PhD / Doctorate •

Degree

Dr rer pol; Dr iur

In cooperation with

Universities of Bologna, Rennes 1, and Rotterdam

Teaching language

• English

Languages

All courses and supervision are held in English.

The dissertation has to be written in English.

Programme duration

8 semesters

Beginning

Winter semester

Application deadline

The application deadline is usually in mid-January. Please check http://www.edle-phd.eu for the specific date.

(Application period: November to January)

Tuition fees per semester in EUR

1,800 EUR

Additional information on tuition fees

The tuition fee of 3,600 EUR is a yearly fee that is to be paid at the beginning of the academic year. It may be (partially) waived in exceptional cases. The most promising applicants to the EDLE programme are granted a scholarship that comprises payment of the tuition fee.

Combined Master's degree / PhD programme

No

Joint degree / double degree programme

Yes

Description/content

The European Doctorate in Law and Economics (EDLE) offers an outstanding scientific education in the interdisciplinary research field of law and economics. Economists and lawyers interested in the economic foundations and effects of divergent legal rules are invited to apply.

Research topics of the EDLE are chosen within the general theme of "Tensions between efficiency and other goals of general interest". For new and more defined research topics, please consult the website.

EDLE is a joint doctoral programme by four of the leading European universities in the field of law and economics: the Universities of Bologna, Hamburg, Rotterdam, and Rennes 1. EDLE aims at addressing a new class of outstanding PhD researchers from all over the world. Successful candidates will receive multiple doctoral degrees.

Course organisation

The EDLE programme is carried out with the teaching and supervising support of the partner universities, and it lasts for four years.

In their first semester, students attend advanced courses in law and economics at the University of Bologna and receive intense training on formulating their research question. The courses introduce methods of law and economics research, such as econometrics, game theory, experimental economics, and behavioural law and economics. However, the programme also includes courses in corporate law, competition law, and law and economics of intellectual property rights.

In the second semester, the Universität Hamburg Summer School in Law and Economics introduces students to leading international researchers during an intense lecture programme with a duration of several weeks. Topics represent research challenges of fundamental and current interest in the field of law and economics. During this summer school, EDLE candidates have the opportunity to build and expand their personal international research network with leading scholars and external doctoral students. Within the summer school, the Hamburg EDLE Conference will be held to offer doctoral students a forum for presenting their own research work. Moreover, students will attend the Empirical Legal Studies course, which will allow them to acquire empirical skills.

In their third semester, students participate in seminars and relevant courses at the Erasmus School of Law to refine the methods and contents of their PhD theses.

The remaining two and a half years are spent in close contact with the team of supervisors in Bologna, Hamburg, Rennes 1, and Rotterdam. Under special conditions and in certain cases, it is also possible to spend a research period elsewhere.

The multiple doctoral degrees will be awarded by the Universities of Bologna, Hamburg, Rotterdam, and (if applicable) Rennes 1 upon successful completion of the programme.

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International elements

• Integrated study abroad unit(s)
• Courses are led with foreign partners
• International guest lecturers

Integrated study abroad unit(s)

Students are obliged to spend at least one semester each at Universität Hamburg, the University of Bologna, and the Erasmus University Rotterdam and attend the educational activities offered on-site (lectures and seminars). With the consent of the board of directors, students can spend periods in other law and economics research institutions to work on their theses, e.g. Rennes 1.

Course-specific, integrated German language courses

Yes

Course-specific, integrated English language courses

No

Tuition fees per semester in EUR

1,800 EUR

Additional information on tuition fees

The tuition fee of 3,600 EUR is a yearly fee that is to be paid at the beginning of the academic year. It may be (partially) waived in exceptional cases. The most promising applicants to the EDLE programme are granted a scholarship that comprises payment of the tuition fee.

Semester contribution

At Universität Hamburg, there is a semester fee of approx. 340 EUR per semester. This fee includes a semester ticket covering public transport in the Hamburg metropolitan area.

Costs of living

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

Funding opportunities within the university

Yes

Description of the above-mentioned funding opportunities within the university

International full-time students may apply for merit scholarships or exam grants of Universität Hamburg. We recommend contacting our colleagues in the Department of International Affairs  for further guidance.

Academic admission requirements

Academic admission requirements include a Master's degree (or German "Diplom") in law or economics, or an equivalent university degree. Preference will be given to candidates with a background in law and economics.

Language requirements

A certificate of proficiency in English (FCE, CAE, CPE, BEC, British Chamber of Commerce, Trinity College, TOEFL, IELTS) is required in the event that the applicant's native language is not English.

