Practical matters

Duration of the PhD

IMPRS students are initially admitted into the program for three years. Potential extensions are possible subject to the research focus and progress.  

 

Thesis Advisory Committee

All IMPRS students are followed by a thesis advisory committee (TAC) throughout the course of their doctoral degree. The TAC consists of the primary supervisor of the student along with a secondary supervisor and a mentor. TAC members are usually faculty and group leaders, with the possibility of including a postdoc. There is one formal TAC meeting per year for each student, where progress of the PhD research is discussed, as well as plans for the next steps towards the PhD.  Students are also provided the opportunity to meet individual TAC members separately. More detailed aspects of the TAC are laid out in a supervision agreement that is established between student and supervisor.

 

Being an IMPRS student

The IMPRS student community is international and the working language in the research groups is English. The community from the different locations meets annually to discuss physics research. These meetings can also include current and former postdocs to provide a perspective on life as a postdoc, parallel round table discussions on specific research topics and gender equality and equal opportunity presentations.

Students elect representatives who provide input into the training in the IMPRS and serve as an additional communication link to the faculty.

Students will be provided with office space, a laptop and other necessary computer equipment, and access to the institute's library, administrative, and IT support services.

The IMPRS coordinator and the International Office provide help in matters related to moving to the host institution. This includes support related to obtaining a visa for foreign students.

 

University enrolment

As pure research institutions, Max Planck Institutes do not confer educational degrees, so that students in the IMPRS must enroll at a university, see the list of our partner universities. University enrollment can be arranged after acceptance into the IMPRS and the PhD will be awarded according to the University’s regulations.  Accepted IMPRS students will receive assistance during the university enrollment, and possible visa application processes, through the IMPRS coordinator, the International Office, and institute administrative support.

 

Financial support

All accepted students will receive financial support in agreement with standard procedures of the Max Planck Society. There are small tuition fees for the enrolment at our partner universities, which include a ticket for public transport.

Students will receive full financial support to participate in national and international scientific conferences.  German language courses for foreign students are also supported.