phd in sociology in switzerland

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Sociology (PhD) Research into contemporary social phenomena

At the University of Basel’s Department of Sociology, doctoral candidates can either study for a doctorate separately, or as part of the doctoral program of the Graduate School of Social Sciences doctoral program. In both cases, potential doctoral students must agree on a project idea with their supervising professor and draw up a written proposal.  

Current research topics at the seminar are (a) nationally and internationally oriented research on inequality with an emphasis on distribution of material goods (b) research in international and transcultural conflict and violence (c) issues in socioeconomics and economic anthropology (d) historical sociology, (e) sustainability, and (f) migration, transformations in the labor-oriented society, postcolonial theory, and protest movements.

Application & admission

In addition to the information below, we recommend students from abroad to read the information sheet  step by step – Preliminary information for international PhD candidates at the University of Basel .

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 (the Swiss system awards grades from 1 to 6 with 6 being the highest grade and 4 being a “pass”). 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. Acontinuing education program qualification from a university (e.g. Master of Advanced Studies) does not entitle an applicant to be admitted to a doctorate.

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.

Admission to a doctoral program

Before you can be accepted onto a doctoral program, you must successfully apply for admission to doctoral studies in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Basel. Once you have been admitted, you can begin your search for a place on a doctoral program. For application information, please see the website of the relevant doctoral program .

Cotutelle de thèse

The  University of Basel website provides information about how to conduct a doctoral project at the University of Basel and at a second university in a foreign country, leading to a double doctoral degree or “cotutelle   de thèse”.

Language requirements

The main languages of instruction in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences are German and English (with the exception of the Department of Languages and Literatures). 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.

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Student Administration PhD

Process for 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. First, however, a doctoral committee must be formed that will define the framework for the doctorate and work with you to draw up a Doctoral Agreement including an individual study plan.

Doctoral committee

Structure and tasks

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. The doctoral committee defines the curriculum-based courses to be completed and provides the doctoral candidate with feedback on the quality and progress of his or her work during regular supervisory meetings. All members of the doctoral committee produce an independent, graded evaluation report on the dissertation submitted.

Forming and appointing the committee  

The first supervisor must be appointed when the application for admission to a doctorate is submitted. The application to act as first supervisor must be submitted to the Student Administration Office together with the application for admission. Ideally, all other supervisors should be appointed by the time the doctorate begins. However, the doctoral committee must be named and appointed by the doctoral board at the latest 12 months after the start of the doctorate. The deadline by which the doctoral committee must be appointed is provided to the doctoral candidate along with their admission letter.

Any Group I professor in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Basel can serve as first supervisor. Members of Group II (assistant professors without tenure track, honorary professors who hold a doctorate, and private lecturers with a postdoctoral qualification from the faculty) can serve as first supervisor provided the second supervisor is a Group I professor. In this case, the second supervisor must be named in the first supervisor’s application when the application for admission to a doctorate is submitted. Upon request to the doctoral board – the doctoral agreement shall suffice in this case – honorary professors from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences who hold a doctorate and Group I members from a different faculty at the University of Basel may be deemed equivalent to Group I members from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in matters concerning the doctoral committee. Any of the Group I and II faculty members mentioned above may serve as second supervisor. Upon request – the doctoral agreement shall suffice in this case – the doctoral board may also permit a second supervisor to be appointed from outside the faculty or outside the University of Basel. This person must hold a comparable qualification and position as internal second supervisors and hold the right to confer doctorates at their home institution. All contact details for the external second supervisor requested must be specified in the doctoral agreement (connection to their university, postal and email addresses). The doctoral board decides whether to approve the external second supervisor. The doctoral candidate may apply to the doctoral board to add a third supervisor to the doctoral committee. In the case of a three-person committee, either the second or third supervisor does not need to hold the right to confer doctorates; however, this person must have a demonstrable link to a higher education institution or possess a high level of expertise in the doctoral topic. An informal application letter must be submitted to the doctoral board explaining why the supervisor has been chosen and providing details of their position, institutional connection, and addresses (postal and email address). The application must be supported by the first supervisor. The doctoral board decides whether to approve three-person committees.

For more information about the process for completing a doctorate , visit the website of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Graduation & publication

Registering for the doctoral examination.

Once doctoral candidates have written their dissertation, passed all curriculum-based courses, and fulfilled all other requirements, they can apply for admission to the doctoral examination. Each candidate must complete the following steps:

• Submit a copy of the dissertation manuscript to each supervisor. The faculty does not bear any of the costs incurred in sending out dissertation manuscripts.
• Submit a written application for admission to the doctoral examination (via  Phil App  or  email ) containing all documents specified in the information provided about registering for the doctoral examination .

Candidates should register for the doctoral examination at the latest four months before the desired oral examination date. Doctoral examinations cannot be held during master’s examination sessions. Doctoral candidates are admitted to the doctoral examination once their dissertation has been accepted by the supervisors. The Dean’s Office must be informed of their decision to accept or refuse the dissertation within the four months after the dissertation was submitted. The candidate will be provided with confirmation that the dissertation has been accepted and they have been admitted to the exam when they receive their examination invitation and schedule.

Exam organization and doctoral examination

The examination is held at the latest within two months of acceptance of the dissertation. Doctoral candidates must remain matriculated until the exam takes place. The examination is organized by the Student Administration Services of the Dean’s Office. The doctoral examination is accepted by the supervisor who is chiefly responsible; where possible, the other supervisors on the doctoral committee should always take part in exams. Examiners may participate via Skype upon request, provided that they are participating from a foreign country and that the first supervisor and the candidate attend in person. For an examiner to participate via Skype, all exam participants must provide informal, written consent to the Student Administration Services of the Dean’s Office. The candidate is responsible for the technology required. The Dean’s Office is usually able to provide the necessary devices and internet access. 

Doctoral examinations last for 60 minutes and are not usually open to the public (exceptions must be arranged beforehand with the Student Administration Services of the Dean’s Office). The exam includes a dissertation defense based on the evaluation report provided in advance. The defense starts with a presentation lasting around 15 minutes followed by a discussion, which can cover the wider subject area to which the dissertation belongs. Once the candidate has passed the doctoral examination, the examination chairperson confers the provisional doctorate. Until the doctorate becomes legally binding, the candidate may use the title Dr. phil. des. (Doctor philosophiae designatus).

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.

Publication, doctoral certificate, and right to bear title

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. The university library’s instructions for printing and binding dissertations must also be taken into account. Detailed instructions on how to publish dissertations in electronic format can be found in the E-Dissertation  section of the university library’s edoc document server.

Once the candidate has fulfilled their duty of publication, the doctoral certificate will be issued, ideally within two months. The doctoral certificate entitles the bearer to use the academic title «Dr. phil.», or «PhD» in English. The doctorate will be announced in the Kantonsblatt Basel-Stadt.

Financing options for doctorates

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. Information on funding opportunities (Doc.CH, Swiss National Science Foundation, University of Basel research fund, foundations, etc.) and the University of Basel advisory services can be found on the relevant webpage of the Career Advancement Office . The  Research Professional database is anotherstructured tool for identifying suitable financing options.

Printing cost contributions for dissertations

The Max Geldner Dissertation Fund grants contributions to the printing costs of dissertations at the Faculty of Philosophy and History. In addition to costs incurred in the printing of monographic dissertations, contributions are also made for articles published in the open access procedure for cumulative dissertations. Furthermore, applications for language editing can be submitted if the dissertation was not written in the author's first language or if the author's language skills are not sufficient for a high-quality final editing.

The application form (see below) must be submitted together with a recommendation from the first supervisor before going to press.

Applications received by the Office of the Dean of Research by February 15 or September 15 at the latest will be considered at the following meeting in February/March or September/October respectively. For more details, please see the information sheet . 

Applications and documents should be sent to: Max Geldner-Dissertationenfonds Dekanat der Phil.-Hist. Fakultät Bernoullistr. 28 4056 Basel Schweiz

Subsidies for doctorate printing costs can also be requested from the Vice President’s Office for Research at the University of Basel.

• Monograph application form (PDF, 264.27 KB)
• Open Access articles application form (PDF, 258.18 KB)
• Language editing application form (PDF, 254.29 KB)
• Max Geldner Dissertation Fund information sheet (PDF, 164.33 KB)
• Stiftungen und Fonds für Druckkostenzuschuss der Dissertation

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Phd Degree in Sociology, Switzerland

Explore the best universities for Phd degree in Sociology in Switzerland, based on their reputation and research in the field.

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Department of Sociology

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Admission and Study Program

Preparing for a doctoral program chiefly consists of searching for a PhD committee staffed by at least two instructors who are authorized to issue recommendations to award doctorates.

Contact instructors on the list of staff authorized to issue recommendations to award doctorates at the Department of Sociology to discuss your dissertation proposal. It is essential that at least one PhD advisor be an authorized examiner at the University of Zurich.

All important information concerning matters prior to, during and for completing the doctoral program are published by the Graduate School of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences .

Please carefully read the current governing legal statutes in force , which apply to you.

Please direct any questions you may have about administrative procedures to the Graduate School’s doctorate coordinator for the social sciences, Dr. Doreen Spörer-Wagner .

Weiterführende Informationen

Direct access.

• Vor dem Doktorat
• Während des Doktorats
• Abschluss des Doktorats
• Formular Vorbehaltliche Betreuungsbestgätigung (PDF, 365 KB)
• Doktoratsvereinbarung (PVO 2009) (PDF, 311 KB)

Funding Instruments

• Förderung Nachwuchskräfte UZH
• Graduate Campus Grants

Please direct questions about the doctoral program to the social sciences doctorate coordinator:

Dr. Doreen Spörer-Wagner Doktoratskoordination  Sozialwissenschaften Tel: +41 44 634 52 12 [email protected]

Doctoral Studies:

Methodological Training

Module Offerings

Persons Authorized

Index of Dissertations

GENEVA GRADUATE INSTITUTE

Chemin Eugène-Rigot 2A Case postale 1672 CH - 1211 Geneva 1, Switzerland +41 22 908 57 00  

[email protected] + 41 22 908 58 98  

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

[email protected] +41 22 908 57 54  

[email protected] + 41 22 908 57 55

PhD Programmes at the Graduate Institute, Geneva

PhD programmes at the Institute require a four-year commitment, with the first three semesters in residence. During the first two semesters, you will take theoretical and methodological doctoral seminars before presenting a preliminary thesis at the end of the third semester, with the defence of your thesis taking place at the end of the eighth semester. Our PhD programmes meet the established requirements for accreditation in Switzerland. The courses are taught in English, however the thesis could be written either in English or French.

We offer six disciplinary PhDs:  PhD in Anthropology and Sociology ,  PhD in International Economics ,  PhD in Development Economics ,  PhD in International History ,  PhD in International Law  and  PhD in International Relations/Political Science .  

how to apply

PHD IN ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY  

• Four-year programme
• Provides students with theoretical perspectives and methodological tools to explore the social and cultural systems that influence policy interventions
• Involves a year of coursework and preparation followed by extensive fieldwork and a dissertation

PHD IN DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS  

• Four-year programme centered around a research dissertation
• A crucial field at the heart of policy debates
• Fieldwork opportunities in developing countries

PHD IN INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS  

• Stimulating collegiate work atmosphere
• Trains students to undertake innovative research 

PHD IN INTERNATIONAL HISTORY & POLITICS  

• Combines coursework, seminars, preliminary thesis and doctoral thesis
• Equips students with the analytical, conceptual and methodological tools to successfully complete original book-length research

PHD IN INTERNATIONAL LAW  

• Designed for outstanding students with a strong commitment to international law
• Research supervision available for a wide range of topics
• Learn more ​​​​​​​

PHD IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS / POLITICAL SCIENCE  

• Stand-alone four-year PhD programme or Fast-track master’s/doctoral program allowing students to complete a master’s and PhD within five years
• Designed to prepare students for a research-focused career in international relations

The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva is pleased to announce the opening of 30 fully funded 4-year PhD positions in our 5 departmental programmes in Anthropology and Sociology, International Economics or Economics of Development, International History and Politics, International Law, International Relations and Political Science.  The d eadline  for application  is 15 January 2022 . Each of the six 4-year PhD packages distributed by each department will combine 2 years of full scholarship followed by 2 years of teaching assistantship.  

more information

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Degree Programs & Courses Doctorate

Doctoral degree, doctoral study at the university of bern.

