PhD in Political Science

The IPZ comprises 15 professorships and research areas, covers a broad research spectrum, and thus offers a wide range of doctoral opportunities. For more information about research areas and optional doctoral topics, please visit the Research page on the IPZ website. Positions as research assistants or project positions for doctoral candidates are centrally advertised on the department’s website under the Open Positions section.

The doctorate in political science comprises a standard period of study of three to four years (up to a maximum of 6 years) and leads to the title of Dr. phil. (in English translation Ph.D.). It consists of the execution and writing of an independent research paper (dissertation) and curricular parts of 12 ECTS. To this end, doctoral students have access to a wide range of courses, including regular IPZ courses as well as methods courses specifically designed for doctoral students in the social sciences. An overview of all dissertations that have been successfully defended at the IPZ since 2006 can be found here.

The PhD. can be complemented with a focus on Democracy Studies.

For all further information regarding the doctorate, please refer to the website pages of the Graduate School of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (PhF).

Please direct your questions to the PhD Coordinator Social Sciences of the Graduate School, Dr. Doreen Spörer-Wagner.

Complementary Methods Program in the Social Sciences (PhD)

Successful practice in the social sciences requires in-depth methodological knowledge that enables researchers to keep pace with formal, thematic, and methodological developments within the social science disciplines. To ensure that doctoral students in the social sciences remain academically competitive in the future, the Social Sciences Committee has decided to revise its Supplementary Methods Program (EMP).

Goals

Strengthening and consolidating the academic performance of doctoral students in the social sciences
Strengthening interdisciplinary exchange among doctoral students in the social sciences
Integration of methodological excellence into the research and teaching profiles of the participating institutes (IKMZ, IPZ, ISEK, SUZ)

Structure

The EMP continues to be based on two types of events:

Ad hoc events are tailored to the immediate needs of the dissertation projects being worked on and the interests of the doctoral students. The doctoral student representatives of the subject group regularly assess these needs through surveys.
Recurring courses address software- and data-related changes that are increasingly shaping the social sciences. Newly, skills in knowledge transfer (Module E) are included. Specifically, these are the following recurring modules:

Module A: From program to paper: how to organize and document data and analysis focuses on modern approaches to work organization, data documentation, and publication. It bridges the critical gap between empirical analysis and publication and addresses the growing demand for replicability in the social sciences.

Module B focuses on techniques of modern quantitative data analysis:

R for basic social science statistics offers a practical introduction to fundamental statistical analysis techniques for survey and macro data. The course focuses on teaching students how to apply these techniques in R.
Advanced social sciences with R aims to establish an advanced quantitative methodology by leveraging the expanded application potential of R in the field of complex digital datasets. In addition to techniques from computational social sciences, the course may also introduce approaches such as network analysis and Bayesian statistics.

Module C: Data visualization explores new approaches to visualizing data and research findings. The module aims to address the shift from static, tabular presentations to the graphical visualization of statistics and qualitative findings (including through moving images).

Module D focuses on the specific requirements of qualitative research:

Qualitative data collection and analysis focuses on qualitative methods and research designs in the social sciences. It helps doctoral students collect non-standardized observational, textual, visual, or video data and extract patterns and/or meanings from it. In addition to focusing on specific qualitative methods, the course also offers opportunities for in-depth study.
Ethnographic writing helps doctoral students to transcribe non-standardized observational, textual, visual, or video data—along with the patterns and meanings derived from them—into their research papers. The focus is on the relationship between methodology and mode of presentation, as well as on the political and ethical implications of textual representation.

Module E: Resonance skills helps doctoral students communicate their research findings to specific audiences. The module delves into writing strategies for publications in social science journals and/or specialized publishers, which are essential for academic qualification. It also explores how doctoral students can confidently contribute their subject expertise to public discourse when engaging with various (news) media.

Organization

Courses are generally offered as workshops in a block format. This format allows for the practical, problem-oriented application of the material, thereby adding value to students’ individual dissertation projects and/or their methodological training.

Each course is generally awarded 1 ECTS credit. Depending on the amount of preparation and follow-up work required, additional ECTS credits may be awarded. As a reference, 1 ECTS credit corresponds to 25–30 hours of work.

The course language is generally English. Courses are taught by internal and external instructors who are experts in both methodology and the social sciences.

All courses are evaluated by the participants as standard. The Doctoral Coordination Office for the Social Sciences evaluates the surveys and makes them available to the course instructors for discussion with the participants, as well as to the module coordinators if necessary. At the same time, they are digitally archived at the Graduate School’s administrative office.

All courses are listed in the UZH course catalog and are additionally announced and promoted by the Doctoral Coordination Office for the Social Sciences.

The Academic Committee reserves the right to make adjustments to the content and/or structure of the EMP at any time.

Methods Courses

Currently:
Gesellschaftstheoretische Perspektiven auf gesellschaftliche Transformationsprozesse (24 and 25 February)
Beliefs, Behaviors, and Society: Understanding Social Dynamics in a Digital Age (13-14 March)
Mixed Methods: Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods Productively (8-9 May)
Digital Ethnography Workshop: Focus on Ethics (27-28 May)
Advanced Survey Research (2-6 June)
Workshop Scientific English Writing (5 and 12 June half day, 19 June, online)
Writing for Publication in Top Journals (17-18 June)

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Past Courses

Fall Semester 2024

Spring Semester 2024

Fall Semester 2023

Spring Semester 2023

Fall Semester 2022

Spring Semester 2022

Fall Semester 2021

Spring Semester 2021

Introduction to Quantitative Research
Basic Social Science Statistics with R
Crashkurs "Medienauftritt & Präsentation vor einem Massenpublikum“

Fall Semester 2020

Data Visualization with R
Ethical Writing, within and beyond the Academy. A Workshop for Qualitative Social Scientists
Open Science: Reproductible Research
Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse mit MAXQDA
Social Network Science
Workshop Scientific English Writing

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