Frequently Asked Questions - PhD Program
Before contacting us, please carefully read through Eligibility, How to apply and this page. Most of your questions will be answered this way. If things are still unclear please feel free to contact us: grk2046@fu-berlin.de
General questions about requirements and support.
No, there are no tuition fees associated with being a PhD student at a German university. However, Berlin universities charge a fee that amounts to roughly six hundred Euros per year. This includes free public transport in the Berlin metropolitan area and lots of other benefits that are well worth paying for.
In total, 13 projects are searching for a doctoral researcher. We make our decision based on the quality of the applications. As a rough estimate we can tell you that we usually receive more than five hundred applications that result in about 30 to 40 invitations to Berlin. Around one third of these invited people will usually be accepted into the program.
Applicants must hold a German Master (MSc), a German Diploma OR an equivalent international degree in biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, chemistry, or other related subjects. It is NOT necessary to hold the degree at the time of your application, but you will need a few weeks before you begin to work with us. If you have an MD with only clinical qualifications we cannot consider your application.
If you fulfill these criteria then you are eligible to apply. If you hold an MD, DVM or other related degrees that do not fall into this scheme, you will likely need extensive laboratory skills, epidemiological experience or bioinformatics knowledge in order for us to consider your application. Our recommendation is to always go for an application if in doubt! Please accept our sincere apologies that we cannot analyze individual situations at this stage.
