The thematic and chronological focus of Near and Middle Eastern Studies at Basel University covers the political, social, and intellectual history of the late Ottoman and post-Ottoman lands since the 19th century as well as political and social developments in contemporary Middle East and Middle Eastern diasporas. Emphasis is given to the former core regions of the Ottoman Empire, composed of south-eastern Europe, Anatolia, Cyprus, South Caucasus, Levant, Mesopotamia, the Arab Peninsula, and Egypt.

The PhD program in Near and Middle Eastern Studies is part of the Graduate School of Social Sciences (G3S) at the Department of the Social Sciences. As part of their curricula PhD students are required to take PhD courses from the G3S curriculum amounting to 18 credit points. An overview of ongoing PhD projects and completed PhD theses can be viewed on our research website.

Criteria for Admission

To be admitted to doctoral studies, candidates are required to fulfil the general criteria for admission for doctoral studies at the University of Basel as well as those of the program in Near and Middle Eastern Studies.

Information regarding the general admission criteria set by the University of Basel can be found at the website of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences:

https://philhist.unibas.ch/en/doctorate/prospective-doctoral-students/

Further, as part of the requirements of the program in Near and Middle Eastern Studies, the candidate should have received an undergraduate and graduate degree (Bachelor’s and Master’s degree) in Near and Middle Eastern Studies, Turkish and Ottoman Studies, Arab Studies, or other fields of humanities and social sciences (History, Political Science, Sociology, etc.), and have a proficient and accredited knowledge of one of the languages of their area of research, i.e. Arabic or Turkish, as well as command of the major languages of the relevant scholarship. Dissertations are written in English or in German.

Admission to doctoral studies in Near and Middle Eastern Studies requires the support of a professor who is willing to supervise research. In order to ascertain whether a professor is available for supervision, candidates should contact Alexander Balistreri, PhD Coordinator in Near and Middle Eastern Studies. Ideally, your initial letter of inquiry will already include a CV, a letter of motivation (explaining the choice of supervisor and university), and information about the proposed project (abstract and detailed research proposal). The candidates may be asked to provide further documentary evidence.

Please note the following two important items before considering an application:

•  Applicants should be aware that they must finance their own doctoral studies, as stipends for doctoral study are extremely limited.
•  Additionally, applications will only be reviewed if there are professors in the program in Near and Middle Eastern Studies with the ability to take on new advisees. Applications at other times will not be reviewed.

Application

Prospective doctoral students who have secured the support of a supervisor in Near and Middle Eastern Studies must first apply for admission to the University of Basel’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences using the university portal:

https://www.unibas.ch/en/Studies/Application-Admission/Application/Doctoral-Studies.html

The materials required for an admission application include: a statement of support from the primary supervisor, a project proposal (one to three pages), an informal statement of planned scheduling for the doctoral project, degree transcripts, a CV, and a copy of the passport or other identity document. Further information on these materials can be found on the websites listed above.

Following successful admission to a doctorate at the University of Basel’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, as a second step, prospective students may request acceptance into the doctoral program of the Graduate School of Social Sciences. For more information on the Graduate School of Social Sciences, see:

https://dgw.philhist.unibas.ch/de/doktorat/doktorieren-bei-uns/

Near and Middle Eastern Studies accepts applications throughout the year. However, it is advisable to send the required documents by the end of March at the latest, for the programs beginning in the autumn term, and end of October for the spring term.

Please see the following link for general information on admission and studying at Basel University: Application & Admission.

Funding

Grants for PhD students in Switzerland are subject to very competitive application requirements. The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) sponsors PhD students with (at present) four-year research fellowships. In order to successfully apply for SNSF grants, it is important that the dissertation project fits into the general research agenda of the desired supervisor, who will apply for the research project on behalf of the PhD candidate. For an overview of professors and their research interests see our website.

Another option is to apply for funding in the form of the “Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Scholars (SERI)”. For a list of countries from which potential PhD students can apply, please check list 1 or list 2.

Foreign candidates should also check available PhD grants from the institutions of their home country.

It is important that the candidates inform themselves of the visa and residence regulations of Switzerland and the Canton of Basel before their planned study in Switzerland.