MPIDB Germany International PhD Program 2015 in the Biological Sciences

Program Basics

The selection of a PhD program is a major step towards a scientific career. A PhD student commits several years of his or her life to research and the acquisition of scientific communication and leadership skills. At the end of his PhD training period, the student should come away with a not an advanced academic degree, but a firm understanding of the workings of cutting-edge research and a solid foundation for his or her career.

Here is a brief overview over what the International PhD Program in the Biological Sciences has to offer:

Research First

The main focus of the International PhD Program lies on hands-on experience in research. Students start their PhD projects immediately and generally produce one or more research publications before they finish their degree. You will find details about the research in laboratories participating in the MCSB track and the EDGE track on the respective webpages. This link will take you to the list of recent publications by our students.

Program Structure

In addition to carrying out scientific research, PhD students are required to attend a minimal number of courses, participate in research seminars and present their research findings at an internal symposium. In addition, a wide variety of optional courses and activities are also available.

PhD Degree/ Dr. rer. nat.

Most students of the International PhD Program register with the Faculty of Science at the University of Tuebingen, from which they will receive the German equivalent of the PhD degree (Dr. rer. nat.). You can find out more information about the formalities involved in registering at the Faculty of Sciences.

Financial Considerations

All PhD positions are fully funded for up to 4 years, either through stipends from the Max Planck Society or employment contracts. On average, PhD students can expect to have a disposable income of approximately 1450€ per month, from which health insurance costs have to be deducted. Additional subsidies may be available, based on personal circumstances.

The International PhD Program does not charge tuition or fees. Students wishing to enroll at the University of Tübingen are charged minimal fees (approximately €110/semester).

Admission

The PhD program is open to highly qualified students from Germany and any other country. Approximately 20 new PhD students join the program each year. Most students are selected through the annual application process, while some are admitted  after directly contacting a faculty member. Find details of the annual application process here.

Information for Applicants 2014

Eligibility Requirements

College/University degree

Generally, applicants must have completed all of the requirements for their MSc or Diplom degree in a relevant subject by the time they begin their PhD. They are welcome to apply while finishing their studies.

B.Sc. students graduating within the top 10% of their class from a German university with independent research experience may also be eligible.

In exceptional cases, graduates from international 4-year B.Sc. or B.Tech. programs with independent research experience may also be admitted. However, in these cases additional requirements (courses, seminars, exams or a research report) must be fulfilled.

Comparative evaluation of academic performance

Universities within the European Higher Education Area have agreed on mutually accepted standards for graduation. Therefore, no additional evidence of academic performance is required.

Applicants who do not hold a degree from a university within the European Higher Education Area must submit a GRE or GATE score. A copy of the official score report is sufficient for application. The official score report needs to be provided prior to the interview.

Both the GRE general test score as well as a relevant subject test score are accepted. Our GRE Institution Code is 4791. In general, successful applicants have scored above 152 (500 pre-2011) on the verbal test and above 155 (700 pre-2011) on the quantitative test. Find out more about the GREhere.

Applicants from India may provide a GATE score of a relevant specialization.

Language Qualifications

The program language is English. Applicants must demonstrate English written and oral communication skills during the application process. Test scores from the TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge English test or similar are not required but are looked upon favorably.

Application Schedule

You are welcome to apply to our program during one of the upcoming application rounds. All applicants will be informed of the initial status of their application no more than 6 weeks after completing the application. Applicants not requiring a visa may be invited to interviews on short notice.

Application round

Application system opens

Application deadline

Interview invitations issued

Interview week

2014-1 (closed)

April 1, 2014

May 13, 2014

June 2, 2014

July 7-11, 2014

2014-2 (closed)

May 20, 2014

July 15, 2014

August 4, 2014

September 8-12, 2014

2014-3 (Adrian Streit and Richard Neher only)

July 22, 2014

Oct 14, 2014

to be determined

to be determined

Due to the high quality of applicants, we have been able to fill most of the PhD positions available this year. Therefore, application round 2014-3 is only open to applicants for the labs of Richard Neher and Adrian Streit only. Direct applications to all faculty members are still possible. Our next general application cycle will take place in 2015.

Application Procedure

Our application procedure consists of of three steps:

1. Screening of completed application packages

2. Telephone or video-conference interviews

3. Personal interviews at our institutes in Tuebingen

The application package consists of three components which must all be provided through our online application system:

1. Online application form

2. Certificates submitted as one pdf-file

3. References from two referees

Our online application system is now open. Please follow this link to register with the system. You will receive an email providing details of the application package and your personal log-in information. Using this log-in information, you can proceed with your application and check the status of your application at any time.

Applications must be completed by the application deadline. Partially completed applications will be deleted and you will be given the opportunity to apply again in the following round.

If you have any questions, please contact the PhD Program Office by email.

Interviews

After screening all applications and carrying out telephone or video-conference interviews, the selection committee will invite suitable candidates to personal interviews in Tübingen. The PhD Program will subsidise travel cost and provide free room and board for the interviews. Assistance with visa formalities will also be available. Shortly after the interviews, letters with offers of PhD positions will be sent out.

Direct Application

If you have already selected a potential PhD advisor and fulfill the eligibility requirements, you are welcome to apply at any time directly to the faculty member of your choice by sending an email with your CV.

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