Overview

Key Features

The American Studies program at the Heidelberg University offers a modern multidisciplinary curriculum and is particularly committed to building a lively, scientific community of scholars by fostering academic debate and a continuous exchange of ideas and perspectives.

Graduates are awarded either a “Doktor der Philosophie (Dr. phil.)” or a “Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)” degree, according to their choice.

There are no tuition fees for the Ph.D. in American Studies program. The only fee is the regular semester fee (currently at around 170€) at Heidelberg University.

Please note that each applicant needs to find a supervising professor. The professors on the Ph.D. program faculty page can serve as dissertation supervisors; however, all professors in the relevant fields of study at Heidelberg University, including those not directly affiliated with the HCA, are technically eligible to supervise a dissertation in American Studies. Ph.D. students who aim at a degree in another discipline can also apply to the Ph.D. in American Studies program, as long as their research project is strongly related to the United States.

Programme Structure

In the first year of the program, students are expected to take one class on theories and issues, one class on academic writing as well as a class on presentation and media skills.

While enrolled, students are obliged to attend the Ph.D. Colloquium (from which they can be exempted when on research trips).

In addition, regular progress reports and consultation with supervisors form an integral part of the Ph.D. program.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 36 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2025-10-14 00:00:00
- Apply before 2025-03-31 00:00:00

Language

English

Delivered

On Campus

Disciplines

American and Australasian studies

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

We are not aware of any English requirements for this programme.

Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

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Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at Heidelberg University and/or in Germany, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Other requirements

General requirements

To apply successfully, a candidate needs to fulfill the general entrance requirements and present a meaningful proposal. The proposal should

outline the guiding questions of the dissertation project while embedding them in current academic debates,
show that the dissertation will make an original and important contribution to a particular field of research,
list the source materials that will be used,
and provide a realistic timetable for the completion of the project.

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

Free

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 0 EUR per semester during 36 months.
EU/EEA

Free

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 0 EUR per semester during 36 months.

there is no tuition fee but every doctoral candidate must pay a student service fee (151 EUR per semester)

Living costs for Heidelberg

922 - 1397 EUR /month

Living costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.