You can either take the doctorate within a graduate school or as part of a doctoral degree program, or you can even take a traditional individual doctorate. Graduate schools and doctoral degree programs are arranged on an interdisciplinary and/or interuniversity basis in many cases. In addition to research-related training and intensive support, these also offer excellent opportunities for networking within the academic community.

An A-Z of doctoral subjects

• Archaeology
• Business Administration
• Cellular and Biomedical Sciences Med./Nat./Vet.
• Central Asian Studies
• Chemistry and Molecular Sciences
• Classical Philology (special qualification in Greek or Latin)
• Old Catholic Theology
• Climate Sciences
• Cognition, Learning and Memory
• Communication and Media Studies
• Dental Medicine
• German Language
• German Language and Literature
• German Literature
• Digital Humanities
• Eastern European Studies
• Ecology and Evolution
• Economic Globalisation and Integration
• Earth Sciences
• Protestant Theology
• Gender Studies
• Geography and Sustainable Development
• Global Studies
• Health Sciences hum/med
• Human Medicine
• Computer Sciences
• Interdiciplinary Cultural Studies ICS
• Islamic Studies and Oriental Literature
• Italian Linguistics and Literature
• Social Sciences
• Art History
• Language and Society
• Languages and Literatures in English
• Linguistics
• Linguistique/Littérature françaises
• Mathematics
• Molecular Life Sciences
• Physics/Astronomy
• Political Science
• Public Administration
• Religious Studies theol.
• Science of Religion Human.
• Slavic Languages and Literatures
• Social Anthropology
• Spanish Linguistics and Literature
• Sport Science
• Criminal Justice
• Theater and Dance Studies
• Administrative Science
• Veterinary Medicine

Further information

Transferable Skills - Key Qualifications for your academic and non-academic Career

Transferable skills program for doctoral students and postdocs of every discipline.

Funding program «UniBE Short Travel Grants for (Post)Docs»

The University of Bern, with its funding program «UniBE Short Travel Grants for (Post)Docs», supports doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers in attending short research stays abroad, to advance their own research projects and to gain more international experience. Next application deadline: March 1, 2023

Open calls for ENLIGHT initiatives

The University of Bern and ENLIGHT support bottom-up initiatives by lecturers for challenge-based education projects in the six focus areas of ENLIGHT. Especially for early career academics, this is an opportunity to build an international network and gain interdisciplinary teaching experience.

UniBE Doc.Mobility

UniBE Doc.Mobility is granted for stays abroad which usually last twelve months. Support takes place in the form of an employment as a doctoral student, but with a place of research abroad. Application deadline: March 1/ September 1

Promotion Fund

In cooperation with the Intermediate Staff Association of the University of Bern, the Vice-Rectorate Research calls for proposals to the Fund for the Promotion of Young Researchers twice a year.

MVUB - Lunchtalks

Lunchtime events concerning academic career, working conditions and intermediate staff politics.

Innovative higher education teaching

The University of Bern's Department of 'Hochschuldidaktik & Lehrentwicklung' supports you in your teaching activities with coaching and around 50 events a year.

COMET – Coaching, Mentoring und Training

The COMET Career Programme supports female researchers in successfully pursuing their academic careers.

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Taking a doctorate at ETH Zurich is an excellent investment for your future scientific career.

With 4500 doctoral students out of a total of over 25'000 students, ETH Zurich is one of the universities in Europe which focuses most intensively on research. Doctorates make a significant, fundamental contribution to that research work. They are based on research projects that are carried out independently, with the support of a professor.

Apart from a few exceptional cases, all doctoral students at ETH Zurich are employed as scientific assistants. However, they are not only employees but also students, and they are obliged in the course of their doctoral study to continue their education, inside and outside their specialist area. Another important component of a doctorate is learning how to educate others. That is why every doctoral student plays an active part in the teaching work of their department.

At the end of their research project, the results are compiled in a thesis that is defended in an oral examination. On successful completion of their doctorate, students are awarded the title “Doctor of Sciences (Dr. sc. ETH Zurich)”.

FAQ Doctorate

Frequently asked questions about doctoral studies

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ETH Zurich Academic Services Rämistrasse 101 HG FO 23.4 8092 Zurich Switzerland

Appointments

Consultations by appointment only in urgent cases and preferably via Zoom. For all other matters, you can contact us by e-​mail or by telephone.

Please send documents and forms by e-​mail and doctoral theses (deposit copies) by (internal) mail or hand them in at Campus Info .

All communication during your doctorate will be sent exclusively to your ETH e-mail address. Therefore, please check your ETH e-mail inbox regularly.

Further information

19 Best universities for Sociology in Switzerland

Updated: February 29, 2024

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Below is a list of best universities in Switzerland ranked based on their research performance in Sociology. A graph of 3.15M citations received by 113K academic papers made by 19 universities in Switzerland was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of Zurich

For Sociology

2. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

3. University of Bern

4. University of Lausanne

5. University of Geneva

6. Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

7. University of Basel

8. University of St. Gallen

9. University of Fribourg

10. University of Neuchatel

11. Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies

12. University of Italian-speaking Switzerland

13. University of Lucerne

14. University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland

15. University of Applied Sciences of Northwestern Switzerland

16. Bern University of Applied Sciences

17. Lucerne University of Applied Sciences

18. University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Italian Switzerland

19. Webster University Geneva

The best cities to study Sociology in Switzerland based on the number of universities and their ranks are Zurich , Bern , Lausanne , and Geneva .

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences subfields in Switzerland

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Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (SSP)

The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences offers four study path options - political science, social sciences, psychology and sciences in movement and sports - covering the main branches of human sciences. anthropology, history, political science, psychology, social psychology and sociology, sport and life science constitute the bases of an interdisciplinary knowledge of the interactions between the collective and individual dimensions. In its four branches of study, the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences strives to achieve a balance between a critical theoretical approach and the acquisition of empirical research skills specific to each discipline. Its study plans are designed with a generalist slant, combining theory, methodology and practical training, as well as an exchange of core teachings. They thus give each student a broad vision of the social sciences.

Students are prepared for a wide range of professions, in all of which a predominant role is reserved for psychological counselling and vocational guidance, psycho-functional rehabilitation, the provision of support in different areas of training, teaching, communication and culture, management, and of course research in the public and partly state-owned administration, international organizations, NGOs and private enterprises.

> Faculty website

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences

Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Bachelor of Science in Human Movement and Sports Sciences

Master of Arts in Political Science

Master of Arts in Social Sciences

Master of Science in Psychology

Master of Science in Human Movement and Sports Sciences

Master of Science in Physical Education and Sport Didactics

Master Arts in Public Management and Policy

Master Arts in the Study of Religions

Master of Arts in Sciences and Practices of Education

Master of Arts in Digital Humanities

Masters of Advanced Studies

MAS in Management, Human Resource and Career

MAS in Sport Administration and Technology °

MAS in Education with a specialization in Teacher Trainer theory, skills and methodologies

MAS in Psychology of Health

MAS in Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy

MAS in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

MAS in Systemic Psychotherapy

Doctorate in Political Science in French

Doctorate in Social Sciences in French

Doctorate of Science in Psychology in French

Doctorate in Social Psychology in French

Doctorate of Science in Movement and Sport Sciences in French

Doctorate in Mathematics applied to Human and Social Sciences in French

Doctorate in Neurosciences in French

Doctorate in Educational Sciences in French

Doctorate in the Humanities and Social Sciences of Medicine and Health (PhD)

° programme taught in English

Directory of the faculty

Study programme handbook of the faculty in PDF in French (2118 Kb)

More information about the programmes at UNIL

Advice on studies in French

Career prospects after studying at UNIL in French

Financial support, grants

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General Informations about studying in Switzerland (swissuniversity.ch)

The Faculty’s Major Assets...

> basic subjects benefiting from research on themes of current relevance (deviance, identity and community-related issues, communication, gender, migration, representation and rights of minorities, conflict, globalisation and environment, education and pedagogy, health, sport and handicaps, doping etc.) from a historical or contemporary perspective

> four 1st-2nd cycle study paths in human sciences with syllabuses that encourage clarifying interdisciplinary approaches

> the personalised support of a tutor in each study path to construct one's own degree course

> extensive specialised training for the Masters of Advanced Studies

Best PhD Degrees in Sociology at Universities in Switzerland

There are 5 study programs available at 5 schools and universities in the world , according to Erudera.

Erudera aims to have the largest and most updated database of study programs available in the world , and new study programs are being added weekly. You can use the filters to narrow down your search or sort your results based on popularity and top rankings to find more specific study programs. Once you filter your results, you can save your chosen programs to a personal list so you can do more research or contact the universities later.

Here are the best Switzerland universities for Sociology :

University of Lucerne

University of Basel

University of Geneva

University of Fribourg

University of Bern

Switzerland

Erudera's search functionality is still in beta and the results below are auto-generated. Although we do our best to make sure we provide accurate information, we do not take responsibility for the content published by institution representatives on this page. Please report any inaccuracies you happen to find to our support so we can improve the experience for all users.

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• Top Universities for PhD Study in Switzerland – 2024

Written by Taru Medha

Universities in Switzerland are generously funded, globally renowned and very popular with international students. The country has fast become one of the most famous postgraduate study destinations for overseas students both for its research-focused approach to education and the picturesque countryside.

Most universities in Switzerland are administered as local cantonal universities, but some are also centrally controlled by the federal government or through other structures. As a PhD student, you have the option to choose to study at four different types of institutions:

• Cantonal universities : There are 10 cantonal universities run by individual Swiss states. Switzerland is a federal republic of 26 individual cantons , however, not all cantons have a university associated with them. They carry out original research as well as teaching and can award PhDs in various subjects.
• Federal institutions of technology : The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) and the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) are some of Switzerland’s most prestigious research centres with global reputation in various subject areas. They are centrally administered by the Swiss federal government and have the power to award PhDs.
• Universities of applied science and arts : The 9 UASAs in Switzerland focus on connecting theory with practice to deliver advanced professional and technical training or solve specific challenges. They don’t traditionally award their own PhDs, but some have begun partnering with cantonal universities to develop innovative collaborative doctoral programmes.
• Universities of teacher education : They award professional qualifications in teaching, often associated with particular languages. On rare occasions they offer collaborative PhD programmes in highly specific topics associated with educational theory.

Top 10 Universities in Switzerland for a PhD

Switzerland is known for its commitment to academic excellence, and this has translated positively into how Swiss universities have been ranking on the global stage. Today, the top Swiss universities are the highest ranked in Europe outside the UK.

The table below lists the 10 top universities in Switzerland for PhD study according to global rankings. This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education , QS and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) . It is important to note that each ranking system has their own methodology, and different factors affect the final result for a particular university.

It is also important to consider factors outside international rankings that affect the quality of study/education provided at a particular institution. Our guide on rankings for PhD study puts together a few tips and tricks that can help you make the best decision.

With the recent introductions of a range of new innovative research opportunities, Switzerland competes with other top European countries as an attractive destination of PhD research.

