Graduate Research School Graduate Research School

Description/content

About BTU Cottbus – Senftenberg:
With its 6,800 students, BTU is the second largest university and the only technical university in the state of Brandenburg. Its degree programmes are highly regarded in Germany and worldwide. Integral to this success are the many opportunities for teaching and research collaboration that BTU actively pursues, not only with other universities and research institutions but also with local small and medium-sized companies as well as large international organisations and enterprises. The BTU research profile is comprised of four core fields :

Smart Regions and Heritage

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

Biotechnology, Environment and Health

Cognitive and Dependable Cyber Physical Systems

Objectives of the Graduate Research School:

Promotion of outstanding young researchers

Strengthening of the research profile of the university

Internationalisation of doctoral training programmes at BTU

To provide you with exceptional services and funding opportunities, the GRS cooperates closely with all faculties , the BTU Research Department, and the BTU Welcome Centre .

Qualification Programme:
In addition to your independent research, the GRS also offers you a comprehensive qualification programme that is tailored to the specific needs of PhD candidates. You may choose from a wide array of workshops and courses that support you during the doctoral phase and prepare you for your next career steps. The programme consists of four areas:

Networking

Subject-related qualification

Scientific techniques

Transferable skills training

Financial Support:
GRS provides PhD candidates with various funding opportunities . We offer, for example, travel grants for your conference presentations and give additional financial support for research stays at top research institutions. A small number of scholarships are available. Outstanding graduates may also receive funding for their research projects from the GRS and the Postdoc-Network-Brandenburg.

Faculties

• Faculty 1 Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
• Faculty 2 Environmental and Natural Science
• Faculty 3 Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Energy Systems
• Faculty 4 Social Work, Health Care and Music
• Faculty 5 Business, Law and Social Sciences
• Faculty 6 Architecture, Civil Engineering and Urban Planning

Financial support

Yes

Structured research and supervision

Yes

Research training / discussion

Yes

Specific specialist or non-specialist support for international students and doctoral candidates

• Buddy programme
• Tutors
• Visa matters
• Pick-up service
• Other

Additional information on support programmes

Networking events for international PhD students

List of doctoral programmes and other offers

BTU offers you several ways to pursue your doctoral degree. You may choose the traditional option of an individual doctoral thesis in one of BTU’s six faculties . Or you may consider one of the international PhD programmes to pursue your PhD degree. BTU has been a pioneer in developing structured PhD programmes that are particularly aimed toward international PhD students in fields such as Environmental and Resource Management , Heritage Studies , or Dependable Systems .

For further information about pursuing a PhD or doctorate at BTU, please refer to the website of the BTU Research Department or contact the PhD Coordinator: doctoralstudies@b-tu.de

Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg
© BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg

Located on three campuses and with about 60 study programmes , BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg offers a broad spectrum of market-oriented programmes as well as traditional degree programmes.

From the natural sciences and engineering to economics, cultural studies, and even health sciences, BTU offers a wide range of courses. Our 14 study programmes taught exclusively in English are very popular among both German and international students from all over the world.

BTU is partnered with over 150 universities throughout the world, which provides students with a multitude of excellent opportunities to spend part of their time studying or conducting research abroad . Furthermore, in cooperation with our international partner universities , BTU offers a wide range of double-degree and joint-degree programmes .

University location

Cottbus is located in the north-east of Germany, between the country’s capital, Berlin (100 km), and Dresden (120 km). With a population of approx. 100,000 inhabitants, Cottbus is the second largest city after Potsdam in the federal state of Brandenburg. The Polish border is only approx. 30 km away. The location of Cottbus offers a convenient starting point for trips into the picturesque region of Lower Lusatia. The landscape of Lower Lusatia is characterised by the Spreewald with its small canals and waterways as well as by the Slavonic minority called Sorbs or Wends. Their language, similar to Polish, is still used and spoken in Lower Lusatia. For this reason, many of the road signs and informational boards in Cottbus and the surrounding region are written in both Sorbian and German. Cottbus gained importance as a trade centre in the 12th century. Parts of the original city wall from the 14th century as well as the beautiful townhouses around the old market square are proof of the city’s early splendour. Additionally, the city is characterised by buildings from the “Wilhelminian” times of rapid industrial growth in Germany, which occurred towards the end of the 19th century. The city that first rose to prominence with its cloth and linen weaving industry soon evolved into a growing centre of brown coal mining.

Senftenberg is the centre of the Lusatia Lake District. Former excavation and mining pits have been flooded in order to create the largest artificial lake system in Europe, with a total of 23 large lakes. The water sports area “Senftenberger See”, with its water surface of 1,300 hectares, offers exceptional sailing and surfing opportunities, and it is suitable for all kinds of water sports. Senftenberg has thus become a tourist attraction within the region.