For more than 15 years, students have been successfully completing their PhD programs in the field of Media Studies at FUBKW, receiving individual supervision by the professors of the university. For PhD students, the work on their dissertation constitutes the first phase of a career in research and, frequently, an academic career. Following its reorganization into a university, the school has constantly been expanding and optimizing its conditions for research. In the field of Media Studies, an established network of Brandenburg-based universities is available. The Center for Media Studies (ZeM), which is closely associated with the university, combines research with knowledge transfer. Here, PhD students profit from the contents and systematic approach of the center's event offer. Interdisciplinary skills – such as the acquisition of third-party funds or teaching, administrative, leadership, and management skills – can be acquired in-house or through collaborations with the Potsdam Graduate School of the University of Potsdam, Netzwerk Studienqualität Brandenburg, and the Dahlem Research School of Freie Universität Berlin. Here, strong and experienced partners are available. PhD candidates can choose if they want to have student status during their program or not. Independent of scholarships, several research funds ensure that PhD students receive financial and practical support for the implementation of their research projects.