The IMPRS-SPCE admits up to eight students a year. They must have a proven record of academic excellence and hold a master's degree or equivalent in a discipline relevant to the School's research. The ability to do scholarly work in English is a prerequisite for admission. Applications are accepted from mid-December to late February. We welcome students from Germany and abroad.

Apply now to the IMPRS-SPCE doctoral program
Find information on the application procedure, eligibility, and degrees.
The International Max Planck Research School on the Social and Political Constitution of the Economy (IMPRS-SPCE) is a unique international three-and-a-half-year doctoral program in the fields of economic sociology, political economy, and organization studies that is offered jointly by the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies (MPIfG), the University of Cologne's Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences, and the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

About the IMPRS-SPCE
A unique doctoral program in the fields of economic sociology, political economy, and organization studies.
International cooperation is crucial given the transnational character of research in economic sociology, comparative and international political economy, and organization studies. Our doctoral program gives students the opportunity to spend four months at a North American, French, or Italian partner institution or another academic institution abroad in order to gain international experience and develop their work in an international context. The IMPRS-SPCE also hosts visiting doctoral students from abroad, which expands its own students’ intercultural skills and professional networks. Public lectures by internationally renowned scholars enhance the program.

International Cooperation
The IMPRS-SCPE cooperates closely with distinguished universities in North America, France, and Italy. Spend a semester abroad!

Apply now to the IMPRS-SPCE doctoral program

We welcome applications to the IMPRS-SPCE program once a year from mid-December to late February. The application procedure for the IMPRS-SPCE is conducted exclusively online. Speculative applications will not be considered.
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News

The future in crisis

March 30, 2021

In a crisis, the future seems intangible and difficult to grasp. Yet for social science research, perceptions of the future are an important part of understanding crises. As the current coronavirus pandemic and before it the 2007 financial crisis or the Brexit vote show, to overcome a crisis ...

Guadalupe Moreno awarded doctorate

November 24, 2020

Vanessa Endrejat is new doctoral spokesperson

November 20, 2020

New doctoral students at the IMPRS-SPCE in fall 2020

October 22, 2020

Events

The Rich and the Powerful: Rethinking the Power of Ownership

Hanna Kuusela
May 19, 2021 17:00 - 18:30

Wealth Inequality among the 99%: Insights from International and Intergenerational Perspectives

Fabian Pfeffer
Jun 9, 2021 17:00 - 18:30

Der Preis der Sicherheit: Entführungen von Millionären und Millionärinnen in der Bundesrepublik als Untersuchungsgegenstand einer Kulturgeschichte des Reichtums

Eva Maria Gajek
Jul 7, 2021 17:00 - 18:30


Fields of Research

Aiming to combine and develop the approaches of economic sociology, comparative and international political economy, and organization studies, the School’s research investigates the complex linkages between economic and social action.
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Our Students

The IMPRS-SPCE admits up to eight students a year. The ability to do scholarly work in English is a prerequisite for admission. We welcome students from Germany and abroad.
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Living in Cologne

Based at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies in the heart of southern Cologne (the Südstadt) and the University of Cologne, graduate students at the IMPRS-SPCE can start to explore Germany from their local Severin and Sülz neighborhoods.
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