The Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Lucerne (GSL) is a doctoral program that enables highly qualified students in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (KSF) to pursue well-structured, intensively supervised doctoral studies. It provides doctoral students with structures and resources that allow them to complete their doctoral thesis within a reasonable period of time and in a quality that opens up opportunities for qualified positions in academic and non-academic job markets.

Support for doctoral students
The Graduate School ensures regular support for doctoral students' research work and offers individual supervision in the context of disciplinary and interdisciplinary research collaboration. The Graduate School stands for scientific quality and promotes the professional skills of doctoral students in both theoretical and methodological terms. The postgraduate teaching program with scientific events and regular colloquia form the fundamental structure. In addition to KSF events, doctoral students also have the opportunity to attend external events such as summer schools in order to tailor their individual learning program to their doctoral thesis. Additional participation in scientific conferences and the early publication of scientific articles are explicitly encouraged. In working groups, doctoral students can network with each other within the University of Lucerne, but also with other research institutions.

The doctoral program usually lasts six to eight semesters and can be structured flexibly within the time and academic framework. The time frame helps doctoral students to plan and structure their doctoral project and to complete it within a reasonable period of time. The content requirements (attendance of events relating to content and methodology, colloquia and international conferences, preparation of  progress reports and a conference contribution) promote the quality of the research work and help doctoral students on their way into the scientific community.

Generic skills and methodological knowledge
Doctoral students at the GSL have free access to the Generic Skills courses offered by the Graduate Academy of the University of Lucerne for the acquisition of interdisciplinary skills. The cooperation between all three Lucerne universities via the Lucerne campus provides a wide range of methodological courses (e.g. “Lucerne R Courses”, writing courses) for Lucerne doctoral students free of charge. 

The Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences (GSL) is a doctoral program that does not focus on one or more topics. Rather, it provides administrative support to doctoral students from all subject areas listed below throughout their doctorate and contributes to interdisciplinary networking. The GSL contributes to the education of doctoral students through internal and external networking as well as organized events such as guest lectures, workshops, retreats, etc. 

Doctoral studies at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (KSF), to which the GSL belongs, are possible in the following subjects:

• Anthropology
• History
• Jewisch- Christian Studies
• Cultural Studies
• Philosophie
• Political Science
• Study of Religions
• Sociology
• Science Studies