Please check https://edle-phd.eu/for-doctoral-students/  for details.

Only applicants who studied for a period of at least two and a half years in the following countries do not need to submit a certificate: UK, USA, Canada (except for Quebec), Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and South Africa. All other applicants have to submit a certificate of English proficiency.

Application deadline

The application deadline is usually in mid-January. Please check http://www.edle-phd.eu for the specific date.

(Application period: November to January)

Submit application to

Completed applications can be submitted online via the EDLE website at https://edle-phd.eu/for-doctoral-students/  once the application window opens (usually in November).

Possibility of finding part-time employment

Students who enrol in a full-time programme will generally have only a limited time for part-time jobs. As a rule, students who hold a student residence permit may work for up to 120 full days or 240 half days per year. Further information on work regulations for international students at Universität Hamburg is available at the Department of International Affairs (https://www.uni-hamburg.de/en/internationales/studierende/incoming/studium-mit-abschluss.html ) and at the Counselling Centre for Study Financing (https://www.studierendenwerk-hamburg.de/en/counselling/counselling-centre-for-study-financing-best ).

Accommodation

Accommodation is available through the "Studierendenwerk" (student services) or on the private market. The "Studierendenwerk" provides rooms in halls of residence, most of which are single rooms with shared kitchens and showers/WCs. We strongly advise students and researchers to arrange accommodation prior to arriving in Hamburg, as demand for affordable accommodation is sometimes larger than supply.
For more information on how to find accommodation and how to plan your first steps in Hamburg, please see: https://www.uni-hamburg.de/piasta/beratung/doc/willkommen.pdf .

Structured research and supervision

Yes

Research training / discussion

Yes

Support for international students and doctoral candidates

• Specialist counselling
• Cultural and linguistic preparation
• Visa matters

General services and support for international students and doctoral candidates

The Department of International Affairs offers comprehensive international student support. In addition to professional advising and counselling during all stages of the course of study, there is close cooperation with other advisory and counselling services at Universität Hamburg. International students will thus receive the necessary support and advice at any point during their studies.

Universität Hamburg’s Welcome Service supports international researchers, including doctoral researchers, who wish to stay for at least one month at Universität Hamburg. The Welcome Service provides information, advice, and help with several administrative issues such as: entering Germany, health insurance, the housing search, dealing with authorities, and even looking for a suitable kindergarten.

As northern Germany's largest research and educational institution, Universität Hamburg combines diverse study opportunities with excellent research. It provides a broad disciplinary spectrum with numerous interdisciplinary opportunities and pursues cooperation with an extensive network of excellent regional, national, and international institutions. Universität Hamburg is devoted to long-term scholarship and science and promotes sustainability research in all of its schools.
Universität Hamburg offers more than 170 degree programmes in the following eight schools: School of Law; School of Economics and Social Sciences; School of Medicine; School of Education; School of Humanities; School of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences; School of Psychology and Human Movement; and School of Business.
Furthermore, several museums and collections belong to Universität Hamburg, such as the Zoological Museum, the Herbarium Hamburgense, the Geological-Paleontological Museum, the Botanical Gardens, and the Hamburg Planetarium.
Universität Hamburg was founded in 1919 by local private citizens. Important founding figures include senator Werner von Melle and businessman Edmund Siemers. Nobel prize winners such as Otto Stern, Wolfgang Pauli, and Isidor Rabi have been active at the university, and many other well-known scholars taught here, such as Ernst Cassirer, Erwin Panofsky, Aby Warburg, William Stern, Agathe Lasch, Magdalene Schoch, Emil Artin, Ralf Dahrendorf, and Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, to name but a few.

With 1.8 million citizens, Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany and is also one of Germany's 16 federal states. Due to its location on the Elbe River linked to the North Sea, it has had a long tradition as the cultural and commercial centre of northern Germany. Commercially, the Free and Hanseatic City is known as the media capital of Germany. It is a leader in the shipping and transportation industries. Culturally, the city is home to, among other things, the leading ballet company in Germany, an opera house, numerous musicals, and annual film festivals. As far as action and fun are concerned, Hamburg is the place to be. The Reeperbahn, known not only to sailors worldwide as the "Mile of Sin", has numerous bars, cafés, and clubs as well as many other interesting sites not to be seen elsewhere. The "Kiez", as the natives call it, even gave the Beatles their start in the early 1960s. Fortunately, Hamburg's many parks and green areas provide the opportunity to relax and recover from the city's active side. Moreover, the city's innumerable canals invite you to spend some time sailing, rowing or kayaking. For more information on the city, please see: https://www.hamburg-travel.com/ .

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