Student Selection and Program Admission

PhD Positions

The IMPRS for Astronomy and Astrophysics is offering a number of funded PhD positions. The PhD course is limited to three years. In exceptional cases and with a thorough justification funding might be extended beyond three years. Successful applicants will receive a tax-free stipend. Additional funding is available for IMPRS students to attend international schools and conferences as well as soft skill seminars or other educational events.

Note: Students might also apply for a stipend given by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). These stipends are usually awarded together with a German language course. You will find more information at http://www.daad.de/.

Eligibility

The IMPRS is open to students from all countries. Applicants must have (or are about to obtain) a degree equivalent to the German Diploma (e.g., a Master of Science degree including a Master Thesis) in Physics or other related field in Natural Sciences. The school’s working language is English. Candidates whose native language is not English must provide a certificate of proficiency (TOEFL or equivalent).

Note: Applicants without a written thesis can apply for a qualifying program at the International Graduate School in Physics and Astronomy of the University of Bonn (http://bigs.physics-astro.uni-bonn.de) or to the Bonn-Cologne Graduate School of Physics and Astronomy (http://www.gradschool.physics.uni-bonn.de).

Application Procedure

The deadline for application submission is November, 15 of each year for applicants wishing to start in the following year. A complete application must include:

• A complete and signed application form. In case of preferred projects (from the list found below), the corresponding code must be indicated in the application. The application form can be downloaded below
• Curriculum vitae
• A portrait photo
• Three letters of recommendation, mailed directly by the referees to the IMPRS Secretariat to the address below
• Copies of all academic degrees including:
• High school diploma
• B.Sc. degree
• M.Sc. degree
• An official transcript of all courses taken at the university or college level
• A proof of English proficiency, TOEFL Code Number 5356
• A copy of the M.Sc. thesis

Note: All documents and correspondence must be in English.

The IMPRS application, the recommendation letters and all relevant documents can be posted to the address shown on the right side of this page.

Selection Procedure

Every complete application is evaluated on the basis of the applicant’s academic record, recommendation letters and scientific interests. The application evaluation is assigned to a six-member Selection Committee (composed of scientists from the participating institutes) and is a multi-step procedure:

1. Every complete application is evaluated separately by each member of the Selection Committee on the basis of specific criteria
2. The Selection Committee discusses all the complete applications and assigns a final ranking
3. The top-ranked applicants are invited to an oral presentation (physically or via video-conferencing) on their M.Sc. work
4. After accounting all the previous steps and factors, the Selection Committee provides the IMPRS Board (composed of three professors) with a list of applications recommended for acceptance
5. The IMPRS Board makes the final decisions on the basis of the Selection Committee's recommendations
6. Both successful and unsuccessful applications are notified about the result by the IMPRS Office

Road map leading to a PhD degree

Applicants accepted by the IMPRS school, are expected to enroll at the University of Bonn or Cologne for at least two semesters. Formal requirements for acquiring a PhD degree, are:

1. Enrollment for at least two semesters
2. A written Ph.D. thesis (in English or German)
3. An oral presentation (defense)
4. An oral exam by a four-member Examination Board

Students are expected to give a seminar talk once a year and to publish a minimum of two papers during their Ph.D. period.

Downloads

• Application_Form__doc_ 137.0 kB
• Application_Form__pdf_ 420.76 kB
• Call for Applications 2012 (Poster) 1.57 MB