Graduate School of the Social and Behavioural Sciences (GSBS)

The Graduate School of the Social and Behavioural Sciences (GSBS) at the University of Konstanz brings together researchers from six disciplines – economics, linguistics, political science and public administration, psychology, sociology and statistics – to perform high-end frontier research in the social and behavioural sciences. Our doctoral candidates benefit from a structured training programme of courses and research seminars / colloquia, which provide them with the tools to complete their doctorate in line with the highest international standards. The GSBS also offers two optional interdisciplinary specialisations: decision sciences inequality. One of these specialisations is linked to the Cluster “The Politics of Inequality”, which has been established in the framework of the third round of the Excellence Initiative. The “Decision Sciences” specialisation emanates from our very successful “Graduate School of Decision Sciences”, which was established in the framework of the second round of the Excellence Initiative in 2012 and has provided a basis for the development of the Cluster and the GSBS. The GSBS is also anchored to the research priority “Inequality and Conflict” of the University of Konstanz. The research of the GSBS investigates behaviour from both the micro and macro perspective. At the micro level, research questions address determinants and processes, which guide individual behaviour. At the macro level, questions on decision-making in collectives are explored, for instance, in groups, markets, societies or political organisations. The combination of six disciplines and two interdisciplinary specialisations in the GSBS provides the basis for fascinating synergies, as similar research questions are addressed from different perspectives. For instance, framing is particularly investigated in psychology and linguistics, but it also finds applications in economics and political science. The topic of culture attracts the interest of diverse fields, including sociology and economics. Likewise, the emergence of institutions is relevant to such fields as political science, sociology and economics. Synergies also emerge from sharing methods, such as statistical methods and methods for data collection. The GSBS provides coursework in the respective fields. Interdisciplinary courses are taught by lecturers from different fields and courses are offered concerning the necessary methods.