Search for PhD programmes in Switzerland

You can browse and compare a list of available PhD degrees in Switzerland on the FindAPhD website.

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Detailed guides to PhD study in Switzerland. Our guides have information on universities, courses, funding, student visas and life during a PhD programme in Switzerland

If you're planning to do a PhD in Switzerland, we have all the information on the kind of visa you need and what you require to apply for it.

This guide tells you everything you need to make an application for a PhD programme in Switzerland.

If you're interesting in studying a PhD in Switzerland, we have a details on how much it is going to cost you and where you can find the right funding for it.

What's it like to live in Switzerland during a PhD? Our guide covers accommodation, student living costs, working and other key information.

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Top 150 Universities Worldwide Offering PhD Programs in Sociology

Here’s an introduction to the top universities and colleges around the world where one can pursue a PhD in Sociology, detailing their program offerings, notable faculty, and distinctive features.

• Program Overview : Harvard’s Department of Sociology is renowned for its rigorous theoretical and empirical study in sociological issues. The PhD program emphasizes comprehensive training in sociological theories and methodologies.
• Notable Faculty : Michèle Lamont, Matthew Desmond, and Bruce Western.
• Unique Features : Students benefit from resources like the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs and extensive interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Program Overview : The DPhil in Sociology at Oxford offers specialization in areas like social inequality, demography, and political sociology. It focuses heavily on quantitative methods.
• Notable Faculty : Federico Varese, Melinda Mills, and Craig R. Cohen.
• Unique Features : Oxford’s sociology department is known for its research centers, including the Centre for Time Use Research and the Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion.
• Program Overview : Stanford’s Sociology PhD program encourages the use of software and data analysis tools in research, with strong emphasis on empirical research.
• Notable Faculty : Michele Lamont, David Grusky, and Robb Willer.
• Unique Features : The program offers joint degrees in sociology and computer science, and a hands-on research experience with Silicon Valley.
• Program Overview : The PhD in Sociology at Cambridge allows students to conduct pioneering research in areas such as gender studies, global social change, and media and culture.
• Notable Faculty : Bryan S. Turner and Jochen Clasen.
• Unique Features : The university boasts specialized research groups in areas like public health and social inequality.
• Program Overview : Chicago’s sociology department is one of the oldest in the US and is known for developing the Chicago School of Sociology. The PhD program emphasizes substantial methodological and theoretical contributions to the field.
• Notable Faculty : Elisabeth S. Clemens and Omar McRoberts.
• Unique Features : Students are encouraged to engage with interdisciplinary research centers like the Urban Network.
• Program Overview : MIT’s sociology program is integrated within the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, offering a unique approach that combines sociology with urban planning.
• Notable Faculty : Ezra Zuckerman Sivan and Christine J. Walley.
• Unique Features : The program is notable for its focus on technology’s role in societal developments and data-driven sociological research.
• Program Overview : UC Berkeley’s PhD program in Sociology is famed for its critical studies and substantial academic rigor. It includes pathways like comparative sociology and the sociology of technology.
• Notable Faculty : Kim Voss and Raka Ray.
• Unique Features : The department frequently collaborates with other disciplines, offering broad exposure to different fields.
• Program Overview : LSE’s Sociology program offers a global perspective on sociological issues, emphasizing policy-oriented research that influences both academia and governance.
• Notable Faculty : Nigel Dodd and Mike Savage.
• Unique Features : The school hosts the British Journal of Sociology, one of the leading sociological journals globally.
• Program Overview : Yale’s Department of Sociology offers a PhD program focused on areas like social control, social movements, and labor markets.
• Notable Faculty : Julia Adams and Jeffrey Alexander.
• Unique Features : Yale provides extensive resources like the Center for Comparative Research and the Center for Cultural Sociology.
• Program Overview : The University of Tokyo offers a unique perspective on sociology, particularly in Asian contexts, with a strong focus on empirical research and social theory.
• Notable Faculty : Yoshimichi Sato and Takehiko Kariya.
• Unique Features : It provides a unique insight into the social dynamics of Asia, with a strong emphasis on Japan.
• Columbia University (USA)
• Program Overview : Columbia’s Department of Sociology offers a PhD program that emphasizes the development of methodological rigor and theoretical clarity, covering topics from urban sociology to political sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Shamus Khan and Vanessa Diaz.
• Unique Features : The program benefits from its New York City location, which serves as a rich urban laboratory for sociological research.
• University of California, Los Angeles (USA)
• Program Overview : UCLA’s Sociology PhD program is known for its strength in areas such as race, ethnicity, and immigration, as well as global and transnational sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Darnell Hunt and Stefan Timmermans.
• Unique Features : The program offers unique interdisciplinary opportunities with other departments such as Asian American Studies and Gender Studies.
• University of Toronto (Canada)
• Program Overview : The University of Toronto offers a comprehensive PhD program in Sociology with a strong emphasis on quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Notable Faculty : Monica Boyd and Patricia Landolt.
• Unique Features : The program is distinguished by its strong emphasis on social inequality and its multidisciplinary approach to research and education.
• Australian National University (Australia)
• Program Overview : ANU’s School of Sociology offers a PhD program that focuses on sociology of the environment, health, governance, and public policy.
• Notable Faculty : Kathryn Henne and Helen Keane.
• Unique Features : The program stands out for its research on sociological aspects of environmental change and policy.
• University of Amsterdam (Netherlands)
• Program Overview : The University of Amsterdam’s Sociology PhD program is robust, with specializations in urban studies, sociology of families, and social change.
• Notable Faculty : Giselinde Kuipers and Jan Willem Duyvendak.
• Unique Features : Known for its critical approach to sociological issues and its engagement with European societal challenges.
• National University of Singapore (Singapore)
• Program Overview : NUS offers a globally oriented PhD in Sociology, focusing on Asian societies and comparative sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Vineeta Sinha and Chua Beng Huat.
• Unique Features : The program provides an excellent platform for understanding the social dynamics in Asia, with a strong emphasis on fieldwork and empirical research.
• University of Michigan (USA)
• Program Overview : The PhD program at Michigan is known for its strong analytical and research methodology, covering a wide range of topics including social stratification and health and aging.
• Notable Faculty : Alford Young, Jr. and Elizabeth Armstrong.
• Unique Features : The program benefits from the Institute for Social Research, one of the world’s leading centers for the advancement of social science research.
• University of Edinburgh (Scotland)
• Program Overview : The University of Edinburgh offers a PhD in Sociology with strengths in digital sociology, social network analysis, and the sociology of science.
• Notable Faculty : Donald MacKenzie and Lynn Jamieson.
• Unique Features : The program is well-regarded for its research output and the critical approach to contemporary social issues.
• McGill University (Canada)
• Program Overview : McGill’s PhD program in Sociology places a strong emphasis on sociological theory and research methodologies with a focus on social inequality, gender studies, and urban sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Shelley Clark and Amélie Quesnel-Vallée.
• Unique Features : It offers a bilingual (English and French) research environment, providing a unique cultural perspective in sociological studies.
• Program Overview : UCT’s Sociology Department offers a PhD program that includes specializations in African sociology, social change, and urban studies.
• Notable Faculty : Jeremy Seekings and Nicoli Nattrass.
• Unique Features : The program is distinguished by its focus on African social issues and its commitment to developing sociology within an African context.
• Princeton University (USA)
• Program Overview : Princeton’s Department of Sociology offers a PhD program known for its focus on social demography, sociology of culture, and political sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Paul Starr and Patricia Fernandez-Kelly.
• Unique Features : The program is renowned for its small, research-intensive environment that fosters close mentorship and collaboration.
• University of California, San Diego (USA)
• Program Overview : UCSD’s PhD program in Sociology specializes in the sociology of science, medicine, and technology, as well as inequality and social control.
• Notable Faculty : John Evans and Amy Binder.
• Unique Features : The department benefits from collaborations with the Science Studies Program and the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies.
• University of Manchester (UK)
• Program Overview : The University of Manchester offers a robust PhD program in Sociology, focusing on areas such as social statistics, health sociology, and media.
• Notable Faculty : Tarani Chandola and Bridget Byrne.
• Unique Features : The program is particularly strong in applied social research, providing students with opportunities to engage with real-world issues.
• University of Chicago (USA)
• Program Overview : Renowned for its contributions to sociological theory, the University of Chicago offers a comprehensive PhD program that covers a broad range of topics from urban sociology to the sociology of religion.
• Notable Faculty : Elisabeth Clemens and Omar McRoberts.
• Unique Features : The program encourages innovative, interdisciplinary research, often integrating methodologies from history, anthropology, and psychology.
• Leiden University (Netherlands)
• Program Overview : Leiden’s PhD program in Sociology is known for its focus on comparative sociology, social resilience, and globalization.
• Notable Faculty : Marcel Lubbers and Marianne van Bochove.
• Unique Features : The program offers a unique emphasis on global challenges and the societal impacts of historical and contemporary movements.
• University of Sydney (Australia)
• Program Overview : The University of Sydney offers a PhD in Sociology with strong emphasis on health, environment, and Asian social transformations.
• Notable Faculty : Alex Broom and Salvatore Babones.
• Unique Features : Its location provides a strategic advantage for studying Asia-Pacific societal trends and issues.
• University of British Columbia (Canada)
• Program Overview : UBC’s PhD in Sociology focuses on racial and ethnic inequality, environmental sociology, and social theory.
• Notable Faculty : Amin Ghaziani and Renisa Mawani.
• Unique Features : The department offers a rich interdisciplinary environment with close ties to the school’s public policy and global studies programs.
• University of California, Santa Barbara (USA)
• Program Overview : UCSB offers a dynamic PhD program in Sociology, noted for its strength in the sociology of gender, sexuality, and feminist theory.
• Notable Faculty : Verta Taylor and Kum-Kum Bhavnani.
• Unique Features : The program benefits from its proximity to various interdisciplinary research centers, including the Center for Black Studies Research.
• University of Paris (France)
• Program Overview : The University of Paris provides a comprehensive PhD program in Sociology with strengths in social theory, sociology of labor, and European social policy.
• Notable Faculty : Laurent Lesnard and Monique Pinçon-Charlot.
• Unique Features : The program is characterized by its deep theoretical engagement and its emphasis on European societal issues.
• University of Melbourne (Australia)
• Program Overview : The University of Melbourne’s PhD program in Sociology excels in the study of digital societies, migration, and urban planning.
• Notable Faculty : Nikos Papastergiadis and Sarah Pink.
• Unique Features : The program encourages interdisciplinary research and has strong ties with the university’s architecture, urban planning, and media studies departments.
• New York University (USA)
• Program Overview : NYU’s Sociology PhD program is celebrated for its research on inequality, urban sociology, and social movements.
• Notable Faculty : Patrick Sharkey and Eric Klinenberg.
• Unique Features : The department offers excellent opportunities for field research in one of the world’s most dynamic urban environments.
• University of Oslo (Norway)
• Program Overview : The PhD program at the University of Oslo focuses on sociological theory, welfare studies, and migration.
• Notable Faculty : Katrine Fangen and Grete Brochmann.
• Unique Features : Its Nordic location provides a unique perspective on welfare and social policies that are model standards globally.
• Cornell University (USA)
• Program Overview : Cornell’s Sociology PhD program specializes in social inequality, demography, and labor relations.
• Notable Faculty : Kim Weeden and Victor Nee.
• Unique Features : The program benefits from its association with the Cornell Population Center and the ILR School, enriching its labor and demographic research.
• University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
• Program Overview : The University of Hong Kong offers a PhD in Sociology with an emphasis on Asian and comparative sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Pun Ngai and Maggy Lee.
• Unique Features : The program’s location makes it a strategic site for studying social transformations in Greater China and Asia.
• University of Zurich (Switzerland)
• Program Overview : The University of Zurich’s PhD in Sociology is strong in the study of social networks, life course, and social inequality.
• Notable Faculty : Hans-Peter Blossfeld and Laura Bernardi.
• Unique Features : The department emphasizes quantitative methods and models in sociological research.
• University of São Paulo (Brazil)
• Program Overview : USP’s Sociology PhD program is well-regarded for its studies in social change, urban sociology, and political sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Maria Arminda do Nascimento Arruda and Glauco Arbix.
• Unique Features : The program offers a unique insight into Latin American social structures and dynamics.
• University of Copenhagen (Denmark)
• Program Overview : The University of Copenhagen offers a robust PhD program focusing on comparative welfare studies, environmental sociology, and the sociology of families.
• Notable Faculty : Morten Axel Pedersen and Annick Prieur.
• Unique Features : Its Scandinavian location provides a special focus on social policy and welfare systems.
• University of Wisconsin–Madison (USA)
• Program Overview : The PhD program at UW-Madison is known for its strong emphasis on American sociology, particularly in areas like community and environmental sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Erik Olin Wright and Pamela Oliver.
• Unique Features : The department is famous for its historical commitment to “Wisconsin School” sociology, which blends empirical research with critical theory.
• King’s College London (UK)
• Program Overview : King’s College offers a PhD in Sociology with a focus on biopolitics, science and technology studies, and urban sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Deborah James and Mike Michael.
• Unique Features : The program is enriched by its central London location, which facilitates engagement with numerous cultural and political institutions.
• Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Germany)
• Program Overview : LMU Munich offers a PhD program that excels in the sociology of culture, social psychology, and the sociology of education.
• Notable Faculty : Armin Nassehi and Paula-Irene Villa.
• Unique Features : The program emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches and is well-connected with various research institutes across Europe.
