The LIVES Centre offers a doctoral programme designed for early-stage PhD students in the social sciences, psychology, health sciences, or related disciplines whose research includes a life course or lifespan perspective. The programme is open to PhD students internationally.
Their work can focus on
- the effects of early events or the later life course
- biographies and trajectories in different life domains
- events that constitute a turning point in life course
- processes of accumulation / depletion over the life course
- longitudinal methods
- the evolution of norms regarding age
- life course in social policies
- etc.
The LIVES doctoral programme aims to promote high-quality doctoral research in life course analysis. Accepted applicants benefit from a unique opportunity to participate in seven state-of-the-art doctoral modules. The programme provides PhD students with a thorough and up-to-date theoretical and methodological grounding in this interdisciplinary field of study. (For an overview of past doctoral modules, see here.) The participation in the doctoral programme allows PhD students to develop a network of peers with similar research interests. Beyond skill development and knowledge acquisition, the programme offers mentoring opportunities with leading experts in life course research, notably through the annual doctoral presentations (Doctoriales).
The LIVES doctoral programme is organized over two years, takes place at the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne, and includes 7 sessions (see the overview of the programme for the 2024-26 cohort):
- 3 sessions on theories and concepts in life course analysis (3 days each)
- 4 sessions on methods in life course analysis (3 days each)
- 3 LIVES Doctoriales: PhD candidates have the opportunity to present their work to experts during an annual one-day event.
Participants receive a certificate (with ECTS credits) at the end of the full programme (at least 5 out of 7 modules completed). Workshop-specific certificates can also be issued upon request.
Successful applicants from outside Switzerland may request financial support for transportation and lodging costs for up to five doctoral modules.
A call for applications is launched once per year (next call summer 2025). A limited number of spots are also available for continuing education participants in each doctoral module. Interested candidates can inquire at: doctoral-centre-lives@unige.ch.