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For applicants

What does the IMPRS PhD program offer?

Doctoral study at the IMPRS offers an excellent scientific education within a structured framework. PhD students at the Max Planck Institute for Physics (MPP) receive a three-year contract, which can be extended for one more year. With your doctoral work you have the possibility to gain insights into fascinating research questions: for example, what dark matter is made of, what accounts for the matter/antimatter imbalance in the universe, whether supersymmetry exists, or what significance string theory has for particle physics.

The research topics offered are in the fields of high-energy physics, astroparticle physics, or cosmology and have an experimental or theoretical focus.

Who is eligible for doctoral study at the IMPRS?

In order to become a PhD student at the IMPRS:

  • you must have completed your master’s study in physics with outstanding results
  • you must provide your written master’s thesis as documentation of a research project lasting at least six months
  • you should be able to show very good proficiency in English.

How can you apply?

Each year there are three calls to apply for admission to the IMPRS. The closing dates for applications are typically at the end of January, May, and September.

The next IMPRS application deadline is January 8, 2021.

Please apply exclusively with our application form. For your application, the following items are required:

  • your CV
  • your academic records
  • your master’s thesis, in German or English, or a (preliminary) summary and abstract of this work
  • two letters of recommendation, which will be transmitted from the referees to the MPP.

The Executive Committee, which consists of members of all three IMPRS EPP institutions, examines the applications. Selected candidates will be invited to the MPP for a presentation and interviews on February 22, 2021.

Successful applicants will receive an offer for admission to the IMPRS. The beginning of the doctoral work will be determined in consultation with the advisor.

What should you know about the PhD study at the MPP?

Following your successful application, you will become a member of the IMPRS and receive a contract for three years. The IMPRS curriculum will complement the doctoral study. IMPRS doctoral candidates enroll at either Ludwig Maximilian University Munich (LMU) or the Technical University of Munich (TUM); you will receive your PhD degree from one of the two universities.

Doctoral candidates at TUM are required to serve as instructors for laboratory courses or exercises. At LMU, teaching activity is recommended. More information:

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