Doctoral school

Content, qualifications and skills

The doctoral program in natural sciences serves to train scientists at a high international level. In their dissertation, doctoral students undertake to independently tackle new scientific questions. They acquire new knowledge and broaden their methodological skills in a compulsory subject, from which the dissertation also originates, as well as in an elective subject. The topic of the dissertation must come from a subject in the Faculty of Natural Sciences or a doctoral school (biology, chemistry, earth sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, etc.). The doctoral program promotes the further development of specific scientific working methods in the respective natural science subject area. Students acquire the ability to critically analyze, evaluate and link complex ideas. They are put in a position to develop adequate solutions to problems in research as well as in business and industry. Apart from the subject-specific level, key interdisciplinary qualifications (project and time management, problem-solving skills and flexibility) are further developed when writing a dissertation.

Expected learning outcomes

Graduates of the doctoral program in Natural Sciences are highly qualified young researchers with a broad range of specialist and methodological skills that they can apply to specific issues. They are able to pursue current scientific problems in independent innovative research projects and thus make a substantial contribution to the development of the (inter)national knowledge society.

Professional fields and career opportunities

Graduates of the doctoral program in Natural Sciences are qualified to conduct scientific research and teach at university and non-university institutions in Austria and abroad. Due to their outstanding professional and interdisciplinary qualifications, which are aligned with international standards, they are eligible for professional management positions in practical fields of activity, for example in business, industry and administration.