The Central Institutes cannot confer doctoral degrees, only the departments can do that. If you have completed a Master´s programme in one of the Central Institutes and/or wish to write a doctoral thesis with a focus on regional topics, however, a professor or senior lecturer from one of the Central Institutes can act as your supervisor. This is due to the fact that the professors and senior lecturers there have a double membership in the respective Central Institute and - according to their area of expertise - in one of the departments of the Freie Universität Berlin.

You need to decide on the subject you wish to do your doctorate in and then apply for admission as doctoral candidate in the Department your subject belongs to. If your chosen field is Anthropology, Political Science or Sociology, it is affiliated with our Department.