Curriculum

During your doctoral study you will be guided by a Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC). Together with you this committee tailors the 3-year PhD program. Requirement at the start is a diploma or master degree.

The MPGS students will have to enroll at the selected partner university and comply with the “Promotionsordnung” (doctorate regulations). In certain cases our students also have the possibility to maintain their association with the home university. Please note that only universities can grant PhD degrees, not Max Planck Institutes. MPGS students should actively take part in lectures, courses, conferences and summer schools thus collecting credit points which are adapted to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). There are certain agreements, however, between the MPGS and the partner universities about lectures, exams and joint colloquia as well as seminars. Students should make sure during the first lessons of a lecture series, that the lecturer will confirm their participation at the end on the credit form. Most universities require that PhD students contribute to teaching activities (up to 10% of the time). This will be coordinated in individual cases between the PhD student, the university involved and the PCGS.

Please be aware that all of you have to subscribe as a PhD-student in the dean’s office at the beginning of your PhD-time! This is independent of the enrollment at the university.

All non-German students additionally have to validate their certificates at the international office at the beginning to make sure that they are allowed to get a PhD degree here.

A guideline how to validate certificates and to enroll at university can be found in the download area.

Please note the “Promotionsordnung” (Regulations for Attaining the Academic Degree of “Doktor rerum naturalium”) of the deanery where you subscribed (MPGC, FB08 – Physics, FB09 – Faculty of Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Geography and Geosciences)!