a.r.t.e.s. Graduate School for the Humanities Cologne

The a.r.t.e.s. Graduate School for the Humanities Cologne is the graduate school of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, promoted by the Excellence Initiative.

The a.r.t.e.s. Graduate School is based on a concept of the humanities that goes beyond the dichotomy between the humanities, the cultural sciences and the natural sciences. A special emphasis lies on hermeneutical and historico-contextual models. Research topics comprise the genesis and invention of knowledge as well as processes of reception and transculturation and their anthropological and ethical conditions.

PhD – Research Lab – Research Master

Since October 2012 the a.r.t.e.s Graduate School, as an integrated graduate school, is responsible for every PhD at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities with regard to recent PhD regulations. The PhD programme is divided into the Regular Track, which is the standard model of the individual doctorate, and the Integrated Track, a structured PhD programme that, with regard to the interdisciplinary scope, is designed to allow completion of the PhD within a timeframe of three years, and also includes a scholarship program.

As an integrated graduate school the a.r.t.e.s. Graduate School also provides a Research Master programme and a Research Lab for Postdocs. Hereby the a.r.t.e.s. Graduate School will meet the specific challenges of graduate education in the Humanities. At the same time, it creates ideal conditions for a PhD programme in accordance with highest international standards.

Internationalization and Equality Standards

The a.r.t.e.s. Graduate School serves as a platform for the internationalization of graduate programmes which can build on a formidable existing network of cooperation agreements in the faculty and draw from the experience of a great number of teaching and research centres. The concept of the a.r.t.e.s. Graduate School is completed by a special focus on equality standards.