Ulrike Schwabe holds a diploma in sociology (master equivalent) and has been working as a research assistant on the “National Academics Panel Study” in the research area Educational Careers and Graduate Employment at the German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW) since May 2017. After graduating from university, she worked as a research assistant at the Chair for Sociology with a special focus on Longitudinal Educational Research at the University of Bamberg and at the Chair for Methods of Empirical Social Research at the University of Kassel. Most recently she was involved in developing a performance-based test instrument to directly assess communication skills within the research group “Performance-based Test of Students‘ Communication Skills” affiliated with the “International Centre for Higher Education Research” at the University of Kassel.

Ulrike Schwabe
Research Area Educational Careers and Graduate Employment
Researcher
- +49 511 450670-123
- Orcid
Academic research fields
Sociology of education, sociology of labour markets, research in social stratification, empirical higher education research, international comparisons, (quantitative) methods in social science, competence modeling and measurement
List of projects
List of publications
Chancen schaffen, Vielfalt fördern: Studierende mit Beeinträchtigung im Blick. Impulse für eine inklusive Hochschullehre.Bröder, C., Schwabe, U., Burkhard, J., Gröschl, B., & Hoche, R. (2026).Chancen schaffen, Vielfalt fördern: Studierende mit Beeinträchtigung im Blick. Impulse für eine inklusive Hochschullehre. Hannover: DZHW. |
Nacaps 2018. Data and methods report for data package version 3.0.0 of the National Academic Panel Survey (1st-6th wave).
Nacaps 2018. Data and methods report for data package version 3.0.0 of the National Academic Panel Survey (1st-6th wave). Data and methods report for data package version 3.0.0 of the National Academic Panel Survey (1st-6th wave). Hannover: DZHW. https://doi.org/10.21249/DZHW:nac2018-dmr-en:3.0.0 Abstract
Nacaps, the National Academics Panel Study, is a new longitudinal study of doctoral candidates and doctorate holders in Germany funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The project aims at providing nationwide cross-sectional and longitudinal data on doctoral candidates and doctorate holders in Germany regarding their study conditions as well as their career trajectories within and outside of academia. The Nacaps study series apply a panel design to multiple cohorts. Nacaps 2018 is the first cohort in this series of studies. In 2019, all doctoral candidates registered at 53 higher education institutions entitled to award PhDs/doctorates in Germany [...] Full Abstract: https://doi.org/10.21249/DZHW:nac2018:3.0.0 |
Nacaps 2018.
Nacaps 2018. Daten- und Methodenbericht zur Datenpaketversion 3.0.0 der National Academics Panel Study 2018 (1.-6. Befragungswelle). Hannover: DZHW. https://doi.org/10.21249/DZHW:nac2018-dmr-de:3.0.0 Abstract
Nacaps, the National Academics Panel Study, is a new longitudinal study of doctoral candidates and doctorate holders in Germany funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The project aims at providing nationwide cross-sectional and longitudinal data on doctoral candidates and doctorate holders in Germany regarding their study conditions as well as their career trajectories within and outside of academia. The Nacaps study series apply a panel design to multiple cohorts. Nacaps 2018 is the first cohort in this series of studies. In 2019, all doctoral candidates registered at 53 higher education institutions entitled to award PhDs/doctorates [...] Full Abstract: https://doi.org/10.21249/DZHW:nac2018:3.0.0 |
Doctoral students’ life satisfaction throughout the Covid-19 pandemic: Inequalities by parenthood and gender.Rußmann, M., Netz, N., & Schwabe, U. (2025).Doctoral students’ life satisfaction throughout the Covid-19 pandemic: Inequalities by parenthood and gender. Social Indicators Research, 180, 643-673. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-025-03648-0 Abstract
While large and highly societally relevant, the group of doctoral students still plays a subordinate role in the well-being literature. To narrow this research gap, we investigate how their life satisfaction (LS) trajectories developed throughout the Covid-19 pandemic in Germany. We draw on set-point, adaptation, family, and gender theories to examine doctoral students’ LS trajectories before, at the onset of, during, and after the pandemic. Thereby, we consider not only shorter-term but also longer-term consequences of the pandemic. |
The role of performance skills in German teacher education: empirical relations between general pedagogical knowledge, communication skills, and grades.Walz, K., Schwabe, U., & Braun, E. (2024).The role of performance skills in German teacher education: empirical relations between general pedagogical knowledge, communication skills, and grades. Frontiers in Education, 9(1327827), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1327827 |
7: Tenure track career options to full professorship in German academia: recent developments and challenges.Schwabe, U., Peter, F., & Buchholz, S. (2024).7: Tenure track career options to full professorship in German academia: recent developments and challenges. In E. Pekkola & T. Siekkinen (Hrsg.), Tenure Tracks in European Universities (S. 116-135). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035302451.00013 |
Neuer Bildungstrichter: Trotz Akademisierungsschub immer noch ungleicher Zugang zur Hochschule.Kracke, N., Schwabe, U., & Buchholz, S. (2024).Neuer Bildungstrichter: Trotz Akademisierungsschub immer noch ungleicher Zugang zur Hochschule. (DZHW Brief 02|2024). Hannover: DZHW. https://doi.org/10.34878/2024.02.dzhw_brief |
Studierende mit gesundheitlicher studienerschwerender Beeinträchtigung.Gerdes, F., Schwabe, U., Steinkühler, J., & Kroher , M. (2024).Studierende mit gesundheitlicher studienerschwerender Beeinträchtigung. Public Health Forum, 32(2), 69-76. https://doi.org/10.1515/pubhef-2024-0011 Abstract
The article focuses on students with health impairments that have adverse effects on their studies, within the German higher education system. Using data from “The student survey in Germany: best: Studying with health impairments” we present current results on the composition of this group, on their drop-out intention and experienced discrimination during their studies. There exist notable differences within this group according to the type and severity of impairment. |
Nacaps 2018.Briedis, K., Lietz, A., Ruß, U., Schwabe, U., Seifert, M., ... & Hoffstätter, U. (2024).Nacaps 2018. Daten- und Methodenbericht zur National Academics Panel Study 2018 (1.-4. Befragungswelle – Promovierende). Hannover: DZHW. https://doi.org/10.21249/DZHW:nac2018:2.0.0 Abstract
Nacaps, the National Academics Panel Study, is a new longitudinal study of doctoral candidates and doctorate holders in Germany funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The project aims at providing nationwide cross-sectional and longitudinal data on doctoral candidates and doctorate holders in Germany regarding their study conditions as well as their career trajectories within and outside of academia. The Nacaps study series apply a panel design to multiple cohorts. Nacaps 2018 is the first cohort in this series of studies. In 2019, all doctoral candidates registered at 53 higher education institutions [...] Full Abstract: https://doi.org/10.21249/DZHW:nac2018:2.0.0 |
Die Studierendenbefragung in Deutschland 2021. Daten- und Methodenbericht zur Erhebung.
