Program Overview

Urban Studies PhD Program

The city – a process

The Urban Studies PhD program at the University of Basel focuses on the following themes:

• Legacies of empire and comparative colonial afterlives
• Spatial and architectural practices of mobility and migration
• Territorial dimensions of resource economies
• Urban cultures, creativity, and the production of imaginaries
• Urban governance, politics, and spatial violence

These thematic focus points bring specific interdisciplinary perspectives to bear on fundamental questions of contemporary global urbanization. They open the way for original analysis grounded in concrete everyday life, and provide platforms for faculty and students to transcend problematic geographical dichotomies of North versus South and center versus periphery.

A key aspect of this intellectual project is a fundamental shift in how we think about cities, which are no longer regarded as discrete and self-contained entities, but as being embedded in complex and overlapping territories shaped by political and material processes that connect distant and disparate spaces across the globe.

Admission and Matriculation

To be admitted to a doctorate, applicants must hold a master's degree in a field related to the desired subject of doctoral research with an average grade of at least 5.0 rounded to the nearest tenth. Other degrees from a higher education institution recognized by the University of Basel may be deemed partially or fully equivalent on the condition that the applicant acquires any missing credits.

Application

Admission applications must be submitted online to the university's Student Administration Office. Applications can also be submitted after the official application deadline has passed. However, there is no guarantee that the application will be processed in time for the desired semester, or that the applicant will be able to attend courses in the current semester.

Doctoral Committee

Every doctorate is supported by a doctoral committee. This committee usually consists of a first and second supervisor but can also include a third person. The first supervisor is primarily responsible for making sure that the doctoral project is conducted correctly and that suitable supervision is provided.

Process for Completing a Doctorate

A doctorate usually lasts between three and five years and includes a dissertation, curriculum-based courses, and the doctoral examination. Curriculum-based courses make up at least 12 credit points in individual doctorates and at least 18 credit points in doctoral programs.

Graduation and Publication

The doctoral process is not deemed complete until the candidate has fulfilled their duty of publication and the certificate has been presented. The candidate is obliged to deliver the dissertation in the format specified in the faculty publication guidelines within three years of the doctoral examination.

Financing Options

A doctorate usually lasts between three and five years. It is important to start thinking about financing for a doctorate at an early stage and to work with your first supervisor to find a solution before you start your studies. Doctoral students should consider preparing a competitive application for a scholarship or a project position during the first project phase in order to continue and successfully complete their doctorate within the framework of third-party funding.

Language Requirements

The main languages of instruction in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences are German and English. To ensure your studies are successful, you should be proficient in the languages of instruction for your doctoral subject to at least C1 level as defined in the European Framework of Reference. The Language Center at the University of Basel helps students to attain the required level of proficiency.

Doctoral Degree Transcript and Graduation Ceremony

The degree transcript is presented at the graduation ceremony. Candidates who pass their exam between February 1 and July 31 attend the ceremony held the following September; candidates who pass between August 1 and January 31 attend the ceremony held the following March. Candidates who are unable to attend the ceremony in person may receive their graduation documents by post upon request.