PhD in Germany
Why Germany, the two ways in, who pays for the PhD, and what really matters in an application — part of ESC’s webinar series, with questions taken live from LinkedIn.
This webinar has finished. The main points are written out below, and our next free session is on the webinars page.
The German PhD, start to finish
Individual or structured PhD?
Germany has two quite different ways to do a PhD. Knowing which one an advert belongs to tells you how to apply, when to apply, and what your first year will look like.
| Individual PhD | Structured PhD | |
|---|---|---|
| Who offers it | A professor, for a project in their lab | A graduate school or doctoral programme |
| Supervision | One professor | A team of supervisors |
| Coursework | Optional | Part of the programme |
| When to apply | All year round, whenever a position opens | At fixed intakes, by the programme’s deadline |
| How to apply | Email the professor or answer their advert | Apply through the programme’s portal |
PhDs are not only at universities. Max Planck, Fraunhofer, Leibniz and Helmholtz institutes run a lot of doctoral research too — the degree itself is awarded by a partner university. For the full comparison, read our free guide: structured vs individual PhD.
Your speaker
Deepak did his PhD at LMU Munich as a DAAD scholar after studying at IIT Bombay, and works as a research scientist in Munich. He founded Emerging Scholars Council to help students find funded PhD and Master’s places abroad, and today is also President of DAAD IndiAlumni, a registered non-profit association of Indian and German DAAD alumni.
Quick answers
Do I need German for a science PhD in Germany?
No, for most science PhDs. English is the working language in most research groups.
Are IELTS or TOEFL compulsory?
Not for most positions, but a good score is a plus on your application. Check each advert.
Do I need publications?
Short answer: no. Publications boost your chances and can make up for lower master’s grades. Accepted, submitted or in preparation — all of it counts on your CV.
Do conferences matter?
Yes. They build your network, and you may meet your future supervisor there. If you can, present your work as a poster or a talk.
Do master’s grades matter?
Yes. Ideally above 60%, better above 70%. Lower grades can be balanced by good research experience and publications.
We also mentor people through the whole thing
The webinars are free and always will be. If you would rather not apply alone, our PhD mentorship pairs you with a researcher in your field who stays with you until you have a funded offer.