Once the decision to do a doctorate has been made, there is usually more than just magic at the beginning. Such a big project as writing a dissertation – whether it’s cumulative or monographic – needs to be planned. Your daily work routine has to be independently organized and a high number of tasks must be structured in manageable sections. Unexpected obstacles require a lot of flexibility by simultaneous high pressure to complete the dissertation in an appropriate time. Potential funding organizations expect not only a promising project, but also a well-organized work plan. The more realistic you plan your dissertation, the more relaxed you will be able to master upcoming challenges.

9:00 am – 12:00 pm (introductory talks and discussion):

As part of a collegial exchange, our speakers will give you valuable insights into the highs and lows of their own qualification phase. They will present their work and project plans and give you helpful tips along the way.

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm (group work, optional):

In the afternoon, you will also have the opportunity to work on your work and project plans together with other doctoral candidates (in German or English). Please register separately via gshs@uni-mainz.de by May 28 if you would also like to participate in the afternoon session and submit your time and project plan by this date.

In a collegial exchange, our speakers will report on their personal experiences according to their work and project plans during the dissertation process and will give you helpful suggestions for a successful progress of your qualification phase.

• Various forms of time and project management during the doctorate
• Handling problems and obstacles during the qualification period
• Strategies and techniques for an efficient and effective dissertation phase

For GSHS members (junior members, full members and guest members), prospective doctoral candidates and doctoral candidates of humanities and social sciences.

Dr. Marius Frenken works as a research assistant (current PostDoc) in the department for Social and Legal Psychology (faculty 02) of the JGU since 2018. Before that, he was an external lecturer in the department for General and Experimental Psychology of the JGU. He finished and published his cumulative dissertation “Cognition of Suspicion: Architecture and Underpinnings of the Conspiracy Mindset” at the JGU in 2023.

Clara Podlesnigg is an external lecturer at the institute of Film, Theatre, Media and Culture Studies (faculty 05) of the JGU and was a research assistant and doctoral candidate at the Research Training Group “Konfigurationen des Films” at the Philipps-University Marburg. Since the beginning of 2024, she works with a start-up funding on the completion of her dissertation and the preparation of a follow-up project.

Dr. Clara Wörsdörfer is a research assistant at the institute of Art History and Musicology (faculty 07) of the JGU since 2013. She finished her dissertation with the title “Intimität und Sozialität. Allan Kaprows Activities der 1970er Jahr” in 2022. The monography was published in 2023.