Careers in Academia and PhDs after Euroculture
Every year, a significant proportion of our graduates continue to work in education and research environments after completing the programme. According to recent alumni reports, around 14% of alumni pursue careers in education and another 12% in research-related fields, including academic research, policy research, and teaching positions in higher education. Within this group, a notable share choose to continue their academic journey by pursuing doctoral research. Around 5–8% of alumni have pursued or completed a PhD, confirming the programme’s strong academic foundation and research orientation.
Our graduates undertake PhD projects in a wide range of fields, including:
History, Cultural and Literary Studies, European Studies, International Relations, Political Science, Sociology, Law, Human Rights, Communication and Journalism, Education, Linguistics, Environmental Studies, Health Care Management, Criminology, Human Resource Management (HRM), Public Affairs and related interdisciplinary areas.
As a Marie Skłodowska Curie Postdoctoral Fellow, I follow up on features that stood out during my Euroculture experience already: mobility opportunities and an interdisciplinary approach. Also in terms of skills, the rich network I developed during my studies and the continued support I received after completing my master's,
I profited from my Euroculture experience.
Razvan Dumitru
Marie Skłodowska Curie
Postdoctoral Fellow
This diversity highlights the multidisciplinary character of the programme and its ability to prepare students for highly specialized research environments. The Master's programme prepares students not only for the job market, but also equips them with the analytical depth, research skills and academic confidence required for a successful doctoral career.
Alumni reports from different years show that doctoral studies have consistently remained an important pathway for graduates. Although the overall funding landscape for doctoral positions, particularly in European Studies and related disciplines, has become more competitive in recent years, our graduates continue to secure PhD placements at universities in Europe and beyond. Graduates consistently report that the combination of analytical depth, project management skills, and intercultural competence enables them to become communicative and creative problem solvers — qualities that are highly valued in academic research environments.
Below you will find an overview of selected examples, among other places, where our Alumni did pursue their PhD and continued their academic journey.
Recent PhD Placements (Selection)
Euroculture with its interdisciplinary focus and strong international orientation provided a solid foundation for my academic career. Today, as a Doctoral Candidate in Political Science at the GIGA Institute, I continue to learn and collaborate with international colleagues from diverse academic and methodological backgrounds.
Johanna Pieper
German Institute for Global
and Area Studies (GIGA)