Die Studierendenbefragung in Deutschland 2021. Daten- und Methodenbericht zur Erhebung. Hannover: DZHW. Abstract
"The Student Survey in Germany" (2021) is a newly designed study that integrates three previously separate student surveys (Beuße et al., 2022): the Social Survey (Middendorff et al., 2017; Middendorff & Wallis, 2023), the Student Survey (Multrus et al., 2017; Multrus, 2021) and the survey "best - Studying with impairments" (Poskowsky et al., 2018; Unger et al., 2012). The study is designed as a cross-sectional survey with a long-term character. The new, integrated student survey thus continues the long tradition of the Social Survey and the Student Survey as important cross-sectional long-term observation studies for describing and analysing higher education and the student [...] Full Abstract: https://doi.org/10.21249/DZHW:sid2021:1.0.0 |
Challenging the intuition: Is a same-gender supervisor beneficial for doctoral students?Mühleck, K., & Schwabe, U. (2024).Challenging the intuition: Is a same-gender supervisor beneficial for doctoral students? Soziale Welt, 26, 280-340. https://doi.org/10.5771/9783748925590-280 Abstract
It continues to be a puzzle that women are disproportionally often dropping out of academic careers. Researchers and policymakers have suggested that same-gender supervisors are important for tightening this ‘leaky pipeline’. Especially in subjects with a strong overrepresentation of men, it seems likely that female supervisors work as positive role models and help preventing discrimination. Anticipating this effect, female doctoral students might also prefer supervisors of the same gender. Therefore, we ask how widespread a gender match is between doctoral student and supervisor in Germany and whether a gender match between supervisors and doctoral students is beneficial for the doctorate and for a possible scientific career thereafter. |
Die Studierendenbefragung in Deutschland: best3 Studieren mit einer gesundheitlichen Beeinträchtigung.Steinkühler, J., Beuße, M., Kroher, M., Gerdes, F., Schwabe, U., ... & Buchholz, S. (2023).Die Studierendenbefragung in Deutschland: best3 Studieren mit einer gesundheitlichen Beeinträchtigung. LCSS Working Papers (15). Hannover: x. https://doi.org/10.15488/15773 |
Die Studierendenbefragung in Deutschland: 22. Sozialerhebung. Die wirtschaftliche und soziale Lage der Studierenden in Deutschland 2021.
Die Studierendenbefragung in Deutschland: 22. Sozialerhebung. Die wirtschaftliche und soziale Lage der Studierenden in Deutschland 2021. LCSS Working Papers (14). Hannover: x. https://doi.org/10.15488/15772 |
Die Studierendenbefragung in Deutschland: 22. Sozialerhebung.
Die Studierendenbefragung in Deutschland: 22. Sozialerhebung. Die wirtschaftliche und soziale Lage der Studierenden in Deutschland 2021. Berlin: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung. |
List of presentations & conferences
- College for Interdisciplinary Educational Research (CIDER) (2019-2021)
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Soziologie (DGS)
- DZHW-Forschungscluster "Empirische Methoden der Hochschul- und Wissenschaftsforschung"
- DZHW-Forschungscluster "Erträge tertiärer Bildung"
- DZHW-Forschungscluster "Open Science"
- Gesellschaft für Hochschulforschung (GfHf)
- Research Commitee on Social Stratification and Mobility (RC28) of the International Sociological Association (ISA)
- Sektion Bildung und Erziehung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie (DGS)
- March 2023: RatSWD Poster Award: 2. Place for Poster-Presentation "Graduates' early wages in Germany: Does a university's status of excellence make the difference?"
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hochschuldidaktik
- Die Hochschullehre
- Frontiers in Education
- Gesellschaft für Hochschulforschung
- Higher Education
- Journal for Labour Market Research
- Psychologie in Erziehung und Unterricht
- Research in Comparative and International Education
- Sociology of Education
- Soziale Welt
- Studies in Higher Education