Application

Our PhD programme is international and open to all students holding a Master of Science (MSc) degree, or equivalent in biology, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, microbiology, bioinformatics, chemistry, chemical biology, physics, biophysics or another relevant field. Applications will be considered even if the degree is not conferred until the programme starts in autumn of the respective year.

Applicants holding an extended (at least 4-year) Bachelor degree may also qualify for the admission to the programme, but as a rule they need to attend additional courses at the Philipps-Universität Marburg.

The programme is taught in English, therefore all candidates need to demonstrate good working proficiency in English, and - unless they are native English speakers - provide evidence for this (e.g. IELTS, TOEFL). German is not a requirement for the programme, but German language classes are offered to students from abroad.

Information on whether candidates will require a visa for admittance to Germany, can be acquired through the page on Visa regulations (Auswärtiges Amt).

Open call for PhD positions!

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How to apply

We are only accepting applications through our online application system, which is open from December 1, 2022 until January 31, 2023. Please do not send any application by regular mail or email, as they have to be rejected. In addition, we can only consider fully completed applications, including all requested documents and supplied by letters of recommendation. The application form needs to be completed exclusively in English.

In addition to the application form, we require several documents that need to be uploaded. Documents in languages other than English or German should be submitted with a certified English translation. These documents are:

  1. All university certificates and transcripts of records for each academic degree
  2. A copy of the diploma / certificate of graduation
  3. Two letters of recommendation; Referees have to be named during the online application process and will be contacted by the IMPRS directly.
  4. Non-native English speakers have to supply proof of their English language competence by submitting a test score from an internationally acknowledged English language test (see the links below). Alternatively, proven academic training conducted in English (for at least 2 years), or certificates demonstrating sufficient English language proficiency are accepted.
  5. You can add further documents to support the information requested in the application. We however kindly ask you to only provide documents that are imperative to your application and not to overload your application with documents of minor importance.

Academic certificates must include the final grades obtained, as well as an official detailed explanation of the grading system in your country. The maximum grade (points) that can be obtained and the minimum grade (points) required to pass have to be indicated. Original documents will be requested before the final admission to the school. We recommend submitting your application well ahead of the deadline, to avoid technical problems due to an overload of the online application system.

FAQs

Further information regarding application and admission is summarised in the Frequently asked questions (FAQs). In case you have further questions, please check this site before contacting the coordination office.

 

Proof of English language competence
The TOEFL Test
IELTS
Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)