Abteilung für Kinderkardiologie und pädiatrische Intensivmedizin
  1. Startseite LMU Klinikum
  2. Kinder- und Jugendmedizin
  3. Forschung und Lehre
  4. Forschung
  5. Promotions- und Habilitationsangelegenheiten
  6. Ph.D. Cardiovascular Science
  7. Application and Selection

Application and Selection

The Ph.D. Medical Research - Cardiovascular Science is designed as an academic and educational tool to stimulate research activities on cardiovascular topics both in Munich and outside the city and country. Particularly in light of the global burden of cardiovascular disease, the newly established Ph.D. program is designed to address not only the interest of German students and physicians, but also the urgent need for global action. We therefore also encourage young scientists from low- and middle-income countries to apply for our Ph.D. program. 

The program is open to all scientists and medical doctors of any nationality who share our interest and commitment to cardiovascular research who plan to conduct full-time research for at least three years.

Application period

Applications for the Ph.D. Medical Research - Cardiovascular Science are accepted once a year, with an application period of 01 December to 31 January of the following year. Applications must be submitted via the online application portal of the Munich Medical Research School (MMRS). Successfull applicants will then start their Ph.D. studies in the winter semester (October) of the same year. 

Application requirements

To apply for the Ph.D. Medical Research - Cardiovascular Science, the following requirements must be met by all applicants:

  • Qualifying degree in medicine, veterinary medicine, life sciences, pharmacy, health sciences or a related discipline, encompassing a minimum of 240 ECTS (in most cases this corresponds to 8 semesters)

  • Very good academic record

  • Proficiency in English (equivalent to level B2)

Application documents

To apply for the Ph.D. Medical Research - Cardiovascular Science, the following documents must be submitted:

  • Curriculum Vitae (Europass recommended)

  • High School Certificate
  • Certificates of your degrees (e.g. B.Sc., M.Sc., MD, etc.)
  • Transcript of records of your study degrees

  • English language certificate (TOEFL or equivalents – not required if you are a native speaker or if your education was in English)

  • Motivation letter specifying your interest in the program

  • Contact details of two academic referees (Before submitting your application, please inform the referees you select that they will be expected to provide a reference letter for you.)

  • Full Research Proposal (template)
  • Financial Statement - the Ph.D. MR - CVS program does not offer any research funding!
  • Information for Medical Doctors
  • Local Supervisor Support Statement - for applicant who would like to work on a research project outside the LMU University Hospital, either at another research insitution within Munich, Germany or even outside the country.

All documents have to be provided in English (translations of original documents need to be certified). The transcripts of records and degree certificates in German do not need to be translated. 

  • For international applicants, please note that only official transcripts and certificates (no temporary certificates) will be accepted. Student copies are accepted only with signature and official stamp of the Registrar. 
  • If you hold a degree from a non-German university, please check its eligibility using the following instructions.
  • If you are a medical doctor and wish to obtain the Ph.D. title, please note that this program is a structured full-time doctoral program. All doctoral projects are pure research projects to be conducted on a full-time basis. It is an academic and scientific training, not a clinical one. With this in mind, the program does not count towards the duration of residency training. Residency training will be interrupted for the duration of participation in the Ph.D. Medical Research – Cardiovascular Science program. By submitting the signed information (see template above), you confirm that you have read and understood the information.
  • For all: Please note that you are responsible for ensuring that the letters of recommendation are submitted by the two referees whose contact information you have provided in the application portal. No letters of recommendation should be sent to the Ph.D. Program Coordinator.

Application process

All applications for the Ph.D. Medical Research - Cardiovascular Science program must be submitted through the MMRS online application portal. In order to apply, you must first register. Once your account is set up, navigate through the portal following the provided instructions, ensuring all required details are filled out. The portal is self-explanatory, online storable, and can be completed in multiple sessions. Remember to click the "Submit" button when your application is complete. However, please note that you will not be able to make any changes once you have submitted your application. Please also note that we can only consider applications for the Ph.D. program in Medical Research with a focus on Cardiovascular Science. If you inadvertently select another core area (e.g. International Health, Oral Science, etc.) at the beginning of your application, your application will be rejected without review.

Please remember that only unencrypted PDF and JPEG files will be accepted for upload. The size of uploaded files must not exceed 5 MB per file. If a document spans multiple pages, it should be combined into a single file. Ensure that all documents are either in English or German. If not, they should be accompanied by an officially translated version in either language. Translations of original documents need to be certified. Documents in other languages will not be accepted without a certified translation.

Selection process

After the application deadline of 31 January each year, a three-step selection process begins:

After the 31 January application deadline, all submitted applications will be reviewed by the Ph.D. MR – CVS Coordination for completness. Applications that do not include all required documents will be rejected without review. No reminders will be sent for missing documents. In addition, the Program Coordination reviews all applications to ensure that they meet formal criteria.

Those applications that pass the formal screening are then sent to the Steering Committee. This committee evaluates the suitbility of both the applicant and their proposed research project. After their assessment, the Steering Committee shortlists candidates for individual interviews.

The individual interviews are either conducted virtually or in-person. They play a crucial role in the selection process for new Ph.D. candidates as they offer an in-depth evaluation of the applicant's expertise, motivation, and fit for the program, ensuring the admission of the most suitable candidates.

After the interviews, there is a decisive meeting where the Steering Committee finalizes their selection of successful applicants. This entire process spans approximately two to three months, with selected candidates being notified of their acceptance in April.

Admission

For admission to the Ph.D. program, enrollment at the LMU Munich is required. Please find here further information on the registration process. The progam starts in the following October with Study Block I.