• University of Texas at Austin (USA)
• Program Overview : UT Austin’s Sociology PhD program focuses on areas like social inequality, health sociology, and education.
• Notable Faculty : Robert Crosnoe and Jennifer Glass.
• Unique Features : The program is known for its strong quantitative research emphasis and close ties to various research centers, including the Population Research Center.
• University of Pennsylvania (USA)
• Program Overview : Penn’s Sociology PhD program is noted for its strengths in demography, urban sociology, and sociology of education.
• Notable Faculty : Annette Lareau and Emilio Parrado.
• Unique Features : The program benefits from interdisciplinary connections with Penn’s schools of education, law, and business.
• Program Overview : The University of Amsterdam excels in critical sociology, focusing on areas such as gender studies, political sociology, and the sociology of migration.
• Notable Faculty : Jan Willem Duyvendak and Giselinde Kuipers.
• Unique Features : The program offers a rich interdisciplinary environment and access to extensive research networks across Europe.
• Program Overview : UBC’s PhD in Sociology focuses on social theory, environmental sociology, and the sociology of health.
• Notable Faculty : Neil Guppy and Renisa Mawani.
• Unique Features : The department encourages collaborative and interdisciplinary research across multiple faculties and institutes.
• Program Overview : The University of Melbourne offers a PhD program in sociology that is particularly strong in the sociology of media, urban sociology, and cultural studies.
• Notable Faculty : John Murphy and Lisa Adkins.
• Unique Features : The program benefits from its partnerships with governmental and non-governmental organizations, providing practical insights into sociological issues.
• Peking University (China)
• Program Overview : Peking University’s PhD program in Sociology is renowned for its focus on Chinese society, social stratification, and rural sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Sun Liping and Lu Xueyi.
• Unique Features : The program provides unique insights into Chinese social dynamics and offers extensive fieldwork opportunities across the country.
• Program Overview : The University of Zurich offers a strong program in economic sociology, the sociology of law, and social inequality.
• Notable Faculty : Hans-Peter Kohler and Marlis Buchmann.
• Unique Features : The department is known for its methodological rigor and strong statistical training.
• Seoul National University (South Korea)
• Program Overview : SNU’s Sociology PhD program specializes in Korean society, industrial sociology, and social change.
• Notable Faculty : Kyung-Sup Chang and Hagen Koo.
• Unique Features : The program provides deep insights into the dynamics of East Asian societies with a strong emphasis on empirical research.
• University of Munich (Germany)
• Program Overview : LMU’s Sociology PhD program covers social structure analysis, cultural sociology, and the sociology of religion.
• Notable Faculty : Armin Nassehi and Rudolf Stichweh.
• Unique Features : The program is well-regarded for its comprehensive theoretical training and strong European sociological tradition.
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA)
• Program Overview : UIUC’s Sociology PhD program is known for its research in labor markets, racial and ethnic inequality, and social movements.
• Notable Faculty : Zsuzsa Gille and Kevin Leicht.
• Unique Features : The program offers extensive resources such as the Survey Research Laboratory and the Illinois Qualitative Sociology Review.
• University of California, Irvine (USA)
• Program Overview : UCI’s Sociology PhD program is well-regarded for its focus on immigration, race and ethnicity, and social networks.
• Notable Faculty : Rubén G. Rumbaut and Frank D. Bean.
• Unique Features : The program encourages interdisciplinary research and is closely integrated with the Center for Demographic and Social Analysis.
• Program Overview : The University of Oslo offers a strong program in sociology of law, migration studies, and gender studies.
• Notable Faculty : Grete Brochmann and Willy Pedersen.
• Unique Features : The program provides a distinct Nordic perspective on social policies and welfare systems.
• Program Overview : McGill’s PhD in Sociology emphasizes social statistics, urban sociology, and global health.
• Unique Features : The program is notable for its bilingual research environment and strong international collaborations.
• Stockholm University (Sweden)
• Program Overview : Stockholm University’s PhD program in Sociology specializes in social demography, labor markets, and welfare studies.
• Notable Faculty : Sunnee Billingsley and Juho Härkönen.
• Unique Features : The program benefits from strong ties with various Swedish and European research institutes.
• University of Warwick (UK)
• Program Overview : Warwick’s Sociology department offers a PhD program that is well-known for its work on social theory, cultural sociology, and digital sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Akwugo Emejulu and Gurminder K. Bhambra.
• Unique Features : The department promotes interdisciplinary research initiatives and has a vibrant international student body.
• Program Overview : The University of São Paulo offers a comprehensive PhD in Sociology with strengths in political sociology, environmental sociology, and sociology of education.
• Notable Faculty : Sergio Miceli and Glauco Arbix.
• Unique Features : The program is particularly strong in its analysis of Brazilian and Latin American societies.
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (USA)
• Program Overview : U-M’s Sociology PhD program is known for its emphasis on social inequality, sociology of health, and population studies.
• Notable Faculty : Elizabeth Armstrong and Jeffrey Morenoff.
• Unique Features : The program is closely associated with the Institute for Social Research, one of the world’s leading centers for the advancement of social science research.
• Program Overview : Edinburgh’s Sociology PhD program focuses on digital society, social inequalities, and global health.
• Notable Faculty : Lynn Jamieson and Richard Sparks.
• Unique Features : The program offers a strong methodological foundation and access to Scottish social research networks.
• University of Delhi (India)
• Program Overview : The University of Delhi offers a PhD in Sociology with a focus on Indian society, rural development, and social stratification.
• Notable Faculty : Anand Kumar and Vivek Kumar.
• Unique Features : The program provides in-depth insights into the complex social dynamics of South Asia.
• University of California, Davis (USA)
• Program Overview : UC Davis’ Sociology PhD program is particularly strong in the areas of environmental sociology, social movements, and sociology of agriculture.
• Notable Faculty : James Smith and Laura Grindstaff.
• Unique Features : The program benefits from its proximity to various state and national policy-making bodies in California.
• University of Minnesota (USA)
• Program Overview : The University of Minnesota’s Sociology PhD program is well-regarded for its focus on inequality, demography, and global sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Douglas Hartmann and Elizabeth Wrigley-Field.
• Unique Features : The program is particularly strong in sociological research methods and offers extensive training in statistical analysis.
• University of Bristol (UK)
• Program Overview : Bristol’s Sociology department offers a PhD program that explores modern social problems through quantitative and qualitative research, particularly focusing on policy impact and social change.
• Notable Faculty : Tariq Modood and Mhairi Mackenzie.
• Unique Features : The department is part of several interdisciplinary research centers, fostering a vibrant academic community.
• Program Overview : NUS provides a PhD in Sociology with specialties in family and demography, religion, and multiculturalism in Asian contexts.
• Unique Features : The program is known for its strong emphasis on Asian societal issues and offers significant opportunities for regional research.
• Program Overview : The University of Sydney’s Sociology PhD program specializes in digital cultures, health, and social theory.
• Notable Faculty : Alex Broom and Amanda Wise.
• Unique Features : The program’s strength is its interdisciplinary approach and its emphasis on public sociology.
• Program Overview : The PhD in Sociology at the University of Copenhagen focuses on social exclusion, welfare studies, and the sociology of emotions.
• Notable Faculty : Margaretha Järvinen and Nils Holtug.
• Unique Features : The program offers a unique Scandinavian perspective on social welfare and policy studies.
• Program Overview : UCSB offers a Sociology PhD program that focuses on the sociology of gender, sexualities, and the environment.
• Notable Faculty : Verta Taylor and John Foran.
• Unique Features : The program is notable for its activist scholarship and commitment to social justice.
• Program Overview : LMU Munich’s PhD program covers a wide range of sociological fields, including the sociology of education, migration, and urban studies.
• Unique Features : The program benefits from Munich’s strong network of research institutions and its vibrant student life.
• University of Auckland (New Zealand)
• Program Overview : The University of Auckland offers a PhD in Sociology with a focus on Pacific studies, social change, and urban sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Tracey McIntosh and Steve Matthewman.
• Unique Features : The program provides a unique insight into Pacific societies and is active in addressing urban and environmental issues in the region.
• Program Overview : Toronto’s PhD program in Sociology focuses on immigration, health studies, and social networks.
• Notable Faculty : Monica Boyd and Anna Korteweg.
• Unique Features : The program benefits from a highly diverse urban environment that serves as a living laboratory for sociological research.
• University of Illinois at Chicago (USA)
• Program Overview : UIC’s Sociology PhD program specializes in urban sociology, race and ethnic relations, and global social change.
• Notable Faculty : Maria Krysan and Claire Decoteau.
• Unique Features : The program offers an urban public research setting with strong community ties and a focus on applied sociology.
• University of Arizona (USA)
• Program Overview : The University of Arizona offers a PhD in Sociology with strong programs in environmental sociology, the sociology of health, and social networks.
• Notable Faculty : Jennifer Earl and Ronald Breiger.
• Unique Features : The program is known for its integration with other research units like the Institute of Environment and the School of Government and Public Policy.
• Program Overview : Manchester’s Sociology PhD program focuses on social inequalities, digital societies, and global health.
• Notable Faculty : Bridget Byrne and Nick Crossley.
• Unique Features : The program benefits from strong research networks and centers, particularly in health sociology and social statistics.
• Program Overview : UCSD offers a PhD in Sociology that is particularly strong in science and technology studies, sociology of culture, and comparative and historical sociology.
• Notable Faculty : John Skrentny and Amy Binder.
• Unique Features : The program encourages interdisciplinary research with strong ties to the Science Studies Program.
• Program Overview : The University of Oslo offers a PhD program specializing in the sociology of welfare and public policy, migration studies, and social theory.
• Unique Features : The program is noted for its Nordic perspective on social research and policy.
• University of Alberta (Canada)
• Program Overview : The University of Alberta’s PhD program in Sociology is recognized for its work in the sociology of family, health sociology, and environmental sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Lisa Strohschein and Harvey Krahn.
• Unique Features : The program benefits from close collaboration with the Population Research Laboratory.
• King’s College London (UK)
• Program Overview : King’s College offers a PhD program in Sociology with strong emphases on urban studies, biopolitics, and social movements.
• Notable Faculty : Deborah James and Mike Savage.
• Unique Features : The department is active in public sociology and engages with various social issues in metropolitan London.
• University of Colorado Boulder (USA)
• Program Overview : UC Boulder offers a Sociology PhD that focuses on environmental sociology, the sociology of emotions, and inequality.
• Notable Faculty : Lori Hunter and Leslie Irvine.
• Unique Features : The program is known for its commitment to public sociology and its strong environmental research focus.
• University of Cape Town (South Africa)
• Program Overview : UCT’s PhD program in Sociology specializes in African sociology, social change, and urban studies.
• Unique Features : The program provides a critical perspective on social issues affecting Africa, with a strong emphasis on social justice and transformation.
• University of Vienna (Austria)
• Program Overview : The University of Vienna offers a PhD in Sociology focusing on social integration, migration, and European societies.
• Notable Faculty : Christian Fleck and Ulrike Felt.
• Unique Features : The program offers a strong foundation in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, with a European focus.
• University of New South Wales (Australia)
• Program Overview : UNSW’s PhD program in Sociology is known for its research on social policy, health sociology, and globalization.
• Notable Faculty : Deborah Lupton and Martin Holt.
• Unique Features : The program encourages an interdisciplinary approach and has strong ties with the Social Policy Research Centre.
• University of Leiden (Netherlands)
• Program Overview : Leiden University’s Sociology PhD program is recognized for its strong focus on cultural sociology, globalization, and social cohesion.
• Notable Faculty : Marcel Lubbers and Evelien Tonkens.
• Unique Features : The program offers a broad international perspective, with extensive opportunities for collaborative research across Europe.
• University of Florida (USA)
• Program Overview : The University of Florida offers a PhD in Sociology with specialties in criminology, environmental sociology, and race and ethnicity.
• Notable Faculty : Joe Feagin and Tanya Koropeckyj-Cox.
• Unique Features : The program is known for its strong methodological training and for fostering interdisciplinary research across various academic units.
• Program Overview : Warwick’s Sociology department provides a PhD program focusing on social theory, digital sociology, and international development.
• Notable Faculty : Nickie Charles and Maria do Mar Pereira.
• Unique Features : The program is part of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies, offering innovative approaches to sociological research.
• University of Groningen (Netherlands)
• Program Overview : The University of Groningen’s Sociology PhD program specializes in social networks, population studies, and social justice.
• Notable Faculty : Rafael Wittek and Melinda Mills.
• Unique Features : The program benefits from the university’s strong emphasis on quantitative methods and its leading role in social network analysis in Europe.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA)
• Program Overview : UNC Chapel Hill’s Sociology PhD program is well-known for its research in social movements, health sociology, and social inequality.
• Notable Faculty : Andrew Perrin and Lisa Pearce.
• Unique Features : The program fosters a collaborative research environment with access to numerous interdisciplinary research centers.
• Program Overview : The University of Zurich offers a PhD in Sociology with a strong emphasis on social networks, life course studies, and social stratification.
• Unique Features : The program is known for its methodological rigor and excellent statistical training.
• Program Overview : UIC’s Sociology PhD program specializes in urban sociology, social movements, and global and transnational issues.
• Notable Faculty : Saskia Sassen and Claire Decoteau.
• Unique Features : The program’s urban setting offers rich opportunities for field research in one of America’s largest cities.
• University of Queensland (Australia)
• Program Overview : The University of Queensland offers a PhD program in sociology focusing on social change, health sociology, and the sociology of gender.
• Notable Faculty : Gert Stulp and Claudio V. Torres.
• Unique Features : The program is known for its strong ties to various research institutes, providing ample opportunities for practical engagement.
• University of California, Santa Cruz (USA)
