportunities within the university

Yes

Description of the above-mentioned funding opportunities within the university

The Graduate School Empirical and Applied Linguistics does not offer scholarships for the entire duration of the doctoral studies. However, there is the possibility to receive financial support for international conferences and stays abroad.

Academic admission requirements

University degree: Master's or Magister or an equivalent degree (Diplom, Staatsexamen, Maîtrise)
For details regarding applications, see: http://www.uni-muenster.de/Promotionskolleg-Sprachwissenschaft/en/index.html

Language requirements

All students should at least understand written and spoken German and English well enough to be able to follow lectures and to read scientific papers. Should these language skills be missing, intensive language courses should be taken in order to meet these minimum requirements as quickly as possible.

Being able to actively speak German and English is not mandatory because you can meet all of the course and study requirements, including writing the dissertation, with just one language. However, without some basic communicative skills in spoken German, life in Münster will not really be fun.

Application deadline

31 May (winter semester)
30 November (summer semester)

Submit application to

E-mail: [email protected]

Accommodation

As in all popular university cities in Germany, accommodation is in high demand and is not easy to find in Münster – but it’s not impossible either!

Please contact the International Office (Bachelor's and Master's students) or the WWU Graduate Centre (doctoral candidates) for advice. Please also note that the University of Münster (like most German public universities) does not have its own student halls of residence.

Structured research and supervision

Yes

Research training / discussion

Yes

Support for international students and doctoral candidates

• Specialist counselling

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