Philosophy

Encourage and challenge for excellent performance and innovation

The Graduate School Advanced Materials and Processes is, like the Cluster of Excellence EAM, based on an interdisciplinary concept. Therefore, the doctoral researchers are encouraged to focus their research on a broad base with specific focus area. In the past, graduate students chose a major topic and a minor topic among the Research Areas of the Cluster. The selected major and minor topics were expected to cover both, a material-related Cluster Research Area (B-E) and a cross-sectional methodological area (A1-A3). The research area of the doctoral thesis usually represented the major topic. The minor topic helped the students in gaining a broad interdisciplinary overview. With its new role as one of FAU’s graduate schools, GS AMP aims to continue its very successful interdisciplinary concept.

GS AMP ensures also that the doctoral project is effectively organized and that the students are intensively supported by a mentoring team. The mentoring team consists of the thesis supervisor, a co-mentor, who also serves as a potential second referee of the doctoral thesis, and in some cases, an industry advisor and/or an experienced fellow doctoral researcher (‘buddy’). A mentoring agreement between doctoral student and mentoring team establishes goals and milestones for the doctoral project, which are reviewed in regular meetings with the mentoring team.

Besides striving for scientific excellence, GS AMP offers a range of activities such as symposia and winter schools for intensive scientific exchange, regular meetings with fellow doctoral researchers, key qualification courses, and more.

Financial support will be given for international conference visits and research stays abroad and for publishing a printed dissertation.

After finishing the dissertation, the graduates get a certificate. All activities and qualifications will be officially recognized in a supplement to the certificate upon completion of the dissertation.