• Program Overview : UC Santa Cruz’s Sociology PhD program is noted for its critical approach to global and social issues including social justice, environmental change, and race and ethnic studies.
• Notable Faculty : Herman Gray and Jenny Reardon.
• Unique Features : The program is uniquely positioned to integrate sociological research with issues of technology and social justice.
• Program Overview : The University of Edinburgh offers a PhD in Sociology that focuses on culture and creativity, social inequalities, and the sociology of families.
• Notable Faculty : Lynn Jamieson and Gillian Rose.
• Unique Features : The program benefits from its historical and cultural context, providing a rich backdrop for sociological research.
• Program Overview : The University of Amsterdam offers a PhD in Sociology with a focus on urban studies, migration, and social networks.
• Unique Features : The program is especially strong in European social research and offers rich opportunities for cross-national studies.
• Ohio State University (USA)
• Program Overview : OSU’s Sociology PhD program is recognized for its research in social stratification, race and ethnicity, and demography.
• Notable Faculty : Vincent Roscigno and Claudia Buchmann.
• Unique Features : The program benefits from affiliations with multiple research centers, including the Institute for Population Research.
• University of Stockholm (Sweden)
• Program Overview : Stockholm University offers a PhD program that specializes in welfare research, labor market studies, and social policy.
• Notable Faculty : Magnus Bygren and Sunnee Billingsley.
• Unique Features : The program’s Nordic setting provides a unique perspective on welfare state dynamics and social policies.
• University of California, Berkeley (USA)
• Program Overview : UC Berkeley’s Sociology PhD program is known for its strong emphasis on theoretical and empirical research in areas like social inequality, political sociology, and organizational behavior.
• Notable Faculty : Kim Voss and Irene Bloemraad.
• Unique Features : The program fosters interdisciplinary collaboration with other departments and research institutes.
• Program Overview : LMU Munich’s PhD program covers a broad range of sociological fields, including sociology of religion, migration studies, and social structures.
• Unique Features : The program is noted for its critical theoretical approaches and strong European sociological tradition.
• Program Overview : UT Austin offers a Sociology PhD program focusing on areas such as family dynamics, social psychology, and health sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Robert Crosnoe and Debra Umberson.
• Unique Features : The program is known for its strong quantitative research orientation and its interdisciplinary collaborations across campus.
• Program Overview : UBC’s Sociology PhD program is recognized for its work in areas such as gender studies, environmental sociology, and racial and ethnic relations.
• Unique Features : The program encourages collaborative and interdisciplinary research, particularly with its ties to the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice.
• Program Overview : The University of Copenhagen offers a PhD in Sociology with strong emphases on quantitative methods, migration studies, and social theory.
• Notable Faculty : Nils Holtug and Christian Albrekt Larsen.
• Unique Features : The program benefits from its Scandinavian context, which is known for its innovative social research and welfare studies.
• Rutgers University (USA)
• Program Overview : Rutgers’ Sociology PhD program offers specialties in health sociology, social movements, and race and ethnicity.
• Notable Faculty : Patricia Roos and Lee Clarke.
• Unique Features : The program is highly interdisciplinary and benefits from proximity to diverse urban environments for empirical research.
• Program Overview : The University of Queensland’s Sociology PhD program focuses on social change, digital media, and environmental sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Greg Marston and Xiaoying Qi.
• Unique Features : The program offers strong links with government and non-government organizations, enhancing practical engagement and policy impact.
• Focus : Family and demography, religion, multiculturalism.
• Notable Faculty : Vineeta Sinha, Chua Beng Huat.
• Unique Features : The program emphasizes Asian societal issues and offers significant opportunities for regional research.
• Focus : Chinese society, social stratification, rural sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Sun Liping, Lu Xueyi.
• Tsinghua University (China)
• Focus : Urban sociology, social policy, inequality.
• Notable Faculty : Guo Yuhua, Shen Yuan.
• Unique Features : The program integrates urban studies with social policy, providing a comprehensive approach to understanding contemporary Chinese society.
• University of Tokyo (Japan)
• Focus : Social theory, empirical research, social dynamics in Asia.
• Notable Faculty : Yoshimichi Sato, Takehiko Kariya.
• Unique Features : The program offers strong interdisciplinary collaboration and extensive research opportunities in Asian social issues.
• Kyoto University (Japan)
• Focus : Comparative sociology, cultural studies, social change.
• Notable Faculty : Jun Ikeno, Shigeto Sonoda.
• Unique Features : The program emphasizes a comparative approach, integrating cultural studies with social change in Asian contexts.
• Focus : Korean society, industrial sociology, social change.
• Notable Faculty : Kyung-Sup Chang, Hagen Koo.
• Unique Features : The program provides deep insights into East Asian societies with a strong emphasis on empirical research.
• Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
• Focus : Migration, social stratification, family studies.
• Notable Faculty : Ray Yep, Alvin So.
• Unique Features : The program offers a rich blend of theoretical and applied research, with a focus on migration and social change in Greater China.
• Fudan University (China)
• Focus : Urban studies, economic sociology, social policy.
• Notable Faculty : Gu Xin, Wu Xiaogang.
• Unique Features : The program is known for its strong urban studies component and its integration with economic sociology.
• Focus : Comparative sociology, public policy, social research methods.
• Notable Faculty : Pun Ngai, Maggy Lee.
• Unique Features : The program is distinguished by its focus on public policy and its robust methodological training.
• Jawaharlal Nehru University (India)
• Focus : Indian society, social movements, development sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Anand Kumar, Vivek Kumar.
• Unique Features : The program is renowned for its critical approach to development sociology and its focus on social movements in India.
• National Taiwan University (Taiwan)
• Focus : Political sociology, cultural sociology, social networks.
• Notable Faculty : Wei-hsin Yu, Chin-Chun Yi.
• Unique Features : The program offers a unique perspective on Taiwanese and East Asian societies, with strong international research collaborations.
• University of Malaya (Malaysia)
• Focus : Ethnicity, development studies, sociology of religion.
• Notable Faculty : Syed Farid Alatas, Abdul Rahman Embong.
• Unique Features : The program provides in-depth insights into Malaysian society, with a focus on ethnic relations and development.
• Yonsei University (South Korea)
• Focus : Social change, family sociology, health sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Hyunjoon Park, Eun Mee Kim.
• Unique Features : The program emphasizes empirical research and offers strong interdisciplinary collaboration with other social sciences.
• Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (India)
• Focus : Sociology of technology, urban sociology, social movements.
• Notable Faculty : Arup Maharatna, Anagha Tambe.
• Unique Features : The program combines technological studies with sociological research, providing a unique interdisciplinary approach.
• Korea University (South Korea)
• Focus : Social stratification, education, labor studies.
• Notable Faculty : Chul-Kyoo Kim, Yean-Ju Lee.
• Unique Features : The program is well-regarded for its strong focus on social inequalities and labor market research.
• University of the Philippines Diliman (Philippines)
• Focus : Development sociology, gender studies, cultural sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Ricardo Jose, Teresa Encarnacion Tadem.
• Unique Features : The program offers a strong emphasis on Philippine society and culture, with extensive fieldwork opportunities.
• City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
• Focus : Urban sociology, migration, social policy.
• Notable Faculty : Ray Forrest, Linda Wong.
• Unique Features : The program is known for its focus on urban studies and social policy, providing a comprehensive understanding of contemporary social issues in Hong Kong.
• Zhejiang University (China)
• Focus : Rural sociology, social development, family studies.
• Notable Faculty : Wu Xu, Zhang Weiying.
• Unique Features : The program offers unique insights into rural development and social change in China, with a strong focus on empirical research.
• Osaka University (Japan)
• Focus : Sociology of education, social networks, cultural studies.
• Notable Faculty : Hiroshi Ishida, Yuko Tsukamoto.
• Unique Features : The program emphasizes cross-cultural studies and social network analysis, providing a broad understanding of sociological issues in Japan.
• University of Indonesia (Indonesia)
• Focus : Urbanization, social policy, gender studies.
• Notable Faculty : Iwan Pranoto, Wening Udasmoro.
• Unique Features : The program provides a comprehensive approach to understanding urbanization and social policy in Indonesia, with a strong focus on gender studies.
• Focus : African sociology, social change, urban studies.
• Notable Faculty : Jeremy Seekings, Nicoli Nattrass.
• University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa)
• Focus : Development sociology, labor studies, health sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Vishwas Satgar, Devan Pillay.
• Unique Features : The program is renowned for its focus on development issues and labor studies in the African context.
• Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
• Focus : Social inequality, rural sociology, sociology of education.
• Notable Faculty : Lindy Heinecken, Cherryl Walker.
• Unique Features : The program emphasizes rural sociology and educational research, providing unique insights into South African society.
• University of Nairobi (Kenya)
• Focus : Development studies, urbanization, gender studies.
• Notable Faculty : Karuti Kanyinga, Winnie Mitullah.
• Unique Features : The program offers a strong emphasis on development and urbanization issues in East Africa, with a focus on gender studies.
• Makerere University (Uganda)
• Focus : Social policy, rural development, health sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Edward Kirumira, Josephine Ahikire.
• Unique Features : The program is well-regarded for its research on rural development and social policy in Uganda.
• University of Ghana (Ghana)
• Focus : Sociology of development, social stratification, migration studies.
• Notable Faculty : Nana Apt, Akosua Adomako Ampofo.
• Unique Features : The program provides in-depth research opportunities in West African social issues, with a strong emphasis on development and migration.
• University of Ibadan (Nigeria)
• Focus : Development sociology, gender studies, health sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Olabisi Aina, Olayinka Omigbodun.
• Unique Features : The program is known for its strong focus on development and health issues in Nigeria, providing a critical perspective on African social dynamics.
• University of Botswana (Botswana)
• Notable Faculty : Lydia Nyati-Ramahobo, Joseph Tlou.
• Unique Features : The program offers a comprehensive approach to understanding urbanization and social policy in Botswana, with a strong focus on gender studies.
• Cairo University (Egypt)
• Focus : Urban studies, social policy, family studies.
• Notable Faculty : Ahmed Zayed, Heba Raouf Ezzat.
• Unique Features : The program is distinguished by its strong emphasis on urban issues and family dynamics in the Middle Eastern context.
• University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)
• Focus : Development studies, rural sociology, social change.
• Notable Faculty : Nuhu Hatibu Senkoro, Martha Qorro.
• Unique Features : The program offers a deep understanding of social change and development issues specific to East Africa.
• Focus : Social change, urban sociology, political sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Maria Arminda do Nascimento Arruda, Glauco Arbix.
• Unique Features : The program offers unique insights into Brazilian social structures and urban dynamics.
• Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (Chile)
• Focus : Social policy, development sociology, cultural studies.
• Notable Faculty : Eduardo Valenzuela, Teresa Matus.
• Unique Features : The program emphasizes applied sociology and public policy, with a strong focus on Chilean and Latin American contexts.
• University of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
• Focus : Urban studies, labor sociology, social movements.
• Notable Faculty : Gabriel Kessler, Maristella Svampa.
• Unique Features : The program is known for its critical approach to social movements and labor issues in Argentina.
• Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
• Focus : Environmental sociology, urban sociology, social inequality.
• Notable Faculty : Michel Misse, Moema Miranda.
• Unique Features : The program provides comprehensive training in environmental and urban sociology, focusing on social inequalities in Brazil.
• University of the Andes (Colombia)
• Focus : Social policy, conflict studies, cultural sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Rodrigo Uprimny, Angelika Rettberg.
• Unique Features : The program offers a strong focus on conflict resolution and social policy in Colombia and Latin America.
• Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil)
• Focus : Development sociology, rural sociology, sociology of education.
• Notable Faculty : Heloisa Salles Pereira, Luciana Andrade.
• Unique Features : The program emphasizes rural development and educational research, providing unique insights into Brazilian society.
• National University of San Marcos (Peru)
• Focus : Social change, indigenous studies, urbanization.
• Notable Faculty : Rolando Ames, Isabel Coral Cordero.
• Unique Features : The program provides a critical perspective on indigenous issues and urbanization in Peru.
• Federal University of Bahia (Brazil)
• Focus : Cultural studies, race and ethnicity, social movements.
• Notable Faculty : Jocélio Teles dos Santos, Marilene Corrêa.
• Unique Features : The program is distinguished by its focus on cultural studies and race relations in Brazil.
• Central University of Venezuela (Venezuela)
• Focus : Social policy, development studies, political sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Margarita López Maya, Hector Briceño.
• Unique Features : The program provides extensive research opportunities in social policy and development within the Venezuelan context.
• University of Santiago (Chile)
• Focus : Sociology of education, urban studies, social change.
• Notable Faculty : José Joaquín Brunner, Manuel Antonio Garretón.
• Unique Features : The program emphasizes educational research and urban sociology, offering a comprehensive understanding of social change in Chile.
• Thammasat University (Thailand)
• Focus : Development studies, political sociology, social movements.
• Notable Faculty : Chaiwat Satha-Anand, Thanet Aphornsuvan.
• Unique Features : The program offers critical insights into Southeast Asian development issues and political movements.
• Chulalongkorn University (Thailand)
• Focus : Cultural sociology, social inequality, urban studies.
• Notable Faculty : Naruemon Thabchumpon, Chalidaporn Songsamphan.
• Unique Features : The program emphasizes cultural and urban studies with a focus on social inequalities in Thailand.
• University of Colombo (Sri Lanka)
• Focus : Post-conflict studies, development sociology, migration.
• Notable Faculty : Siri Hettige, Premakumara de Silva.
• Unique Features : The program is distinguished by its focus on post-conflict societal issues and development in Sri Lanka.
• Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)
• Focus : Social stratification, sociology of religion, migration.
• Notable Faculty : Vered Kraus, Moshe Semyonov.
• Unique Features : The program provides a comprehensive approach to social stratification and migration studies, particularly in the Middle Eastern context.
• University of Haifa (Israel)
• Focus : Peace and conflict studies, social networks, cultural sociology.
• Notable Faculty : Gad Barzilai, Ayala Emmett.
• Unique Features : The program offers unique insights into peace and conflict resolution, with a strong emphasis on social network analysis.

