PhD in Geography

What you study

The Doctor of Philosophy in Geography at the University of Innsbruck is a doctoral programme for the next generation of researchers in geography. The register description puts the focus on the relationship between people and the environment, and on the structure and change of natural and social systems in their spatial contexts. You look at these questions across different regional settings. The programme is research-led: you work on your own research project and write an original scientific thesis. The register text says graduates must have a theoretically grounded and systematic understanding of their discipline and master the research methods used in the field. The thesis should make a contribution that extends the boundaries of knowledge and stands up to national and international peer review by specialists. The keywords for the programme are research, geoscience, geodynamics, geophysics, science and geography.

Admission, language and next steps

There is no entrance examination according to the register. The teaching languages are German and English, so the programme is partly taught in English. Check with the institution which parts are in which language. The degree is a Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, and the programme carries 180 ECTS over three years (six semesters). It is offered in Innsbruck. Applications go directly to the University of Innsbruck, not through a central portal. The university's own programme page gives the application period and the documents you need. As a public university, Innsbruck charges no tuition to EU/EEA and Swiss students within the standard duration plus two semesters; other students pay a fee per semester. The register does not list a start date, so confirm the intake with the institution.

Das „Doctor of Philosophy“-Doktoratsstudium Geographie dient der Heranbildung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses auf dem Gebiet der Geographie unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von Fragen des Mensch-Umwelt-Verhältnisses, der Struktur und des Wandels von natürlichen und gesellschaftlichen Systemen in ihren jeweiligen und wechselseitigen räumlichen Bezügen und in unterschiedlichen regionalen Kontexten.

Absolventinnen und Absolventen des „Doctor of Philosophy“-Doktoratsstudiums Geographie verfügen über ein fachtheoretisch fundiertes und systematisches Verständnis ihrer Forschungsdisziplin und beherrschen die Methoden, die in der Forschung auf diesem Gebiet angewandt werden. Durch die Vorlage einer originären wissenschaftlichen Arbeit haben die AbsolventInnen einen eigenen Beitrag zur Forschung geleistet, der die Grenzen des Wissens erweitert und einer nationalen und internationalen Begutachtung durch Fachwissenschaftlerinnen und Fachwissenschaftlern standhält.

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here University of Innsbruck. A public university sets the admission requirements and dates for this level, so read them on the programme page. Entrance examination, as the register states it: No. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, the student residence permit and housing.