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Career Opportunities at ZEW

Two Ways of Doctoral Education at ZEW

Two-thirds of ZEW's scientific employees are working on their doctoral dissertations while being involved in research projects. We currently employ 82 doctoral candidates. University graduates can attain their doctoral degree

  • by working as a full-time staff member at ZEW within the framework of ZEW's In-House PhD Programme
  • by participating in the ZEW Doctoral Studies Network (ZEW DocNet) launched in 2006

Regardless of the path chosen, clear milestones help to ensure that our doctoral candidates make steady and rapid progress. Our doctoral candidates require on average less than five years to obtain a PhD.

In ZEW's In-House PhD Programme young researchers develop in tandem with experienced economists and the heads of the research units a topic for their doctoral dissertation based on ongoing project work. Then a dissertation mentor is sought out at a German or foreign university. The ongoing development of the dissertation is based on the regulations for doctoral studies at the university in question.

ZEW DocNet is an international network that links ZEW with graduate programmes at the universities of Konstanz, Mannheim, St. Gallen (CH), and Leuven (BE). Those who choose the ZEW DocNet pathway have to apply first for admission to the graduate school of a participating university. Depending on the structure of the respective doctoral programme, doctoral students are invited to apply as early as possible for a research position in one of ZEW's research units. In the majority of doctoral programmes the time most fitting seems to be, at the latest, the end of the first or the beginning of the second year. PhD students may then pursue their project work either in part or entirely at ZEW.


PhD-Specific Activities
ZEW DocNet
Application for admission to the graduate school of a participating university		 ZEW's In-House PhD Programme
Application for admission directly to ZEW
Phase 1:1st – 2nd year
  • Doctoral courses and mentorship from professors at the respective university
  • Development of first paper/dissertation topic
  • University regulations
  • Application to ZEW
  • Matching of ZEW projects and university topics
  • Agreement about workload at ZEW
  • Mentorship at ZEW from the heads of research units, senior researchers, and research associates
  • Development of first paper/dissertation topic
  • Participation in selected courses of a doctoral programme at a university in coordination with the mentor
Phase 2:1st – 2nd year
  • First draft of a discussion paper
  • Presentation of draft paper at a ZEW seminar
  • Search for a PhD supervisor
Phase 3:2nd – 4th year
  • Development of further papers
  • Active participation in international conferences
  • Sabbaticals/periods of paid release
Phase 4:3rd – 5th year
  • Completion of further papers
  • Sabbaticals/periods of paid release
  • Stays at research institutions
  • Completion of the doctoral dissertation

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