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Cultural and Social Anthropology

Anthropology is the comparative study of human ways of life. Studying anthropology involves learning by doing research and looking at the world from different perspectives.

The diversity and commonalities of human cultures and societies lie at the heart of social and cultural anthropology. Anthropologists study the ways of life of local communities, as well as the regional, national and global interdependencies in which these communities are involved. Thus, anthropologists investigate global processes such as capital flows, migration, health projects or digitisation initiatives, but give particular attention to their negotiation in local contexts. Anthropology aims to describe and understand these contexts and to explain specific aspects of human life and co-existence.

Openness to interdisciplinarity and international cooperation are central to our research and teaching. We regard the cultural and social sciences — which have grown together from different research traditions — as a joint, transnational undertaking. We seek new ways of collaboration, in particular with institutions and individuals in those regions where we conduct research (see Links).

Anthropology contributes greatly to current debates on cultural diversity and the relativity of values. It promotes critical thinking as well as sensitivity towards different ways of life and perspectives — key competencies for participation in the globalised world of the 21st century. Our team is therefore also committed to the public communication of anthropological perspectives and their social relevance.

In addition to courses addressing theoretical, methodological and regional issues, the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology offers courses in the following core areas: 1) Politics and Economics, 2) Medicine and Technology, 3) Intimate Social Relations. Events and lectures by guest researchers complement our programme. Our teaching emphasizes the close linkage between research and teaching: We use problems and results from ongoing research projects as examples in our teaching and encourage students to develop their own projects and to participate in field studies and research excursions. 

1. Politics and Economics

On the one hand, political and economic anthropology focuses on the political and economic organisation in a diverse range of societies. On the other, anthropologists examine how local dynamics are influenced by national and global political and economic processes. Furthermore, anthropologists are increasingly investigating these processes themselves, for example, the nation state, bureaucracies, and the establishment of capital-intensive large-scale projects. Among other issues, we explore the consequences of large-scale plantations and mining in different areas of the world. But we also ask: How is public health insurance in India planned and implemented for poorer sections of the population? Or how do capitalist logics prevail and restructure health care? 

2. Medicine and Technology

Examining medicine and technology from an anthropological perspective involves considering these phenomena (often conceived as “objective” or “natural”) as objects of study and to subject them to social science analyses. We do this through close interdisciplinary exchange, for example, with science and technology studies or the history of science. In which ways are medicine and technology present in daily life? How are they produced, perceived, used and possibly reinterpreted in specific contexts? To what extent are these experiences shaped by historical, political and economic influences, and how do they relate to social inequalities? Our research explores the ideals of universal health care, health policy, biotechnologiesand digitalisation mainly in South Asia and East Africa. We also focus on global entanglements, especially in the form of South-South relations.

3. Intimate Social Relationships

Ever since its beginnings as a specific discipline, anthropology has taken great interest in how those relationships that are central to both everyday life and the reproduction of collective life are organised: family, households, extended kinship, and living together in settlements or neighbourhoods. These close relationships form one basis of further dimensions of social organisation, such as economic and political life. At the same time, they respond to historical transformations. When these relationships change, other areas of social life also change. Today, for example, we ask ourselves: How does international migration change social relationships? Or what happens to family relationships when new reproductive technologies change the possibilities of having children?

Regional Activities

Our staff undertake research in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, South Asia and East Africa. However, some of our Master’s and PhD students also work on aspects of social life in Switzerland.

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FellowshipBard

11 fully funded phd programs at university of lausanne, switzerland.

Are you holding Master’s degree and looking for fully funded PhD positions? University of Lausanne, Switzerland invites online application for multiple funded PhD Programs / fully funded PhD positions in various research areas.

Candidates interested in fully funded PhD positions can check the details and may apply as soon as possible. Interested and eligible applicants may submit their online application for PhD programs via the University’s Online Application Portal. 

1. Fully Funded PhD Position in sociology of sport 

Summary of phd program:.

The Sports Science Institute of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Lausanne is looking for a doctoral student in sociology of sport on the theme of trust in anti-doping. The research topic of this doctorate is understanding the elements on which trust is built and to increase trust in antidoping in improving antidoping organisations’ (ADOS) governance and policies. The thesis will be carried out in collaboration with WADA’s education department.

Application Deadline: 19.09.2023

2. fully funded phd position in sociology of sport on the prevention of sexual harassment .

The Sports Science Institute of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Lausanne is looking for a doctoral student in sociology of sport on preventing sexual harassment and abuse in sport. This doctoral research centers around the prevention of sexual harassment and abuse within the realm of sports. The goal is to identify best practices in safeguarding policies and propose innovative recommendations towards sports organisations to better prevent sexual harassment and abuse from occurring in sport. The thesis will be carried out in collaboration with the IOC.

Follow FellowshipBard for daily updates!

3. Fully Funded PhD Position in Marketing

To complete the team, the Department of Marketing at the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Lausanne (HEC Lausanne) invites applications for the position of Graduate Assistant in Marketing.

Application Deadline: September 3rd, 2023

4. fully funded phd position in plant molecular biology.

