Eligibility

Eligibility criteria: Which degrees are accepted?

Entry with an MSc degree

Entry level for doctoral studies at IMPRS-ML usually is a Master of Science degree or an equivalent degree. Most applicants either have a combination of BSc and MSc (with a total equivalent of 300 ECTS credits) or a 5-year integrated MSc. Candidates are invited to apply with any academic background relevant to the multidisciplinary research of our IMPRS-ML Faculty, including but not limited to Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Chemistry, Computer Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics.

Entry with a 4-years BSc hons (or equivalent degree)

EU degrees: Applicants with a 4-year first class BSc hons degree awarded by a university inside the European Bologna System (equivalent to 240 ECTS credits) are eligible to apply.

UK/Australia/Canada degrees: Applicants with a 4-year first class BSc hons or MSci degree (equivalent to 240 ECTS credits) from the UK, Australia or Canada are eligible to apply.

Depending on the specifics of your curriculum and your academic background, you may be assigned an additional courseload of 15 to 60 ECTS credits by the Munich universities. You will have to fulfill these additional course requirements during your doctoral studies. Some university departments will also ask you to take a qualifier examination in the first year of doctoral studies.

Applicants with degrees outside the European Bologna System (incl. Turkey): Applicants with a 4-year BSc degree awarded by universities outside the European Bologna System are typically not eligible to apply. This includes BSc degrees awarded by universities from USA, Asia, Africa and Turkey.

Medical degrees

Candidates with a medical degree such as a MBBS degree (or an equivalent degree) and medical students from Germany are not eligible to apply to our PhD program. We recommend applying to specific MD/PhD programs instead.

Likewise, candidates with a degree in veterinary medicine typically are not eligible to apply.

Recognising international degrees

Please keep in mind that your university needs to be recognised by the German authorities. This is the case for most European public and state universities and only very few private universities may not be recognised. If you apply from overseas, we recommend to visit the governmental Anabin website that allows you to check whether your university and your degree program are recognised in Germany.

A full assessment regarding eligibility is only possible after submission of a complete application and typically requires the approval of university officials.

It is not necessary to already hold the relevant degree at the point of application. However, accepted candidates need to hold their degree prior to starting their doctoral studies and enrolment at IMPRS-ML.

Should you have questions regarding eligibility that cannot be answered in this section, please get in touch with the IMPRS-ML Coordination Office.