The project aims to advance our understanding of the growth coordination within plant cells and tissues that result in diverse plant morphologies observed in various environments. You will contribute to unraveling the genetic factors governing the properties of the cell wall, particularly its ability to withstand turgor pressure and facilitate growth, leading to a range of plant shapes. You will be engaged in genetic modifications at the cellular and tissue level, altering cell shape and cell wall characteristics to further elucidate the processes underlying coordinated cellular growth across disparate tissues. The project will also involve the time-lapse confocal microscopy, image processing, and mechanical measurements.

Application Deadline: 31.08.2023

5. fully funded phd position in political theory.

To complete the team, the Centre of Public Law of the Law School of the Faculty of Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration is looking for a Doctoral Assistant in Political Theory for Professor Sandrine Baume.

Application Deadline: 24th September 2023

6. fully funded phd position in genetics.

The Center for Integrative Genomics of the University of Lausanne invites applications for a PhD student position in the group of Aleksandar Vještica to work in the area of sexual lifecycle in fungi, with a focus on mechanism of gamete-to-zygote transition in fission yeast. Fertilization between two haploid gametes triggers fission yeast to rapidly switch fate and acquire zygotic identity. Failure in this early developmental step, or its mere delay, leads to refertilization and consequently, formation of progeny with aberrant ploidy. Since ploidy alterations increase fitness under certain conditions in both non-pathogenic and pathogenic fungi, understanding fungal blocks to re-fertilization, holds relevance not only for developmental but also evolutionary and medical biology. The Vjestica lab is funded by the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant), Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF Eccellenza Grant) and University of Lausanne.

Application Deadline: 15.09.2023

7. fully funded phd position in biology & nutrition.

The Habib lab utilises tissue engineering to investigate aspects of embryogenesis and adult tissue formation. They use this knowledge to develop technologies that will promote tissue repair upon injury. For example, recently, using this approach they developed novel bandages that can promote bone repair in vivo. These technologies resulted in a patent, 107 news articles and a televised coverage in CBS-news.

Application Deadline: 22.09.2023

10 best ai cover letter builders, 8. fully funded phd position in geography .

The candidate will undertake personal research for a PhD in the field of geography. The topic of the research will be the question of functional spaces (water use basins) applied to integrated water resources management (IWRM). The research will be conducted within the framework of the project “Multipurpose Alpine hydroelectric infrastructures”, as well as the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mountain Research (CIRM) of UNIL. A description of the context of the research on the multipurpose use of Alpine dams is available from Prof. Emmanuel Reynard ([email protected]).

Application Deadline: 8th of September 2023

9. fully funded phd position in llms and generative ai for recommender systems and business applications.

The lab of Big Data and Machine Learning is opening a full-time Graduate Assistant position in the areas of large language models and generative AI for recommender systems and business applications. The successful candidate is expected to conduct research and publish articles in the leading international conferences and journals.

Application Deadline: Open until filled

10. fully funded phd position in information systems.

In this position, you will conduct research in the field of data & analytics management and support multinational companies in their data-driven transformation. You will be employed at HEC Lausanne and work in the Competence Center Corporate Data Quality (CC CDQ), an industry-funded research consortium and expert community. As member of the CC CDQ research team, you will closely collaborate with Fortune 500 companies and drive the CC CDQ co-innovation activities in one of the following topics:

• Data management for sustainability and ESG
• Data & analytics governance and architecture (data mesh)
• Data sharing and platforms in business ecosystems
• Data quality using AI and automation

11. Fully Funded PhD Position in Surface layer dynamics in lakes

The PhD student will be hosted at the Institute of Earth surface dynamics, within the faculty of geoscience and environment at the University of Lausanne (UNIL), a vibrant, well-funded institute with a multidisciplinary focus on environmental surface processes in mountain landscapes, covering meteorology and climatology, glaciology, remote-sensing, river geomorphology, pedology and limnology. The FGSE specifically promotes interdisciplinary research and teaching, within and between the social and natural sciences. It is embedded in the broader Lausanne research environment that includes two universities (UNIL, EPFL), and cross-disciplinary, collaborative cutting-edge research programs for lakes (LeXPLORE) and climate actions (CLIMACT).

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Department of Sociology

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• / Congratulations to Haley Metcalf Wade, who earned her PhD in applied sociology this summer!

Congratulations to Haley Metcalf Wade, who earned her PhD in applied sociology this summer! Jul 31, 2024

Dr. Lauren Heberle discusses UofL's proposed yard signs and chalking ban in WHAS11 article Jul 16, 2024

Sociology PhD alum, Dr. Katie Adamchik presents at The First Scholars Leadership Academy Jul 01, 2024

Sociology and social biology major Shradda Patel wins ABI Undergraduate Research Paper May 14, 2024

Congratulations to LaRee Shontee, who earned her MA in sociology this spring May 06, 2024

2024 AKD inductees and Department Graduate Student Award Recipients Apr 24, 2024

Gast, Melanie Jones , Yohimar Sivira-Gonzalez, James Chisholm, & Trisha Douin . 2024. “ Multilingual Adolescent Mentors and Tailored College Knowledge for Students of Immigrant Backgrounds .” Supporting College Students of Immigrant Origin: New Insights from Research, Policy, and Practice , edited by Blake Silver & Graziella Pagliarulo McCarron. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

Marshall, Gul Aldikacti , (2023) "Feminisms and Feminist Movements in the Middle East."  The Handbook of Media and Culture in the Middle East . Eds. Joe Khalil et al. Wiley Blackwell. 65-72.

Emilie Dyer and  D. Mark Austin.  "Representations of Executions: An Examination of Ritual and Accuracy in Popular Films."  Journal of Criminology and Popular Culture.  (Forthcoming)Perez-Felkner, Lara, Melanie Jones Gast , and Sarah Ovink. 2022. “Liberating our Writing: Critical Narratives and Systemic Changes in Education and the Social Sciences.” Multicultural Perspectives . 24:162-169. 

Lanphier, Tonya Scott   and   Robert M. Carini .  2022.  " A Process Evaluation of a Learning Community Program: Implemented as Designed? "   Education Sciences  12, no. 1: 60. 

Learn more about some of our faculty, graduate students and alumni.

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University Center for Human Values

Announcing UCHV's 2024-25 Graduate Prize Fellows

The Center is pleased to welcome the following Graduate Prize Fellows for the 2024-25 academic year.

Victoria Bergbauer

Victoria Bergbauer is a sixth-year doctoral candidate in the Department of History. She is currently completing her dissertation, which will offer the first transnational history of the formerly incarcerated. By tracing the trajectories of adolescents beyond the walls of the prison, her dissertation expands beyond the architecture of incarceration to a wider normative infrastructure that undergirded the development of restorative justice and modern European statehood. Her broader research on normalization in the nineteenth century has appeared in English, French, and Italian publications. Victoria has served as a humanities tutor for Princeton’s Prison Teaching Initiative and is co-editing a volume on “The Architecture of Confinement,” the title of the 2022 conference that she co-organized at Princeton University. 

Atticus Carnell

Atticus Carnell is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in political theory. He’s interested in what we owe to each other in communicating, the nature of respect, recognition, and authority, and the moral foundations of democracy. He’s also interested in social theory, particularly in how new forms of technological mediation complicate received models of social reproduction. His dissertation deals with all these topics, developing a respect- and recognition-based account of the value of democracy and the informal distribution of democratic voice, revising some social-theoretical canon for the digital age, and applying this work to develop some design principles for traditional and social media. He has a BA in politics from Bowdoin College and an MPhil in political theory from Balliol College, Oxford. He spent a year as an AmeriCorps Climate Action Fellow in Portland, ME before starting at Princeton. 

Reece Edmends

Reece Edmends is a fifth-year PhD candidate in the Department of Classics. He is especially interested in Roman politics and political theory, and his dissertation explores the way the emperor Augustus used the motif of 'liberation' in his political advertising. Other research interests include the role of Cicero in the development of Roman constitutionalism, and the relationship between Rome's civic architecture and ideas of freedom. Reece is originally from the U.K. He has a B.A. and M.Phil. in Classics from King's College, Cambridge, and an M.A. in European Interdisciplinary Studies from the College of Europe, Warsaw.

Andrew Hahm

Andrew Hahm is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Politics. He studies the normative problems raised by the modern administrative state in democratic societies, with particular attention to the history and institutions of American public administration. His dissertation seeks to understand how to best interpret democratic norms of political inclusion and mass participation within the context of administrative rulemaking and adjudication. In doing so, it aims to develop a distinctively  democratic  theory of the administrative state. Andrew holds an A.B. degree from Princeton and an M.A. degree from Queen's University, Kingston.

Sayash Kapoor

Sayash Kapoor is a Ph.D. candidate at Princeton University's Center for Information Technology Policy. He is a coauthor of “AI Snake Oil,” a book that provides a critical analysis of artificial intelligence, separating the hype from the true advances. His research examines the societal impacts of AI, with a focus on reproducibility, transparency, and accountability in AI systems. He is especially interested in the interaction between AI and policy. He has previously worked on AI in various institutions in academia and the industry, including at Facebook, Columbia University, and EPFL Switzerland. Kapoor has been recognized with various awards, including a best paper award at ACM FAccT, an impact recognition award at ACM CSCW, and inclusion in TIME’s inaugural list of the 100 most influential people in AI.

Halee Robinson

Halee Robinson is a doctoral candidate in the Department of History and a certificate student in the Department of African American Studies. She specializes in the histories of race, punishment, and freedom in the United States. Her dissertation explores the effects and consequences of the Texas penal system on the everyday lives of Black, Mexican, Indigenous, and poor white people in Texas in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In particular, her project illuminates the central role that family and community played not only in the punitive aims of the state, but also in the ways that incarcerated and free people alike resisted state violence and punishment and articulated their own conceptions of justice. Halee received her M.A. in history from Princeton University and her B.A. in history and political science from Vanderbilt University.

Sebastián Rojas Cabal

Sebastián is a sixth-year doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology. His research spans political sociology, organizational sociology, and the sociology of development. His dissertation explores the extent to which state agencies in Colombia, amidst ongoing conflict and multiple peace negotiations since the 1980s, became pockets of organizational effectiveness while implementing peace-related policies. Sebastián's broader research includes the history of violence as a topic of social scientific study in Latin America, the comparative historical sociology of the state, and the response of U.S.-based nonprofits to changes in domestic legislation. Sebastián graduated summa cum laude from New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) in 2017, where he studied social research and public policy with a concentration in economics. At Princeton, he was Lassen Fellow in the Program in Latin American Studies during the 2019-2020 academic year. 

Darren Yau joined the doctoral program in Religion, Ethics, and Politics in Princeton's Department of Religion in 2019. His research focuses on how religious commitments shape and are shaped by debates in political theory, especially as formulated by American pragmatists, Social Gospel reformers, and Black political theorists of the early-to-mid-twentieth century. His dissertation uses Martin Luther King Jr.’s political philosophy of non-violence to explore the grounds, limits, and objections to non-violent direct action in democratic social movements under unjust background conditions. His additional projects concern Marxist accounts of racism and religion, the role of religious institutions in distributive justice, pacifist arguments about global justice, and other philosophical questions that arise from early-to-mid-twentieth century debates about social reform. Darren’s research has been supported by the Center for the Study of Culture, Society, and Religion, the Department of African American Studies, and the Effron Center for the Study of America. He holds a B.A. in philosophy from Wheaton College.

Elaine Yim specializes in political theory with interests in activism, democratic boundary problem, and ethnography. Her dissertation examines the role of activism in remedying our ‘global legitimacy deficit,’ the idea that our global governance structure in addressing global justice concerns including climate justice are unjust. Her project combines political theory with ethnographic methods, exploring the democratic values manifested in existing global justice activism movements. Outside of her dissertation work, she is also interested in immigration ethics, democratic theory and normative ethics.

Christopher Zraunig

Christopher Zraunig joined the doctoral program in the Department of Anthropology in 2019. Christopher's dissertation project centers around questions of good aging in the queer communities of Berlin and New York City: How do subjects who fail to adhere to heteronormative and ableist norms of successful aging create good later life for themselves and their chosen families? Christopher’s answers to this question are informed by more than 2 years of ethnographic fieldwork. They hold a BA and a MSc from the University of Amsterdam, for which they conducted ethnographic fieldwork on the long-term trajectory of HIV. Christopher is currently also working on a verbatim style play based on this material. Before coming to Princeton, Christopher worked as a researcher on an interdisciplinary project on dementia care at the Amsterdam University Medical Center VUMC.

New Arts and Sciences Faculty: Fall 2024

An outstanding group of new faculty will join the School of Arts and Sciences for the Fall 2024 semester.

Amarildo “Lilu” Barbosa, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Leadership

Amarildo “Lilu” Barbosa is a Senior Lecturer and Program Director in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Leadership program. He comes to Tufts from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health where he was the Chief Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Officer. Prior to that, Barbosa was the Chief Diversity Officer at Lesley University and the Directory of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Student Inclusion. His academic interests have focused on strategic diversity leadership, professional development, and organizational learning and capacity building. He received his PhD from Lesley University.    

Jonah Bloch-Johnson, Earth and Climate Sciences

Jonah Bloch-Johnson is the Chang Family Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth and Climate Sciences. He comes to Tufts from a Postdoctoral Researcher position at the United Kingdom’s National Centre for Atmospheric Science at the University of Reading. Bloch-Johnson studies nonlinear climate dynamics, which explores the ways in which the climate’s response to disturbances such as humanity’s CO 2 emissions can become stronger or weaker over time. His work has received funding from the National Science Foundation and has been published in  Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems  and  Climate Dynamics,  among others .  He received his PhD from the University of Chicago. 

Alexandra Collins, Community Health

Alexandra Collins is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Health. She comes to Tufts from Brown University School of Public Health where she was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology. Her community-based research examines social, structural, and environmental drives of health outcomes among people who use drugs, and evaluates substance use-related interventions. She previously worked at the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use and the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. Her work has been published in journals such as  International Journal of Drug Policy, Journal of Urban Health , and  Social Science & Medicine and has informed drug policy related to decriminalization and the establishment of overdose prevention centers. She received her PhD from Simon Fraser University in Canada. 

Simone Dufresne, Child Study and Human Development

Simone Dufresne is a Lecturer in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development. She recently completed her PhD at Tufts with a dissertation titled “Navigating Tufts for Neurodivergent Students: Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating a Workshop Series at a U.S. University.” Her research focuses on how autistic individuals understand themselves and their place in society, and how interventions can support this development. She has been working in the autism field supporting youth and families for over 10 years. 

Jeremy Eichler, Music

Jeremy Eichler is the Cummings Assistant Professor in the Department of Music. He is a writer, scholar and critic .  Before joining Tufts, Eichler was the Chief Classical Music Critic for  The Boston Globe , a position he held for 18 years. He has multiple Pulitzer Prize nominations in Criticism for his work at the  Globe.  Eichler is the author of  Time’s Echo: The Second World War, the Holocaust, and the Music of Remembrance  (Alfred A. Knopf and Faber, 2023), which was the winner of three National Jewish Book Awards and named a notable book of 2023 by  The   New Yorker, The New York Times,  and NPR. In 2018 he was named a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar and is a recipient of an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for music criticism. He also received a fellowship from Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Eichler’s criticisms and essays have appeared in  The New Yorker, The News Republic, The Times of London, The Nation, Vanity Fair, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Newsday, The Forward,  and  Slate.  He holds a PhD from Columbia University.  

Anne Fast, Psychology

Anne Fast is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology. She joins Tufts after faculty positions at Western Washington University and Clark University. She has extensive teaching and advising experience, and has also served as a departmental coordinator for graduate teaching assistants. At Tufts, she will be teaching courses in statistics for the behavioral sciences, developmental psychology, and gender development, among others, as well as advising students in all 5 of our undergraduate majors .  Her research interests include prosocial behavior, morality, social cognitive development, and gender development. She received her PhD from the University of Washington.

Isabela Fraga, Romance Studies

Isabela Fraga is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Romance Studies. She comes to Tufts from Stanford University where she was a Postdoctoral Mellon Fellow at Stanford Humanities Center and a Lecturer of Iberian and Latin American Cultures. Her research explores issues of personhood, subjectivity, and language in the context of chattel slavery in Latin America and the Spanish CaribbeanSpecifically, her book project traces a century-long genealogy of writings concerned with the affective lives of enslaved and free people of African descent in Brazil and Cuba, the two most lucrative coffee- and sugar-producing regions of the nineteenth-century Atlantic world.   Fraga received her PhD in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Studies from the University of Chicago.

Fatima Aysha Hussain, Biology

Fatima Aysha Hussain is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology. Before coming to Tufts, she was a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard. In 2021 she was awarded the Schmidt Science Fellowship. Her lab at Tufts will study the ecology and evolution of microbes living in the human vagina with the aim of using this research to design ecologically-informed microbial therapies for women’s health. She received her PhD from MIT, where she studied virus-bacteria interactions in the ocean. At Tufts she will be designing a new Virology course and co-teaching the Microbiology Lab. Her research has been published in journals such as  Nature, Science,  and  Nature Microbiology.

Jordan Jurinsky, Child Study and Human Development

Jordan Jurinsky is an Assistant Professor in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development. He recently received his PhD from Vanderbilt University with a dissertation titled “Dynamic ecology of adolescent recovery: A mixed methods exploration of the individual, family, and school contexts of adolescent alcohol use recovery.” His interdisciplinary research examines how social contexts, such as peers, families, schools, and communities, impact the addiction recovery process of adolescents and young adults, with an emphasis on health equity and action research. He is also the Director of the Systematic Evaluation of the Association of Recovery Schools, which is developing and iterating a nation-wide data infrastructure for recovery high schools. He has published his work in peer reviewed journals such as  Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research ,  Addiction Research & Theory , and  The Journal of American College Health.

Jing Li, Economics

Jing Li is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics. She comes to Tufts from the MIT Sloan School of Management where she held the William Barton Rogers Career Development Chair of Energy Economics. From 2017-2018, Li was a Postdoctoral Associate of the MIT Energy Initiative. Her research interests lie in energy economics and industrial organization, focusing on development and adoption of new technologies. In recent work, Li has studied standardization and location choices in the U.S. electric vehicle charging industry, automaker diesel vehicle emissions control technology, and cost pass-through in E85 retail markets. Li received her PhD from Harvard

Brandon McDonald, Classical Studies

Brandon McDonald is the Rumsey Family Assistant Professor in the Department of Classical Studies. He joins Tufts from the University of Basel in Switzerland where he was a Postdoctoral Fellow and Lecturer in the Department of Ancient History. McDonald’s research interests include ancient environmental history; Roman and late ancient history/archaeology; ancient disease and health; palaeoclimatology; Graeco-Roman Egypt; and Roman and late antique western Asia. He has published his work in journals such as  The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology  and is working on converting his dissertation into a monograph titled  Roman Ecology: The Interplay of An Empire, Its Natural Environment and Pathogens.  He received his DPhil from the University of Oxford. 

Emily Meehan, Mathematics

Emily Meehan is a Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics. She comes to Tufts from Wheaton College where she was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor at Gallaudet University. Meehan has published research in  Advances in Applied Mathematics.  She completed her PhD at North Carolina State University.

Takeshia Pierre, Education

Takeshia Pierre is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education. She recently completed her PhD at the University of Florida, Gainesville’s School of Teaching and Learning with a dissertation titled “Re-Authoring the Stories of Success of STEM/Health Professional Men Holding Black Diasporic Identities: A Disaggregated Approach.” Pierre’s research focuses on exploring equity in STEM and STEM-related fields. She has been published in the refereed journals  Professional Development in Education  and  Cultural Studies of Science Education.  In 2023 she was awarded a fellowship with the Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education (CADRE). 

Mat Rappaport, Film and Media Studies

Mat Rappaport is a Professor of the Practice in Film and Media Studies. He joins Tufts from Columbia College where he was an Associate Professor in the Cinema and Television Arts Department. Rappaport is an artist, curator, and educator whose work has been exhibited in museums, galleries, film, festivals, and public spaces both in the United States and internationally. From 2002-2007 he was an Assistant Professor of Digital Media at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Prior to that, he was an Assistant Professor of Visual Communication Design at the University of Dayton. Rappaport’s current work utilizes mobile video, performance and photography to explore habitation, perception and power as related to built environments. He is the co-founder of  V1B3 , an installation project which seeks to shape the experience of urban environments through media based interventions. He has been awarded fellowships by the Howard Foundation, the Mary L. Nohl Fund, and the Montgomery County Ohio Cultural District, among others. He received his MFA from the University of Notre Dame.  

Daniele Santucci, Romance Studies

Daniele Santucci is a Lecturer and the Italian Language Coordinator in the Department of Romance Studies. He earned his PhD in Italian from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds both an MA and a BA from the Università per Stranieri di Siena, specializing in Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition. He has experience designing and teaching Italian language and culture courses in various international settings, including Italy, Australia, Belgium, and Indonesia.  His research interests include  contemporary Italian Literature, gender and sexuality studies, queer studies, border studies, environmental humanities, and second language acquisition.

Sonal Sharma, Sociology

Sonal Sharma is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology. He recently completed his PhD at Johns Hopkins University with a dissertation titled “Class-compromise and informal sector workers in the Global South: the case of domestic workers’ legal rights in India and South Africa, 1990 to Present.” His research interests include sociology of race/caste, gender and labor, labor movements, civil society, capitalism, comparative-historical sociology, and ethnography. Sharma has published his work in peer-reviewed journals such as  Critical Sociology, South Asian History and Culture , and  South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal.

Emily Strasser, English

Emily Strasser is a Professor of the Practice of Creative Nonfiction and Journalism in the Department of English. Her first book,  Half-Life of a Secret  (University of Kentucky Press, 2023), was awarded the 2024 Reed Prize in Environmental Writing from the Southern Environmental Law Center and the 2024 Minnesota Book Award. Her writing situates the personal within the global and explores themes and questions of home, secrecy, mental illness, environment, grief, guilt, and interconnectedness. Her work has appeared in publications such as  Catapult, Ploughshares, Guernica, Colorado Review, The Bitter Southerner, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists,  and  Gulf Coast,  among others. Strasser has received awards and fellowships including the Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest, an AWP Intro Award, the W.K. Rose Fellowship, the Olive B. O’Connor Fellowship in Creative Writing, and grants from the Minnesota Arts Board, the Jerome Foundation, and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. She was a 2019 McKnight Writing Fellow. Strasser has previously taught at Hamline University, Colgate University, Century College, and the University of Minnesota. She received her MFA from the University of Minnesota.

Dorothy Wang, Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora

Dorothy Wang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora starting January 1, 2025. She comes to Tufts from Williams College where she was a Professor in the American Studies Program. Previously, she was a faculty member at Northwestern University and Wesleyan University. Wang is the author of  Thinking Its Presence: Form, Race, and Subjectivity in Contemporary Asian American Poetry  (Stanford University Press, 2013), which won the Association for Asian American Studies’ 2016 award for best book of literary criticism. In 2017-2018 she was the ACLS Frederick Burkhardt Residential Fellow in the English Department at the CUNY Graduate Center. She has also been a Visiting Professor at Chinese University of Hong Kong, Doshisha University (Kyoto, Japan), Lingnan University (Hong Kong), and Columbia University. She received her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.